Abstract
In this work, a method to acquire freestanding GaN by using low temperature (LT)-GaN layer was put forward. To obtain porous structure and increase the crystallinity, LT-GaN layers were annealed at high temperature. The morphology of LT-GaN layers with different thickness and annealing temperature before and after annealing was analyzed. Comparison of GaN films using different LT-GaN layers was made to acquire optimal LT-GaN process. According to HRXRD and Raman results, GaN grown on 800 nm LT-GaN layer which was annealed at 1090 °C has good crystal quality and small stress. The GaN film was successfully separated from the substrate after cooling down. The self-separation mechanism of this method was discussed. Cross-sectional EBSD map** measurements were carried out to investigate the effect of LT-buffer layer on improvement of crystal quality and stress relief. The optical property of the obtained freestanding GaN film was also determined by PL measurement.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Darakchieva V, Paskova T, Paskov P P, et al. Residual strain in HVPE GaN free-standing and re-grown homoepitaxial layers. Physica Status Solidi A: Applied Research, 2003, 195(3): 516–522
Richter E, Gründer M, Schineller B, et al. GaN boules grown by high rate HVPE. Physica Status Solidi C: Current Topics in Solid State Physics, 2011, 8(5): 1450–1454
Luo W, Wang X, **ao H, et al. Growth and fabrication of AlGaN/GaN HEMT based on Si (111) substrates by MOCVD. Microelectronics Journal, 2008, 39(9): 1108–1111
Cui Y, Li L. Evolution of spirals during molecular beam epitaxy of GaN on 6H-SiC (0001). Physical Review B: Condensed Matter, 2002, 66(15): 155330
Cho S I, Chang K, Kwon M S. Strain analysis of a GaN epilayer grown on a c-plane sapphire substrate with different growth times. Journal of Materials Science, 2007, 42(10): 3569–3572
Qian W, Skowronski M, De Graef M, et al. Microstructural characterization of α-GaN films grown on sapphire by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy. Applied Physics Letters, 1995, 66(10): 1252–1254
Kim H M, Oh J E, Kang T W. Preparation of large area freestanding GaN substrates by HVPE using mechanical polishing liftoff method. Materials Letters, 2001, 47(4–5): 276–280
Kelly M K, Vaudo R P, Phanse V M, et al. Large free-standing GaN substrates by hydride vapor phase epitaxy and laser-induced liftoff. Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, 1999, 38(Part 2, No. 3A): L217–L219
Oshima Y, Eri T, Shibata M, et al. Fabrication of freestanding GaN wafers by hydride vapor-phase epitaxy with void-assisted separation. Physica Status Solidi, 2002, 194(2): 554–558
Oshima Y, Eri T, Shibata M, et al. Preparation of freestanding GaN wafers by hydride vapor phase epitaxy with void-assisted separation. Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, 2003, 42(Part 2, No. 1A/B): L1–L3
Chao C L, Chiu C H, Lee Y J, et al. Freestanding high quality GaN substrate by associated GaN nanorods self-separated hydride vapor-phase epitaxy. Applied Physics Letters, 2009, 95(5): 051905
Motoki K, Okahisa T, Nakahata S, et al. Preparation of large GaN substrates. Materials Science and Engineering B, 2002, 93(1–3): 123–130
Zhang L, Shao Y, Hao X, et al. Improvement of crystal quality HVPE grown GaN on an H3PO4 etched template. CrystEng-Comm, 2011, 13(15): 5001–5004
Zhang L, Dai Y, Wu Y, et al. Epitaxial growth of a self-separated GaN crystal by using a novel high temperature annealing porous template. CrystEngComm, 2014, 16(38): 9063–9068
Gogova D, Kasic A, Larsson H, et al. Strain-free bulk-like GaN grown by hydride-vapor-phase-epitaxy on two-step epitaxial lateral overgrown GaN template. Journal of Applied Physics, 2004, 96(1): 799–806
Gibart B, Beaumont P, Vennegues P. Nitride semiconductors. In: Ruterana P, Albrecht M, Neugebauer J, eds. Handbook on Materials and Devices. Weinheim, Germany: Wiley-VCH, 2003, 45
Tian Y, Shao Y, Wu Y, et al. Direct growth of freestanding GaN on C-face SiC by HVPE. Scientific Reports, 2015, 5(1): 10748
Tripathy S, Chua S J, Chen P, et al. Micro-Raman investigation of strain in GaN and AlxGa1 xN/GaN heterostructures grown on Si (111). Journal of Applied Physics, 2002, 92(7): 3503–3510
Kisielowski C, Krüger J, Ruvimov S, et al. Strain-related phenomena in GaN thin films. Physical Review B: Condensed Matter, 1996, 54(24): 17745–17753
Boguslawski P, Briggs E L, Bernholc J. Native defects in gallium nitride. Physical Review B, 1995, 51(23): 17255–17258
Xu F J, Shen B, Lu L, et al. Different origins of the yellow luminescence in as-grown high-resistance GaN and unintentional-doped GaN films. Journal of Applied Physics, 2010, 107(2): 023528
Lyons J L, Janotti A, Van de Walle C G. Carbon impurities and the yellow luminescence in GaN. Applied Physics Letters, 2010, 97(15): 152108
Ambacher O, Brandt M S, Dimitrov R, et al. Thermal stability and desorption of Group III nitrides prepared by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B, 1996, 14(6): 3532–3542
Rebey A, Boufaden T, El Jani B. In situ optical monitoring of the decomposition of GaN thin films. Journal of Crystal Growth, 1999, 203(1–2): 12–17
L’vov B V. Kinetics and mechanism of thermal decomposition of GaN. Thermochimica Acta, 2000, 360(1): 85–91
Shao Y, Zhang L, Hao X, et al. Large area stress distribution in crystalline materials calculated from lattice deformation identified by electron backscatter diffraction. Scientific Reports, 2014, 4: 5934 (5 pages)
Shao Y, Dai Y, Hao X, et al. EBSD crystallographic orientation research on strain distribution in hydride vapor phase epitaxy GaN grown on patterned substrate. CrystEngComm, 2013, 15(39): 7965–7969
Wilkinson A J, Hirsh P B. Electron diffraction based techniques in scanning electron microscopy of bulk materials. Micron, 1997, 28: 279–308
Stanford N, Dunne D, Ferry M. Deformation and annealing of (011)[011] oriented Al single crystals. Acta Materialia, 2003, 51(3): 665–676
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51702226, 51572153 and 51602177) and the Natural Science Foundation of Shanxi Province (Grant No. 201701D221078).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tian, Y., Shao, Y., Hao, X. et al. Preparation and optimization of freestanding GaN using low-temperature GaN layer. Front. Mater. Sci. 13, 314–322 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11706-019-0466-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11706-019-0466-z