Mismatch relaxation by stacking fault formation of AlN islands in AlGaN/GaN structures on m-plane GaN substrates

作者：Smalc Koziorowska Julita^*; Sawicka Marta; Remmele Thilo; Skierbiszewski Czeslaw; Grzegory Izabella; Albrecht Martin

来源：Applied Physics Letters, 2011, 99(6): 061901.

DOI：10.1063/1.3622642

We study the mismatch relaxation of 2-5 nm thin elongated AlN islands formed during growth of AlGaN on bulk m-plane GaN by molecular beam epitaxy. The relaxation of these m-plane AlN layers is anisotropic and occurs through the introduction of stacking faults in [0001] planes during island coalescence, while no relaxation is observed along the perpendicular [11 (2) over bar0] direction. This anisotropy in the mismatch relaxation and the formation of stacking faults in the AlN islands are explained by the growth mode of the AlN platelets and their coalescence along the [0001] direction.

• 出版日期2011-8-8