Epitaxial GaN layers formed on langasite substrates by the plasma-assisted MBE method

Abstract

In this publication, the results of development of the technology of the epitaxial growth of GaN on single-crystal langasite substrates La₃Ga₅SiO₁₄ (0001) by the plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy (PA MBE) method are reported. An investigation of the effect of the growth temperature at the initial stage of deposition on the crystal quality and morphology of the obtained GaN layer is performed. It is demonstrated that the optimal temperature for deposition of the initial GaN layer onto the langasite substrate is about ~520°C. A decrease in the growth temperature to this value allows the suppression of oxygen diffusion from langasite into the growing layer and a decrease in the dislocation density in the main GaN layer upon its subsequent high-temperature deposition (~700°C). Further lowering of the growth temperature of the nucleation layer leads to sharp degradation of the GaN/LGS layer crystal quality. As a result of the performed research, an epitaxial GaN/LGS layer with a dislocation density of ~10¹¹ cm^–2 and low surface roughness (<2 nm) is obtained.