InxAl1 –xN Solid Solutions: Composition Stability Issues

Abstract

The phase diagrams of the In_xAl_{1 –x}N solid solutions and conditions for their growth by magnetron sputtering and molecular beam and metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy are analyzed. The mutual equilibrium solubility in a wide range of compositions of the thick solution layers is near zero. Elastic misfit stresses in the In_xAl_{1 –x}N thin layers narrow the unstable immiscibility gap. By optimizing the growth conditions, one can obtain high-quality homogeneous In_xAl_{1 –x}N films for fabricating barrier layers in InAlN/GaN high electron mobility transistors.