Surface modification of cubic GaN buffer layer grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy

Anisotropic X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and transport properties of cubic GaN grown on GaAs substrates correspond to the features of low-temperature grown GaN (LT-GaN) buffer layer. When the LT-GaN layer is grown on the surface tilted from (001) to [1-10] with annealing in arsenic ambient, the macroscopic step edges along [1-10] direction are modified by either the ambient of thermal annealing, or substrate misorientation. A parallel conduction in GaN, GaAs, and GaN/GaAs hetero-interface was observed by photoconductivity measurements. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation shows that self-annihilations for (-111) B stacking faults are preferentially occurred near GaAs interface when GaN film grown on the surface tilted from (001) toward [1-10] (As step edge) is annealed in arsenic ambient. TEM observation also shows that stacking faults and dislocations are preferentially generated near GaN/GaAs interface. It is suggested that anisotropic transport properties correspond to the well-like potential generated by band bending at GaN/GaAs interface. The nearly isotropic mobility of 3,000 cm²/Vsec at 77K is obtained by improving interface property.