Electronic Properties of III-Nitride Surfaces and Interfaces Studied by Scanning Photoelectron Microscopy and Spectroscopy

MRS Online Proceedings Library volume 1202, Article number: 43 (2009) Cite this article

Abstract

We report on a method based on cross-sectional scanning photoelectron microscopy and spectroscopy (XSPEM/S) for studying electronic structure of III-nitride surfaces and interfaces on a submicrometer scale. Cross-sectional III-nitride surfaces prepared by in situ cleavage were investigated to eliminate the polarization effects associated with the interface charges/dipoles normal to the cleaved surface. In contrast to the as-grown polar surfaces which show strong surface band bending, the cleaved nonpolar surfaces have been found to be under the flat-band conditions. Therefore, both doping and compositional junctions can be directly visualized at the cleaved nonpolar surfaces. Additionally, we show that the “intrinsic” valence band offsets at the cleaved III-nitride heterojunctions can be unambiguously determined.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by a research grant (NSC 98-2112-M-007-014-MY3) from the National Science Council (NSC) of Taiwan.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan

    Cheng-Tai Kuo, Hong-Mao Lee, Hung-Wei Shiu & Shangjr Gwo

  2. Department of Physics, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan

    Chung-Lin Wu

  3. National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC), Hsinchu, 30076, Taiwan

    Hung-Wei Shiu & Chia-Hao Chen

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  1. Cheng-Tai Kuo
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  2. Hong-Mao Lee
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  3. Chung-Lin Wu
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  4. Hung-Wei Shiu
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  5. Chia-Hao Chen
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  6. Shangjr Gwo
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Correspondence to Cheng-Tai Kuo.

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Kuo, CT., Lee, HM., Wu, CL. et al. Electronic Properties of III-Nitride Surfaces and Interfaces Studied by Scanning Photoelectron Microscopy and Spectroscopy. MRS Online Proceedings Library 1202, 43 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-1202-I04-03

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