Role of Arsenic Hexagonal Growth-Suppression on a Cubic GaNAs Growth Using Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition

Abstract

The hexagonal domain suppression-effects in cubic-GaNAs grown by metalorganic chemical-vapor deposition (MOCVD) is reported. A thin buffer layer (20 nm) was first grown on a substrate at 853 K using trimethylgallium and dimethylhydrazine (DMHy), and GaNAs samples were grown at different AsH3 flow rates (0 ∼ 450 µmol/min) at 1193 K. As a result, three types of surface morphologies were obtained: the first was a smooth surface (AsH3 = 0 µmol/min); the second was a mirrorlike surface having small and isotropic grains (AsH3: 45 ∼ 225 µmol/min ); and the third involved threedimensional surface morphologies (above 450 µmol/min of AsH₃ flow rate). Furthermore, it was confirmed using X-ray diffraction that the mixing ratio of hexagonal GaNAs in cubic GaNAs decreased with an increase of the AsH₃ flow rate. We could obtain GaNAs having a cubic component of above 85% at AsH₃ flow rates above 20 µmol/min. Therefore, the MOCVD growth method using AsH3 and DMHy was mostly effective for suppressing hexagonal GaNAs. It was observed that the photoluminescence intensity of GaNAs was decreased with increase of arsine flow rate.