Nucleation mechanism of GaN nanowires grown on (111) Si by molecular beam epitaxy

We have performed a real-time in situ x-ray scattering study of the nucleation of GaN nanowires grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on AlN(0001)/Si(111). The intensity variation of the GaN diffraction peak as a function of time was found to exhibit three different regimes: (i) the deposi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nanotechnology 2009-10, Vol.20 (41), p.415602-415602
Main Authors: Landré, O, Bougerol, C, Renevier, H, Daudin, B
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chemical Sciences
Deposition
Diffraction
Gallium - chemistry
Gallium nitrides
Material chemistry
Microscopy, Electron, Scanning Transmission
Molecular beam epitaxy
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology - methods
Nanowires
Nanowires - chemistry
Nanowires - ultrastructure
Nucleation
Plastic deformation
Scanning electron microscopy
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Summary:We have performed a real-time in situ x-ray scattering study of the nucleation of GaN nanowires grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on AlN(0001)/Si(111). The intensity variation of the GaN diffraction peak as a function of time was found to exhibit three different regimes: (i) the deposition of a wetting layer, which is followed by (ii) a supralinear regime assigned to nucleation of almost fully relaxed GaN nanowires, eventually leading to (iii) a steady-state growth regime. Based on scanning electron microscopy and electron microscopy analysis, it is proposed that the granular character of the thin AlN buffer layer may account for the easy plastic relaxation of GaN, establishing that three-dimensional islanding and plastic strain relaxation of GaN are two necessary conditions for nanowire growth.
ISSN:0957-4484
1361-6528
DOI:10.1088/0957-4484/20/41/415602