Observation of vertical honeycomb structure in InAlNGaN heterostructures due to lateral phase separation

Lin Zhou; David Smith; Martha McCartney; D. S. Katzer; D. F. Storm

doi:10.1063/1.2696206

Observation of vertical honeycomb structure in InAlNGaN heterostructures due to lateral phase separation

Lin Zhou, David Smith, Martha McCartney, D. S. Katzer, D. F. Storm

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Abstract

The microstructure of Inx Al1-x NGaN heterostructures (where x∼0.13-0.19), grown by molecular beam epitaxy, was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Observations in the cross-section and plan-view geometries show evidence for lateral phase separation originating at the GaN surface that results in a vertical honeycomblike structure within the InAlN layers. The lateral dimensions of the honeycomb cells are ∼5-10 nm. The vertical walls are In rich with a width of ∼1-2 nm and align roughly perpendicular to 〈11 2- 0〉 and 〈1 1- 00〉 directions. The phase separation is attributed to random compositional fluctuations during the early stages of growth, possibly associated with misfit-strain relaxation.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	081917
Journal	Applied Physics Letters
Volume	90
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2696206
State	Published - 2007

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)

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10.1063/1.2696206

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title = "Observation of vertical honeycomb structure in InAlNGaN heterostructures due to lateral phase separation",

abstract = "The microstructure of Inx Al1-x NGaN heterostructures (where x∼0.13-0.19), grown by molecular beam epitaxy, was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Observations in the cross-section and plan-view geometries show evidence for lateral phase separation originating at the GaN surface that results in a vertical honeycomblike structure within the InAlN layers. The lateral dimensions of the honeycomb cells are ∼5-10 nm. The vertical walls are In rich with a width of ∼1-2 nm and align roughly perpendicular to 〈11 2- 0〉 and 〈1 1- 00〉 directions. The phase separation is attributed to random compositional fluctuations during the early stages of growth, possibly associated with misfit-strain relaxation.",

author = "Lin Zhou and David Smith and Martha McCartney and Katzer, {D. S.} and Storm, {D. F.}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was partially supported by ONR Grant No. N-00014-04-1-0020. The authors acknowledge the use of facilities in the John M. Cowley Center for High Resolution Electron Microscopy at Arizona State University. The work at NRL was also supported by ONR. Copyright: Copyright 2011 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

year = "2007",

doi = "10.1063/1.2696206",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "90",

journal = "Applied Physics Letters",

issn = "0003-6951",

publisher = "American Institute of Physics Publising LLC",

number = "8",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Observation of vertical honeycomb structure in InAlNGaN heterostructures due to lateral phase separation

AU - Zhou, Lin

AU - Smith, David

AU - McCartney, Martha

AU - Katzer, D. S.

AU - Storm, D. F.

N1 - Funding Information: This work was partially supported by ONR Grant No. N-00014-04-1-0020. The authors acknowledge the use of facilities in the John M. Cowley Center for High Resolution Electron Microscopy at Arizona State University. The work at NRL was also supported by ONR. Copyright: Copyright 2011 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2007

Y1 - 2007

N2 - The microstructure of Inx Al1-x NGaN heterostructures (where x∼0.13-0.19), grown by molecular beam epitaxy, was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Observations in the cross-section and plan-view geometries show evidence for lateral phase separation originating at the GaN surface that results in a vertical honeycomblike structure within the InAlN layers. The lateral dimensions of the honeycomb cells are ∼5-10 nm. The vertical walls are In rich with a width of ∼1-2 nm and align roughly perpendicular to 〈11 2- 0〉 and 〈1 1- 00〉 directions. The phase separation is attributed to random compositional fluctuations during the early stages of growth, possibly associated with misfit-strain relaxation.

AB - The microstructure of Inx Al1-x NGaN heterostructures (where x∼0.13-0.19), grown by molecular beam epitaxy, was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Observations in the cross-section and plan-view geometries show evidence for lateral phase separation originating at the GaN surface that results in a vertical honeycomblike structure within the InAlN layers. The lateral dimensions of the honeycomb cells are ∼5-10 nm. The vertical walls are In rich with a width of ∼1-2 nm and align roughly perpendicular to 〈11 2- 0〉 and 〈1 1- 00〉 directions. The phase separation is attributed to random compositional fluctuations during the early stages of growth, possibly associated with misfit-strain relaxation.

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DO - 10.1063/1.2696206

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JF - Applied Physics Letters

IS - 8

M1 - 081917

ER -

Observation of vertical honeycomb structure in InAlNGaN heterostructures due to lateral phase separation

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