In-rich AlxIn1−xN grown by RF-sputtering on sapphire : from closely-packed columnar to high-surface quality compact layers

Núñez-Cascajero, A and Valdueza-Felip, S and Monteagudo-Lerma, L and Monroy, E and Taylor-Shaw, E and Martin, R W and González-Herráez, M and Naranjo, F B (2017) In-rich AlxIn1−xN grown by RF-sputtering on sapphire : from closely-packed columnar to high-surface quality compact layers. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 50 (6). 065101. ISSN 0022-3727

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    Abstract

    The structural, morphological, electrical and optical properties of In-rich AlxIn1−xN(0 < x < 0.39) layers grown by reactive radio-frequency (RF) sputtering on sapphire areinvestigated as a function of the deposition parameters. The RF power applied to the aluminumtarget (0 W–150 W) and substrate temperature (300 °C–550 °C) are varied. X-ray diffractionmeasurements reveal that all samples have a wurtzite crystallographic structure oriented withthe c-axis along the growth direction. The aluminum composition is tuned by changing thepower applied to the aluminum target while keeping the power applied to the indium targetfixed at 40 W. When increasing the Al content from 0 to 0.39, the room-temperature opticalband gap is observed to blue-shift from 1.76 eV to 2.0 eV, strongly influenced by the Burstein–Moss effect. Increasing the substrate temperature, results in an evolution of the morphologyfrom closely-packed columnar to compact. For a substrate temperature of 500 °C and RFpower for Al of 150 W, compact Al0.39In0.61N films with a smooth surface (root-mean-squaresurface roughness below 1 nm) are produced.

    ORCID iDs

    Núñez-Cascajero, A, Valdueza-Felip, S, Monteagudo-Lerma, L, Monroy, E, Taylor-Shaw, E ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8262-5762, Martin, R W ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6119-764X, González-Herráez, M and Naranjo, F B;
    • Item type:Article
      ID code:60907
      Dates:
      Date
      Event
      11 January 2017
      Published
      14 December 2016
      Published Online
      14 December 2016
      Accepted
      Keywords:III-nitrides, AlInN, RF-sputtering, semiconductor, Physics, Surfaces, Coatings and Films, Acoustics and Ultrasonics, Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials, Condensed Matter Physics
      Subjects:Science > Physics
      Department:Faculty of Science > Physics
      Strategic Research Themes > Measurement Science and Enabling Technologies
      Depositing user: Pure Administrator
      Date deposited:12 Jun 2017 11:27
      Last modified:21 May 2021 00:38
      URI:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/60907
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