title: An aberration-corrected STEM study of structural defects in epitaxial GaN thin films grown by ion beam assisted MBE.
abstract: Ion-beam assisted molecular-beam epitaxy was used for direct growth of epitaxial GaN thin films on super-polished 6H-SiC(0001) substrates. The GaN films with different film thicknesses were studied using reflection high energy electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, cathodoluminescence and primarily aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy techniques. Special attention was devoted to the microstructural characterization of GaN thin films and the GaN-SiC interface on the atomic scale. The results show a variety of defect types in the GaN thin films and at the GaN-SiC interface. A high crystalline quality of the produced hexagonal GaN thin films was demonstrated. The gained results are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute of Surface Modification, Permoserstr. 15, D-04318 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Poppitz
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute of Surface Modification, Permoserstr. 15, D-04318 Leipzig, Germany. Electronic address: andriy.lotnyk@iom-leipzig.de.
authors.forename: Andriy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lotnyk
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute of Surface Modification, Permoserstr. 15, D-04318 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Jürgen W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Gerlach
authors.affiliation: Universität Leipzig, Institut für Experimentelle Physik II, Linnéstraße 5, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lenzner
authors.affiliation: Universität Leipzig, Institut für Experimentelle Physik II, Linnéstraße 5, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Marius
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grundmann
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute of Surface Modification, Permoserstr. 15, D-04318 Leipzig, Germany; Universität Leipzig, Institut für Experimentelle Physik II, Linnéstraße 5, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rauschenbach
keywords: Aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy; FIB; Gallium nitride; Ion beam assisted molecular beam epitaxy; NanoMill; STEM; Wurtzite; Zinc blende