Spontaneous growth of GaN nanowire nuclei on N- and Al-polar AlN: A piezoresponse force microscopy study of crystallographic polarity

Published

March 2, 2016

Author(s)

Matthew D. Brubaker, Alexana Roshko, Paul T. Blanchard, Todd E. Harvey, Norman A. Sanford, Kristine A. Bertness

Abstract

The polarity of gallium nitride (GaN) nanowire nuclei grown on AlN layers was studied by piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). N- or Al-polar AlN layers were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on Si (111) substrates by use of Al- or N-rich growth conditions, respectively. Short and low-density GaN nanowires were then grown on each AlN polarity type. PFM measurements verified the expected AlN layer polarity and further indicated that N-polar nanowires are produced for growths on both AlN polarity types. Cross-section scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) images further reveal that the nanowires on Al-polar AlN films are nucleated on inversion domains in the AlN layer, resulting in mixed polarity in the nanowire. PFM measurements were found to be a convenient technique for mapping the polarity of GaN nanowires, particularly when coupled with complementary STEM measurements made in cross section.

Citation

Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mssp.2016.02.016

Keywords

Gallium Nitride, Nanowires, Crystallographic Polarity, Piezoresponse Force Microscopy

Citation

Brubaker, M. , Roshko, A. , Blanchard, P. , Harvey, T. , Sanford, N. and Bertness, K. (2016), Spontaneous growth of GaN nanowire nuclei on N- and Al-polar AlN: A piezoresponse force microscopy study of crystallographic polarity, Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing, [online], https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mssp.2016.02.016 (Accessed October 8, 2025)