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arXiv · 2211.16920

Lattice parameters of Sc$_{\boldsymbol{\mathsf{x}}}$Al$_{\boldsymbol{\mathsf{1-x}}}$N layers grown on GaN(0001) by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

Duc V. Dinh·Jonas Lähnemann·Lutz Geelhaar·Oliver Brandt
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Abstract

An accurate knowledge of the lattice parameters of the new nitride Sc$_\textit{x}$Al$_\textit{1-x}$N is essential for understanding the elastic and piezoelectric properties of this compound as well as for the ability to engineer its strain state in heterostructures. Using high-resolution x-ray diffractometry, we determine the lattice parameters of 100-nm-thick undoped Sc$_\textit{x}$Al$_\textit{1-x}$N layers grown on GaN(0001) templates by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The Sc content $\textit{x}$ of the layers is measured independently by both x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and ranges from 0 to 0.25. The in-plane lattice parameter of the layers linearly increases with increasing $\textit{x}$, while their out-of-plane lattice parameter remains constant. Layers with $\textit{x}$ $\approx$ 0.09 are found to be lattice matched to GaN, resulting in a smooth surface and a structural perfection equivalent to that of the GaN underlayer. In addition, a two-dimensional electron gas is induced at the Sc$_\textit{x}$Al$_\textit{1-x}$N/GaN heterointerface, with the highest sheet electron density and mobility observed for lattice-matched conditions.

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Duc V. Dinh, Jonas Lähnemann, Lutz Geelhaar, Oliver Brandt. 2022-11-30. Lattice parameters of Sc$_{\boldsymbol{\mathsf{x}}}$Al$_{\boldsymbol{\mathsf{1-x}}}$N layers grown on GaN(0001) by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0137873

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