Title: Growth of AlN, GaN and InN from the solution

Authors: S. Krukowski, I. Grzegory, M. Bockowski, B. Lucznik, T. Suski, G. Nowak, J. Borysiuk, M. Wroblewski, M. Leszczynski, P. Perlin, S. Porowski, J.L. Weyher

Addresses: High Pressure Research Center, 01-142 Warsaw, Sokolowska 29/37, Poland. ' High Pressure Research Center, 01-142 Warsaw, Sokolowska 29/37, Poland. ' High Pressure Research Center, 01-142 Warsaw, Sokolowska 29/37, Poland. ' High Pressure Research Center, 01-142 Warsaw, Sokolowska 29/37, Poland. ' High Pressure Research Center, 01-142 Warsaw, Sokolowska 29/37, Poland. ' High Pressure Research Center, 01-142 Warsaw, Sokolowska 29/37, Poland. ' High Pressure Research Center, 01-142 Warsaw, Sokolowska 29/37, Poland. ' High Pressure Research Center, 01-142 Warsaw, Sokolowska 29/37, Poland. ' High Pressure Research Center, 01-142 Warsaw, Sokolowska 29/37, Poland. ' High Pressure Research Center, 01-142 Warsaw, Sokolowska 29/37, Poland. ' High Pressure Research Center, 01-142 Warsaw, Sokolowska 29/37, Poland. ' High Pressure Research Center, 01-142 Warsaw, Sokolowska 29/37, Poland and Radbaud University Nijmegen, RIM, Exp. Solid State Physics III, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Abstract: Thermodynamic and kinetic properties of group III metal nitrides Me(Al,Ga,In)N-Me(l)-N2 systems are strongly influenced by the high binding energy of molecular nitrogen which favours the decomposition of these compounds into the constituents, severely limiting the growth possibilities of these crystals. From all three nitrides, the AlN sizeable crystals have been grown from the vapour only. In contrast, the best GaN and InN crystals were grown from solution using different nitrogen sources: ammonia (NH3), plasma-activated nitrogen, or molecular nitrogen (N2) under high pressure. AlN crystals grown from solution have low crystallographic quality and needle-like unstable morphology. They are electrical insulators. GaN hexagonal plate-like crystals, grown under high nitrogen pressure, have high crystallographic quality, sufficient for epitaxy. GaN undoped crystals, are heavily n-type whereas those doped by Mg or Be are usually semi-insulating. InN crystals, obtained by the plasma method, are similar to undoped GaN crystals - they possess high concentration of free electrons.

Keywords: crystal growth; metal nitrites; solution growth.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMPT.2005.005766

International Journal of Materials and Product Technology, 2005 Vol.22 No.1/2/3, pp.226 - 261

Published online: 30 Nov 2004 *

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