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InGaN islands and thin films grown on epitaxial graphene
C Paillet1,2, S Vézian2, C Matei1
1Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA-LETI, 17 Avenue des Martyrs, F-38054 Grenoble, France.
Nanotechnology
|June 3, 2020
Summary
Indium gallium nitride (InGaN) grows in 3D islands on epitaxial graphene, with Raman spectroscopy confirming no graphene degradation. Atomic force microscopy reveals weak InGaN-graphene bonding, leading to thin films with longer growth.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Solid State Physics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide (SiC) is a promising material for electronic applications.
- Understanding the growth of semiconductor alloys on graphene is crucial for device integration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the growth behavior of Indium Gallium Nitride (InGaN) on epitaxial graphene.
- To analyze the structural and chemical integrity of graphene during InGaN deposition.
- To explore the interfacial interactions between InGaN and graphene.
Main Methods:
- Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) for InGaN growth.
- Raman Spectroscopy for material characterization and graphene integrity assessment.
- Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for surface morphology and interfacial interaction analysis.
Main Results:
- InGaN exhibits a three-dimensional (3D) island growth mode at temperatures between 515 °C and 765 °C.
- Raman scattering confirms that the underlying epitaxial graphene remains undegraded.
- AFM reveals weak bonding between InGaN nuclei and graphene, evidenced by lateral displacement during scanning.
- Extended growth leads to a continuous InGaN thin film with partial epitaxial alignment to the SiC substrate.
Conclusions:
- The 3D growth mode and weak InGaN-graphene interaction are key characteristics of this heterostructure.
- Epitaxial graphene serves as a stable template for InGaN growth without significant degradation.
- Controlled growth of InGaN thin films on graphene is achievable, paving the way for novel device architectures.
