Piezoelectricity and growth polarization in III-V nitrides

GaN, AlN and InN form a relatively new class of semiconductors being utilized for their direct wide bandgap and polarization effects. Novel transistors using only piezoelectric doping have already surpassed the power handling capabilities of traditional silicon transistors. GaN light emitting diodes and solid state lasers, sensitive to the effects of piezoelectric polarization, are rapidly proliferating for use in lighting and next generation optical storage devices. GaN and AIN sensors and MEMS devices using the strong piezoelectric coupling coefficients of these materials are slowly being introduced into communications and chemical sensing applications. Despite the importance of the piezoelectric effect in each of these devices, relatively little is known of the magnitude of the effect in GaN and AIN as measured experimentally. The present work seeks to develop an experimental method of measuring the piezoelectric effect in thin films of GaN and AIN.; Using a stress pulse induced by the single shot of a Nd:YAG laser, substrates of polar GaAs and ZnO are subject to short duration loading which generates piezoelectric dipoles. The orientation and magnitude of these dipoles induces current flow in an external circuit which is measured as a function time. By comparing the magnitude of the current generated in this circuit and the applied stress, it is shown that the axial piezoelectric constant, e ₃₃, can be determined. Extending the measurement technique to thin films of GaN and AIN on sapphire and silicon, we have observed the magnitude and orientation of the piezoelectric dipoles in these materials. A value of 0.45 C/m2 for e₃₃ in GaN was determined.; This work motivated a closer investigation of the polarity of GaN during crystal growth. The addition of Mg during MOCVD was found to cause a uniform inversion of the growth axis producing nitrogen terminated surfaces under certain growth conditions. Chemical-mechanical polishing of these surfaces with colloidal silica was found to produce smooth, damage free surfaces suitable for regrowth or additional processing. Growth of GaN and InGaN along the nitrogen polar direction was characterized by AFM, TEM, SIMS, x-ray, PL, and Hall measurements revealing surprisingly high quality material suitable for optical and electrical devices.