Influence of substrate quality on structural properties of AlGaN/GaN superlattices grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Short-period AlGaN/GaN superlattices were established as versatile test structures to investigate the structural properties of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)-grown GaN and AlGaN layers and their dependence on the GaN substrate quality. X-ray diffractometry data of the investigated superlattices allow access to relevant structural parameters such as aluminum mole fraction and layer thicknesses. The occurrence of theoretically predicted intense high-order satellite peaks and pronounced interface fringes in the diffraction pattern reflects abrupt interfaces and perfect 2-dimensional growth resulting in smooth surfaces. The data unambiguously demonstrate that the structural quality of the MBE grown layers is limited by the structural properties of the GaN substrate.