Improvement of the surface morphology of a ‐plane InN using low‐temperature InN buffer layers

We report on the improvement of the surface morphology of a ‐plane InN films grown by RF molecular beam epitaxy. By using low‐temperature (LT) InN buffer layers, we could successfully obtain InN films with a smooth surface. The full width at half maximum values of the x‐ray diffraction (11‐20) rocking curve along the [0001] InN direction were 2870 arcsec and 3410 arcsec for a ‐plane InN samples grown at 500°C with and without LT‐InN buffer layers, respectively. Thus, we could improve also the crystalline quality of a ‐plane InN films by using LT‐InN buffer layers. We observed strong polarization anisotropy in the photoluminescence spectra of a ‐plane InN, which is typical of nonpolar wurtzite III‐nitride films. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)