Polar and nonpolar GaN grown by HVPE: Preferable substrates for nitride-based emitting devices

We report on hydride vapor phase epitaxial growth of thick nonpolar GaN films on r-plane sapphire in comparison with polar GaN films on c-plane sapphire substrates with AlN buffer layers, aiming at developing of their quasi-substrate application. Both the thick films and the buffers were identified to have single crystalline structures. The microstructure of the films was studied by transmission electron microscopy. High resolution X-ray diffraction mapping and photoluminescence measurements were employed to characterize the strain present in both polar and nonpolar GaN films. In contrast to c-plane GaN, which is always characterised by isotropic in-plane properties, the a-plane GaN shows a strong in-plane anisotropy of the growth rate, morphology and strain distribution. Different defect, impurity and free carrier concentrations were observed in the polar and nonpolar material. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)