Stress engineering during metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of AlGaN/GaN distributed Bragg reflectors

In situ stress monitoring has been employed during metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of AlGaN/GaN distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs). It was found that the insertion of multiple AlN interlayers is effective in converting the tensile growth stress typically observed in this system into compression, thus alleviating the problem of crack generation. Crack-free growth of a 60 pair Al0.20Ga0.80N/GaN quarter-wavelength DBR was obtained over the entire 2 in. wafer; an accompanying reflectivity of at least 99% was observed near the peak wavelength around 380 nm.