Strain relaxation in GaN/AlxGa1-xN superlattices grown by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy

We have investigated the misfit relaxation process in GaN/AlxGa1−xN (x = 0.1, 0.3, 0.44) superlattices (SL) deposited by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The SLs under consideration were designed to achieve intersubband absorption in the mid-infrared spectral range. We have considered the case of growth on GaN (tensile stress) and on AlGaN (compressive stress) buffer layers, both deposited on GaN-on-sapphire templates. Using GaN buffer layers, the SL remains almost pseudomorphic for x = 0.1, 0.3, with edge-type threading dislocation densities below 9 × 108 cm−2 to 2 × 109 cm−2. Increasing the Al mole fraction to 0.44, we observe an enhancement of misfit relaxation resulting in dislocation densities above 1010 cm−2. In the case of growth on AlGaN, strain relaxation is systematically stronger, with the corresponding increase in the dislocation density. In addition to the average relaxation trend of the SL, in situ measurements indicate a periodic fluctuation of the in-plane lattice parameter, which is explained by the different elastic response of the GaN and AlGaN surfaces to the Ga excess at the growth front. The results are compared with GaN/AlN SLs designed for near-infrared intersubband absorption.