Nonlithographic nanopatterning through anodic aluminum oxide template and selective growth of highly ordered GaN nanostructures

Ordered GaN nanostructures, i.e., nanopore and nanodot arrays, have been demonstrated by combining a nonlithographic nanopatterning technique and nanoscale selective epitaxial growth. Hexagonal-close-packed nanopore arrays were fabricated in GaN surfaces and SiO2 surfaces on GaN films by inductively coupled plasma etching using anodic aluminum oxide templates as etching masks. Selective area growth through nanopores in SiO2 by metal organic chemical vapor deposition results in ordered GaN nanodot arrays with an average dot diameter and height of 60 and 100nm, respectively. The diameter and density of the GaN nanopore arrays and nanodot arrays are controlled by that of the anodic aluminum oxide template, which can be tuned in a wide range by controlling the anodization conditions. Applying anodic aluminum oxide as an etching mask provides an effective nonlithographic and free of foreign catalysts method to fabricate ordered and dense nitride nanostructures for either bottom-up or top-down technique in the application of high efficiency nitride light emitting diodes.