Physical model of InN growth on Ga-face GaN (0001) by molecular-beam epitaxy

A consistent physical model of the growth of InN on GaN (0001) by radio-frequency plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy is presented. Four distinct regimes of InN growth are observed due to the temperature dependence of indium adatoms’ mobility and of the InN decomposition rate. At substrate temperatures higher than 450°C, indium adatoms are highly mobile and a self-regulating mechanism of InN islands’ diameter takes place, so that a stoichiometric N:In atomic ratio on the top face of the islands is established. As a result, two-dimensional growth is possible only with In∕N atomic ratio on the substrate surface equal to unity. The self-regulating mechanism could be exploited to engineer self-organized nanostructures.