Very low dislocation density, resistive GaN films obtained using transition metal nitride interlayers

A threading dislocation density (TDD) reduction method for GaN films is described. Thin amorphous layers of Sc, Hf, Nb, Zr and Cr were deposited on MOVPE‐grown GaN‐on‐sapphire templates with a TDD of 5 × 10 9 cm –2 and annealed in NH 3 to form metal nitrides. The ScN layer remained continuous, with a very low pinhole density, while the HfN layer contained a high pinhole density of approximately 3 × 10 9 cm –2 . The NbN and ZrN layers formed oriented holey network structures. The Cr layer did not nitride. Coalesced GaN epilayers grown on the ScN layers had the lowest dislocation density of 3 × 10 7 cm –2 (un‐coalesced GaN on ScN had TDDs as low as 5 × 10 6 cm –2 ). Unlike GaN films grown using multiple SiN x interlayers, which contain a similar proportion of edge and mixed dislocations, the GaN‐on‐ScN layers contain substantially fewer mixed than edge dislocations, a proportion similar to that of the high‐TDD template. The low‐TDD GaN epilayers grown on ScN are also highly electrically resistive. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)