Effects of initial GaN growth mode on patterned sapphire on the opto-electrical characteristics of GaN-based light-emitting diodes

We have studied the initial growth modes of GaN on patterned sapphire substrate (PSS) with different initial TMGa flow rates. The FWHM of the (102) XRD spectrum of GaN on PSS increased from 470 to 580 arcsec when the initial TMGa flow rate was increased from 80 to 200 sccm. A low TMGa flow rate sufficiently suppresses GaN island growth on the top of the pattern and hence improves GaN crystal quality. The electrical and optical characteristics of GaN-based LEDs on PSS with low initial TMGa were also improved. More than 90% of the GaN LED chips with low initial GaN growth rate can hold the 1-kV machine-mode electrostatic discharge level.