Growth of gallium nitride on silicon by molecular beam epitaxy incorporating a chromium nitride interlayer

This study grew GaN epilayers on Si(1 1 1) substrate via molecular beam epitaxy, with a CrN interlayer fabricated through a nitridation process. The X-ray diffraction results showed two peaks corresponding to CrN(1 1 1) and GaN(0 0 0 2). The results of auger electron spectroscopy showed that the concentration of electrons was relatively low in the samples grown with a CrN interlayer, due to CrN preventing Si atoms from diffusing into the GaN epilayer, thereby reducing electron concentration. Photoluminescence spectra indicated that donor-accepter pair recombination (DAP) emission was not generated in the GaN with a CrN interlayer because of improved crystalline quality and a reduction in electron concentration.