This book presents extensive information on the mechanisms of epitaxial growth in III-nitride compounds, drawing on a state-of-the-art computational approach that combines ab initio calculations, empirical interatomic potentials, and Monte Carlo simulations to do so. It discusses important theoretical aspects of surface structures and elemental growth processes during the epitaxial growth of III-nitride compounds. In addition, it discusses advanced fundamental structural and electronic properties, surface structures, fundamental growth processes and novel behavior of thin films in III-nitride semiconductors. As such, it will appeal to all researchers, engineers and graduate students seeking detailed information on crystal growth and its application to III-nitride compounds.

Autorentext

Takashi Matsuoka received his PhD degree in Engineering from Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan and has been a Professor at the Institute for Materials Research at Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan since 2005. Having worked at the NTT from 1978 to 2005, he developed a single-longitudinal mode laser diode and proposed the InGaAlN system and the epitaxial growth of a single crystalline InGaN layer for blue LEDs.

Yoshihiro Kangawa has been an Associate Professor at the Research Institute for Applied Mechanics (RIAM) of Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan since 2005. He received his Doctor of Engineering from Kyushu University and was a research associate at Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan from 2000 to 2002. He subsequently served as a research associate at the Department of Applied Chemistry at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology from 2002 to 2004. His research is concerned with theoretical investigation of the crystal growth mechanism, e.g. using ab initio-based approaches and thermodynamic analysis.

Inhalt

1. Introduction

2. Computational methods

   2.1 Ab initio calculations

   2.2 Empirical interatomic potentials

   2.3 Monte Carlo simulations

3. Fundamental properties of III-nitrides

   3.1 Crystal structure

   3.2 Band structure

   3.3 Miscibility (InGaN and etc.)

   3.4 Dislocation core structure

4. Growth processes

   4.1 GaN

   4.1.1 Surface structures

   4.1.2 Adsorption-desorption behavior

   4.1.3 Fundamental growth processes

   4.1.4 Doping

   4.1.5 Polarity dependence (nonpolar & semipolar orientations)

   4.2 InN

   4.2.1 Surface structures

   4.2.2 Adsorption-desorption behavior

   4.2.3 Fundamental growth processes

   4.2.4 Polarity dependence (nonpolar & semipolar orientations) 4.3 AlN

   4.3.1 Surface structures

   4.3.2 Adsorption-desorption behavior

   4.3.3 Fundamental growth processes

   4.3.4 Polarity depend ence (nonpolar & semipolar orientations)

   4.4 InGaN

   4.4.1 Surface structures

   4.4.2 Adsorption-desorption behavior

   4.4.3 Fundamental growth processes

   4.4.5 Polarity dependence (nonpolar & semipolar orientations) 4.5 Nitridation

5. Novel behaviour of thin films

   5.1 Structural metastability (4H-AlN on SiC, c-GaN)

   5.2 Segregation (InGaN, GaNAs)

   5.3 Dislocation formation

   5.4 Epitaxial relationship

   6. Summary