Real-time optical monitoring of InN growth at elevated pressures

V. Woods

Dept. Physics & Astronomy, Georgia State University, Atlanta GA 30303

The extension of the InN deposition process to elevated pressure, high-pressure chemical vapor deposition (HPCVD), opens an avenue for retaining stoichiometric single phase surface composition for materials that are characterized by large thermal decomposition pressures at optimum processing temperatures. Under such conditions, the real-time optical monitoring of gas phase- and surface chemistry processes during the heteroepitaxial nucleation and growth of InN is critical and enables the control of the chemical vapor deposition process, allowing to improve the perfection of the heteroepitaxial film growth both in terms of extended defect formation and chemical integrity of the interface.

Real-time optical UV absorption spectroscopy has been applied to study the gas phase chemistry of the precursors as function of flow, pressure and temperature. A pulsed injection scheme is applied to monitor and analyze the decomposition kinetics of TMI and ammonia as well as the initial stages of InN nucleation and overgrowth.