Recent Results in the Crystal Growth of GaN at High N2 Pressure

Abstract

We present recent results on bulk GaN crystallization. The best quality GaN crystals grown from the solution at high N2 pressure without an intentional seeding are single crystalline platelets of stable morphology reaching dimensions up to 10 mm. The fastest growth direction for such crystals is [1 0 0], perpendicular to the GaN c-axis. The maximum stable growth rate perpendicular to crystal c-axis is determined from the experiment and used for an estimate of the effective supersaturation for the {10 0} face assuming two dimensional layer growth. The heat of GaN disssolution, determined from experimental solubility data, is used for the estimation of the edge energy of 2-D nuclei on the growing {10 0} face. Bulk crystal growth seeded by a single hexagonal needle with well developed {10 0} faces is also reported. The crystallization mechanisms and morphological stability in seeded growth of GaN are discussed on the basis of experimental results. The physical properties of the GaN crystals and homoepitaxial layers grown on them are briefly reviewed.