Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth and structural properties of GaN and AlN on 3C-SiC(0 0 1) substrates

AlN and GaN was deposited by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on 3C-SiC(0 0 1) substrates on low-temperature (LT) GaN and AIN buffer layers. It is shown t hat not only GaN but also epitaxial ALN can be stabilized in the metastable zincblende phase. The zincblende AlN is only obtained on a zincblende LT-G aN buffer layer; on the other hand, AlN crystallizes in the wurtzite phase if it is grown directly on a 3C-SiC(0 0 1) substrate or on a LT-AlN buffer layer. The structural properties of the layers and in particular the orient ation relationship of the wurtzite AIN on the 3C-SiC(0 0 1) were analyzed b y conventional and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. (C) 19 99 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.