Ammonothermal synthesis of thick gallium nitride film employing acidic mineralizers

Fabrication of wurtzite-type gallium nitride (GaN) thick films on HPVE-grown {0001} GaN substrates under moderate ammonothermal conditions is reported. Supercritical ammonia (NH3) as solvent and the mineralizer ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) is employed for temperature and pressure conditions of 400-550 degrees C and <= 135 MPa, respectively. Growth rates of 30 mu m per day over long-term growth runs were obtained. The effect of surface morphology of the substrate on homoepitaxial nucleation of GaN films prepared from ammonoacid solutions is investigated. Two-dimensional nucleation is obtained for substrates etched by hot concentrated KOH prior film growth. In this case the interface between film and the (000 (1) over bar) substrate does not show any signs of voids or island nucleation. Cracking pattern reveals similar mechanical-elastical properties for film and substrate.