High temperature growth of InN on various substrates by plasma-assisted pulsed laser deposition

InN has attracted much attention due to its optical and electrical properties that make it suitable for the fabrication of infrared optical devices and high-speed electronic devices. In this work we report on the structural properties and morphology of InN thin films grown on different substrates by radiofrequency plasma beam assisted pulsed laser deposition. Sapphire and silicon substrates were considered for the growth of these films. The influence of substrate type and growth parameters on the morphology and structural properties of the resulting InN thin films is discussed. The structural analysis of the samples was performed by means of X-ray diffraction. The morphology of the thin films was investigated through atomic force microscopy. Although growth of InN from a metallic In target using nitrogen radiofrequency plasma assisted pulsed laser deposition was achieved for all the samples, growth conditions were found to play an important role on the crystal quality of the resulting thin films.