In incorporation efficiency and composition fluctuations in MOVPE grown GaInN/GaN hetero structures and quantum wells

GaInN layers play a key role in short wavelength optoelectronic devices for the visible spectrum. However, the epitaxial growth of In containing nitrides is more problematic than that of GaN and AlGaN. In order to increase the In incorporation efficiency, lower growth temperatures of around 700–800°C are needed. We have optimized the metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxial growth of GaInN by decreasing the H2/N2 ratio in the gas-phase and increasing the growth rate. However, the deposited films showed strong indications for compositional fluctuations. Besides a large miscibility gap predicted for GaInN, the mismatch induced strain for GaN may play a major role in these growth problems.