Surface characterization of GaN and AlGaN layers grown by MOVPE

Surface properties of GaN and Al0.17Ga0.83N materials grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) were systematically investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Air-exposed samples showed highly non-stoichiometric surfaces, which included a large amount of natural oxides. Deposition of Al on the air-exposed GaN surface caused interfacial reactions, resulting in the formation of oxide layers including Al2O3 and Ga oxide at the interface. A natural oxide layer of AlGaN surface possessed a complicated composition distribution in depth where the Al-oxide component was dominant on the topmost layer. Such natural oxide layers were found to be removed from GaN and AlGaN surfaces after the treatment in an NH4OH solution at 50°C for 10 min, resulting in oxide-free and well-ordered surfaces.