MOCVD growth of gallium nitride

The group III nitrides represent an important class of materials with applications in high temperature electronics, optoelectronic devices operating in the blue to near UV region of the spectrum, and cold cathodes. Owing to their combination of wide band gap, high thermal conductivity, high thermal stability and physical robustness they offer, in principle, an attractive route to such devices. Their are however severe practical difficulties in their preparation which have prevented the realisation of their potential until quite recently. This paper outlines the considerations which have determined the design of this reactor and report on the growth experiments which have been undertaken at Gent. Results are also presented to illustrate the characteristics of the material which has been grown to date