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Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2021

Hexacoordinated Gallium(III) Triazenide Precursor for Epitaxial Gallium Nitride by Atomic Layer Deposition

Rouf, Polla; Samii, Rouzbeh; Ronnby, Karl; Bakhit, Babak; Buttera, Sydney C.; Martinovic, Ivan; Ojamae, Lars; Hsu, Chih-Wei; Palisaitis, Justinas; Kessler, Vadim; Pedersen, Henrik; O'Brien, Nathan J.

Abstract

Gallium nitride (GaN) is the main component of modern-day high electron mobility transistors due to its favorable electronic properties. As electronic devices become smaller with more complex surface architecture, the ability to deposit high-quality GaN films at low temperatures is required. Herein, we report a new highly volatile Ga(III) triazenide precursor and demonstrate its ability to deposit high-quality epitaxial GaN by atomic layer deposition (ALD). This new Ga(III) triazenide, the first hexacoordinated Ga-N bonded precursor used in a vapor deposition process, was easily synthesized and purified by either sublimation or recrystallisation. Thermogravimetric analysis showed single-step volatilization with an onset temperature of 155 degrees C and negligible residual mass. Three temperature intervals with self-limiting growth were observed when depositing GaN films. The GaN films grown in the second growth interval at 350 degrees C were epitaxial on 4H-SiC without an AlN seed layer and found to have a near stoichiometric Ga/N ratio with very low levels of impurities. In addition, electron microstructure analysis showed a smooth film surface and a sharp interface between the substrate and film. The band gap of these films was 3.41 eV with the Fermi level at 1.90 eV, showing that the GaN films were unintentionally n-type-doped. This new triazenide precursor enables ALD of GaN for semiconductor applications and provides a new Ga(III) precursor for future deposition processes.

Published in

Chemistry of Materials
2021, Volume: 33, number: 9, pages: 3266-3275
Publisher: AMER CHEMICAL SOC

    UKÄ Subject classification

    Materials Chemistry

    Publication identifier

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.1c00244

    Permanent link to this page (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/112452