Effects of Substrate Temperature on Indium Gallium Nitride Nanocolumn Crystal Growth

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S. Keating, M.G. Urquhart, D.V.P. McLaughlin and J.M. Pearce, "Effects of Substrate Temperature on Indium Gallium Nitride Nanocolumn Crystal Growth", Crystal Growth & Design, 11 (2), pp 565–568, 2011. free and open access

Indium gallium nitride films with nanocolumnar microstructure were deposited with varying indium content and substrate temperatures using plasma-enhanced evaporation on amorphous SiO2 substrates. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction results are presented, showing that more crystalline nanocolumnar microstructures can be engineered at lower indium compositions. Nanocolumn diameter and packing factor (void fraction) was found to be highly dependent on substrate temperature, with thinner and more closely packed nanocolumns observed at lower substrate temperatures.