Oxide removal from GaN(0001) surfaces

X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been used to study two different two‐step cleaning methods of MOVPE grown GaN(0001). Carbon and oxygen were identified as the major contaminants, even though the samples were stored in a glove box after growth and transferred under nitrogen atmosphere. By thermal annealing of the samples a significant oxygen decrease and a complete removal of the carbon was achieved. To remove the residual oxygen, subsequently Ga deposition/re‐desorption cycles and N‐plasma treatment were performed (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)