Glancing-Angle Electron Beam Bombardment for Modification of GaN Epilayer Growth using Plasma-Assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy

We report the observation of significant enhancement in the structural and electrical properties of GaN epilayers grown by utilizing electron-beam (EB) irradiation; EB bombardment was successfully employed to achieve a high-quality GaN epilayer at a growth rate as high as 0.6 µm/h at a low temperature of 680°C. EB irradiation resulted in a marked reduction of dislocation density with smoother surfaces and a decrease in carrier concentration of approximately one order of magnitude.