Atom probe tomography assessment of the impact of electron beam exposure on In x Ga 1−x N/GaN quantum wells

This study addresses the ongoing debate concerning the distribution of indium in In x Ga 1−x N quantum wells (QWs) using a combination of atom probe tomography (APT) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). APT analysis of In x Ga 1−x N QWs, which had been exposed to the electron beam in a TEM, revealed an inhomogeneous indium distribution which was not observed in a control sample which had not been exposed to the electron beam. These data validate the effectiveness of APT in detecting subtle compositional inhomogeneities in the nitrides.