Effects of Substrate Temperature on Indium Gallium Nitride Nanocolumn Crystal Growth

TL;DR

This study investigates how substrate temperature influences the growth, microstructure, and crystallinity of indium gallium nitride nanocolumns deposited via plasma-enhanced evaporation, revealing key relationships between temperature and nanostructure properties.

Contribution

It provides new insights into controlling nanocolumn microstructure and crystallinity through substrate temperature adjustments during deposition.

Findings

Lower indium content yields more crystalline nanocolumns

Reduced substrate temperature results in thinner, more closely packed nanocolumns

Nanocolumn diameter and packing factor are highly temperature-dependent

Abstract

Indium gallium nitride films with nanocolumnar microstructure were deposited with varying indium content and substrate temperatures using plasma-enhanced evaporation on amorphous SiO2 substrates. FESEM and XRD 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.