Mn as surfactant for the self-assembling of Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$N/GaN layered heterostructures

TL;DR

This paper investigates how manganese acts as a surfactant during the growth of AlGaN/GaN heterostructures, influencing their morphology, alloy segregation, and enabling self-assembly of layered structures.

Contribution

It introduces Mn as a surfactant that promotes self-assembling of layered heterostructures during metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy growth.

Findings

Mn affects Al incorporation and surface morphology.

Mn doping promotes formation of superlattice-like heterostructures.

Control over alloy segregation during growth.

Abstract

The structural analysis of GaN and Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$N/GaN heterostructures grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy in the presence of Mn reveals how Mn affects the growth process, and in particular the incorporation of Al, the morphology of the surface, and the plastic relaxation of Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$N on GaN. Moreover, the doping with Mn promotes the formation of layered Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$N/GaN superlattice-like heterostructures opening wide perspective for controlling the segregation of ternary alloys during the crystal growth and for fostering the self-assembling of functional layered structures.