High Uniformity GaN Micro-pyramids and Platelets by Selective Area Growth

TL;DR

This paper presents a multi-step growth process to produce highly uniform GaN micro-pyramids and platelets via selective area growth, addressing non-uniformity issues in MOCVD fabrication.

Contribution

It introduces a controlled multi-step growth strategy combining sequential growth and thermal treatments to improve GaN microstructure uniformity.

Findings

Multi-step growth enhances surface morphology and structural regularity.

Direct one-step growth results in significant inhomogeneity.

Process modifications effectively mitigate non-uniformity.

Abstract

The development of uniform GaN micro-pyramids and platelets via selective area growth is a critical step toward advancing III-nitride device technologies, particularly for micro-light-emitting diode applications. This work investigates the origins of morphological non-uniformity in micro-pyramids and micro-platelets grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). We observe that a direct one-step growth approach leads to significant growth rate inhomogeneity across arrays. To shed light on this issue, we examine the mechanisms driving non-uniformity and explore process modifications aimed at mitigating these effects. Building on these insights, we propose a controlled multi-step growth strategy that combines sequen-tial growth and thermal treatment phases. This approach is demonstrated to enhance surface morphology and structural regularity. The work contributes to the broader objective of enabling scalable, high-precision GaN microstructure fabrication for next-generation optoelectronic applications.