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 epilaycrs 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.