The culprit of some GaN defects could be nitrogenAs silicon-based semiconductors reach their perform

The culprit of some GaN defects could be nitrogen

As silicon-based semiconductors reach their performance limits, gallium nitride (GaN) is becoming the next go-to material to advance light-emitting diode (LED) technologies, high-frequency transistors and photovoltaic devices. Holding GaN back, however, is its high numbers of defects.

This material degradation is due to dislocations—when atoms become displaced in the crystal lattice structure. When multiple dislocations simultaneously move from shear force, bonds along the lattice planes stretch and eventually break. As the atoms rearrange themselves to reform their bonds, some planes stay intact while others become permanently deformed, with only half planes in place. If the shear force is great enough, the dislocation will end up along the edge of the material.

Layering GaN on substrates of different materials makes the problem that much worse because the lattice structures typically don’t align. This is why expanding our understanding of how GaN defects form at the atomic level could improve the performance of the devices made using this material.

A team of researchers has taken a significant step toward this goal by examining and determining six core configurations of the GaN lattice. They presented their findings in the Journal of Applied Physics.

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