Thermal stability and desorption of Group III nitrides prepared by metal organic chemical vapor deposition

We present results on the thermal stability as well as the thermally induced hydrogen, hydrocarbon, and nitrogen-hydrogen effusion from thin films of Group III nitrides prepared by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition from organometallic precursors. We have deposited amorphous, polycrystalline, and epitaxial InN, GaN, and AIN films on (0001) Al2O3 substrates using the chemical reaction of azido[bis(3-dimethylamino)propyl]indium, triethylgallium, and tritertiarybutylaluminium with ammonia. The substrate temperature was varied between 400 degrees C and 1100 degrees C. The elemental composition, in particular its dependence on the growth temperature, was investigated by elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA). The influence of growth rate and crystallite size on the concentration of surface adsorbed hydrocarbons and carbon oxides is determined by a combination of ERDA and thermal desorption measurements. In addition, the stability of and the nitrogen flux from the InN, GaN, and AIN surfaces was determined by x-ray diffraction and thermal decomposition experiments. (C) 1996 American Vacuum Society.