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Investigation Of Surface Properties For Ga- And N-Polar Gan Using Scanning Probe Microscopy Techniques, Josephus Daniel Ferguson Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Because the surface plays an important role in the electrical and optical properties of GaN devices, an improved understanding of surface effects should help optimize device performance. In this work, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and related techniques have been used to characterize three unique sets of n-type GaN samples. The sample sets comprised freestanding bulk GaN with Ga polar and N polar surfaces, epitaxial GaN films with laterally patterned Ga- and N-polar regions on a common surface, and truncated, hexagonal GaN microstructures containing Ga-polar mesas and semipolar facets. Morphology studies revealed that bulk Ga-polar surfaces treated with a chemical-mechanical polish …