2Technical Centre, N.A.S. of Ukraine, 13, Pokrovska Str., UA-04070 Kyiv, Ukraine
The Influence of Substrate and Buffer Layers on the Structure of GaN Thin Films During Radio-Frequency Sputtering
779–784 (2025)
PACS numbers: 61.05.cp, 61.72.Hh, 68.55.jm, 68.90.+g, 81.07.Bc, 81.15.Cd
Received 12 August, 2025
Thin GaN films are obtained on sapphire (Al2O3) substrates and amorphous quartz (υ-SiO2) substrates with MgAl2O4, AlN, and ZnO buffer layers using radio-frequency (RF) ion-plasma spraying in a nitrogen atmosphere. Based on x-ray phase analysis, the phase composition of the obtained films is investigated, and the sizes of the nanocrystallites forming the deposited GaN films, as well as the average stresses in the crystal lattices, are determined. As found, the smallest crystallite sizes and the highest mechanical stresses are characteristic for thin GaN films deposited on quartz substrates with an MgAl2O4 buffer layer.
KEY WORDS: gallium nitride, thin films, buffer layer, RF sputtering
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