Collection of scientific works Nanosystems, nanomaterials, nanotechnologies
Year 2026 Volume 24, Issue 1
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O. M. BORDUN1, I. I. MEDVID1, I. Yo. KUKHARSKYY1, I. O. BORDUN1, I. M. KOFLIUK1, O. Y. MYLYO1, V. O. MAKSYMIV1, D. S. LEONOV2, and M. V. PROTSAK1

1Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, 50, Drahomanov Str., UA-79005 Lviv, Ukraine
2Technical Centre, N.A.S. of Ukraine, 13, Pokrovska Str., UA-04070 Kyiv, Ukraine

Influence of Mn2+ and Tb3+ Activators on the Surface Morphology of GaN Thin Films

175–187 (2026)

PACS numbers: 61.72.Mm, 61.72.uj, 68.35.Ct, 68.37.Hk, 68.37.Ps, 68.55.J-, 81.15.Cd

Received 16 February, 2026

The study investigates the influence of transition (Mn) and rare-earth (Tb) dopants on the surface morphology of as-deposited GaN thin films. GaN, GaN:Mn, and GaN:Tb thin films are obtained by radio frequency (RF) ion-plasma sputtering in a nitrogen atmosphere on single-crystal Si substrates. Surface morphology studies performed using atomic force microscopy (AFM) show that the addition of Mn promotes an increase in the average grain diameter from 85 nm to 166 nm and is accompanied by a decrease in the root-mean-square roughness from 6.4 nm to 4.8 nm. An analysis of crystallite-size distributions by diameter, area, and volume is carried out, and it is suggested that anomalous secondary grain growth occurs during the RF-sputtering process, when Mn impurity is added. The addition of Tb impurity leads to an even greater increase in grain size, which is attributed to the large ionic radius of the Tb3+ ion and the generation of significant mechanical stresses.

KEY WORDS: thin films, GaN, doping, manganese, terbium, RF sputtering, surface morphology, atomic force microscopy

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/nnn.24.01.0175

Citation:
O. M. Bordun, I. I. Medvid, I. Yo. Kukharskyy, I. O. Bordun, I. M. Kofliuk, O. Y. Mylyo, V. O. Maksymiv, D. S. Leonov, and M. V. Protsak, Influence of Mn2+ and Tb3+ Activators on the Surface Morphology of GaN Thin Films, Nanosistemi, Nanomateriali, Nanotehnologii, 24, No. 1: 175–187 (2026); https://doi.org/10.15407/nnn.24.01.0175
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