Interfacial reactions during GaN and AiN epitaxy on 4H- and 6H-SiC(0001)

Thin layers of AlN and GaN have been grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on Si-face 4H- and 6H-SiC(0001)(Si) substrates. The impact of the SiC surface preparation and oxide removal via a Ga deposition and desorption process on the chemistry and structure of the GaN/SiC and AlN/SiC interfaces, and on the GaN/SiC subsurface reactivity is characterized. We also investigate the impact of this process on growth mode evolution.