Microcharacterization of GaN Nanomembranes Using Cathodoluminescence Microanalysis

Abstract

Gallium nitride (GaN) is a thermally stable, chemically inert wide-band-gap compound semiconductor with applications in high temperature, high power, high frequency electronic devices, solid state sensors, optoelectronics applications, light emitting diodes and lasers, and spintronics where the GaN is ferromagnetic transition-metal-doped, etc. Recent efforts have been focused on controlling technologically useful GaN properties through nanostructuring using a variety of deposition or etching techniques. The combination of surface charge lithography (SCL) as a low energy ion beam pre-treatment, followed by photoelectrochemical (PEC) etching, enables the maskless fabrication of nano-perforated and continuous GaN membranes with nanometer-scale thickness. and may provide the possibility of using GaN for MEMS/NEMS applications, which rely on thin membrane technologies.