Thick GaN grown on a nanoporous GaN template by hydride vapor phase epitaxy

High-quality thick gallium nitride (GaN) films were overgrown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) on a nanoporous GaN template which was prepared by inductively coupled plasma etching employing an anodized aluminum oxide mask. An obvious reduction of the dislocation density in the thick GaN layer was demonstrated by high-resolution X-ray diffraction, which exhibited the improved crystalline quality in GaN films overgrown on a nanopatterned surface. Moreover, the peak redshift in photoluminescence and micro-Raman spectroscopy indicates a significant strain relaxation in the HVPE-GaN layer. Compared with conventional overgrowth, such a deposition pathway is a more promising technique for the growth of thick GaN layers. (C) 2008 The Electrochemical Society.