Defect production in neutron irradiated GaN

✍ Scribed by J.G. Marques; K. Lorenz; N. Franco; E. Alves

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 160 KB
• Volume: 249
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0168-583X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nimb.2006.04.028

✦ Synopsis

Rutherford backscattering in the channelling mode (RBS/C) and high resolution X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize GaN films after irradiation with fast and thermal neutrons to fluences of 1.0 • 10 19 n/cm 2 and 4.8 • 10 19 n/cm 2 , respectively. RBS/C experiments indicate that Ga atoms are preferentially displaced along the c-axis. In good agreement, XRD shows an expansion of the lattice along the c-axis after irradiation, while no change of the in-plane lattice parameter was observed. Both fast and thermal neutrons contribute to the lattice damage and to the introduction of perpendicular elastic strain; the former due to direct knock-on atoms, the latter due to recoil processes during the neutron activation of Ga and N atoms.