In situ microbeam surface X-ray scattering reveals alternating step kinetics during crystal growth

Guangxu Ju (), Dongwei Xu, Carol Thompson, Matthew J. Highland, Jeffrey A. Eastman, Weronika Walkosz, Peter Zapol and G. Brian Stephenson ()
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Guangxu Ju: Argonne National Laboratory
Dongwei Xu: Argonne National Laboratory
Carol Thompson: Northern Illinois University
Matthew J. Highland: Argonne National Laboratory
Jeffrey A. Eastman: Argonne National Laboratory
Weronika Walkosz: Lake Forest College
Peter Zapol: Argonne National Laboratory
G. Brian Stephenson: Argonne National Laboratory

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract The stacking sequence of hexagonal close-packed and related crystals typically results in steps on vicinal {0001} surfaces that have alternating A and B structures with different growth kinetics. However, because it is difficult to experimentally identify which step has the A or B structure, it has not been possible to determine which has faster adatom attachment kinetics. Here we show that in situ microbeam surface X-ray scattering can determine whether A or B steps have faster kinetics under specific growth conditions. We demonstrate this for organo-metallic vapor phase epitaxy of (0001) GaN. X-ray measurements performed during growth find that the average width of terraces above A steps increases with growth rate, indicating that attachment rate constants are higher for A steps, in contrast to most predictions. Our results have direct implications for understanding the atomic-scale mechanisms of GaN growth and can be applied to a wide variety of related crystals.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21927-5

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