PNNL

Abstract

Damage evaluation processes in patterned GaN implanted by 3 MeV Au2+ ions were investigated as function of ion fluences and annealing temperatures. Surface swelling was observed by using AFM and the results showed that the swelling height depends on ion fluence and annealing temperature. A four-stage of implantatation-induced damage evolution, including point defects, defect clustering, disordering or amorphization and even decomposition, was found and was contributed to defect formation, accumulation and N bubble formation induced at different level of dpa. Crater-like holes were observed on the surface of GaN implanted at the ion fluence of 2×1016 cm-2, and it is considered as an evidence of N loss and broken bubbles formed during implantation.