Low temperature 2D GaN growth on Si(111) 7 × 7 assisted by hyperthermal nitrogen ions

As the characteristic dimensions of modern top-down devices are getting smaller, such devices reach their operational limits imposed by quantum mechanics. Thus, two-dimensional (2D) structures appear to be one of the best solutions to meet the ultimate challenges of modern optoelectronic and spintronic applications. The representative of III–V semiconductors, gallium nitride (GaN), is a great candidate for UV and high-power applications at a nanoscale level. We propose a new way of fabrication of 2D GaN on the Si(111) 7 × 7 surface using post-nitridation of Ga droplets by hyperthermal (E = 50 eV) nitrogen ions at low substrate temperatures (T < 220 °C). The deposition of Ga droplets and their post-nitridation are carried out using an effusion cell and a special atom/ion beam source developed by our group, respectively. This low-temperature droplet epitaxy (LTDE) approach provides well-defined ultra-high vacuum growth conditions during the whole fabrication process resulting in unique 2D GaN nanostructures. A sharp interface between the GaN nanostructures and the silicon substrate together with a suitable elemental composition of nanostructures was confirmed by TEM. In addition, SEM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), AFM and Auger microanalysis were successful in enabling a detailed characterization of the fabricated GaN nanostructures.