Effect of substrate orientation on homoepitaxial growth of beta-Ga2O3 by halide vapor phase epitaxy

The influence of substrate orientation on homoepitaxial growth of beta-gallium oxide by halide vapor phase epitaxy was investigated. Substrates were cut at various angles & UDelta;(b) from the (001) plane (& UDelta;(b) = 0 & DEG;) to the (010) plane (& UDelta;(b) = 90 & DEG;) of bulk crystals grown by the edge-defined film-fed growth method. The growth rate increased with increasing absolute value of & UDelta;(b) near the (001). However, from the (001) to the (010), as & UDelta;(b) increased, the growth rate decreased sharply, and streaky grooves observed in the grown layer on the (001) substrate became triangular pits. The length of the pits decreased with increasing & UDelta;(b), and a pit-free homoepitaxial layer grew at & UDelta;(b) & AP; 60 & DEG;. The valley line of the pits was parallel to the [010] direction; therefore, the length of the pits decreased with increasing & UDelta;(b). In addition, transmission electron microscopy observations of the deepest part of a pit revealed that the pits originate from dislocations propagating in the substrate at an angle of 60 & DEG; with respect to the (001) plane. Therefore, pits are not formed on the grown layer surface when the & UDelta;(b) of the substrate is & SIM;60 & DEG;, because its surface is substantially parallel to the dislocations. The homoepitaxial growth of a pit-free layer on the (011) substrate (& UDelta;(b) = 61.7 & DEG;) was demonstrated, and void defects and dislocations in the substrate were confirmed by the etch-pit method to not be inherited by the homoepitaxial layer.