High temperature annealing of GaN, InN, AlN and related alloys

Transient thermal processing is employed for implant activation, contact alloying, implant isolation and dehydrogenation during III-nitride device fabrication. We have compared use of InN and AlN powder as methods for providing a N-2 partial pressure within a graphite susceptor for high temperature annealing of GaN, InN AlN, InAlN and InGaN. The AlN powder provides adequate surface protection to temperatures of similar to 1100 degrees C for AlN, greater than or equal to 1050 degrees C for GaN, similar to 600 degrees C for InN and similar to 800 degrees C for the ternary alloys. While the InN powder provides a higher N-2 partial pressure than AlN powder, at temperatures above similar to 750 degrees C the evaporation of In is sufficiently high to produce condensation of In droplets on the surfaces of the annealed samples. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.