Modeling of gallium nitride molecular beam epitaxy growth

III-V nitrides (GaN, InN and AlN) are intensely researched for optoelectronic applications spanning the entire visible spectrum. In spite of realization of commercial devices and advances in processing of materials and devices, the understanding of the processing and epitaxial growth of these materials are incomplete. In this study, a rate equation approach is proposed based on physically sound surface processes to investigate the molecular beam epitaxy growth of GaN using ammonia and ECR plasma source. A surface riding layer of Ga and ammonia or N plasma species are included in the model. The surface riding species are allowed to undergo several physical and chemical processes. Rates of all surface processes are assumed Arrhenius type. The necessary model parameters which are unknown were found by fitting results from simulation to experimental values. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).