Amorphous carbon buffer layers for separating free gallium nitride films

The possibility of using amorphous diamond-like carbon (DLC) films for self-separation of gallium nitride (GaN) layers grown by hydride vapor-phase epitaxy has been analyzed. DLC films have been synthesized by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition under low pressure on sapphire (Al2O3) substrates with a (0001) crystallographic orientation. The samples have been studied by the methods of Raman scattering and X-ray diffraction analysis. It is shown that thin DLC films affect only slightly the processes of nucleation and growth of gallium nitride films. Notably, the strength of the “GaN film–Al2O3” substrate interface decreases, which facilitates separation of the GaN layers.