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Analysis of physical properties of III-nitride thin films by nanoindentation

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Abstract

The thin films of undoped GaN, GaN:Si, and Al0.12Ga0.88N on sapphire (0001) substrate using nanoindentation are investigated. The Young’s modulus, hardness, and plastic energy of the films were calculated from the loading-unloading curve. The true hardness, maximum shear stress, and degree of elastic recovery are then deduced from the preceding calculated data. In addition, the loading-unloading curve clearly shows the pop-in phenomena, which can be attributed to the dislocation nucleation. To better understand the factors affecting the quality of films produced, the stress-strain relationship, which is able to reflect the quality of the fabricated films, is also analyzed using nanoindentation.

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Jian, SR., Fang, TH. & Chuu, DS. Analysis of physical properties of III-nitride thin films by nanoindentation. J. Electron. Mater. 32, 496–500 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-003-0132-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-003-0132-0

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