Annealing effect on threading dislocations in a GaN grown on Si substrate

Effect of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) on crystal defects in a GaN layer grown on a (111) Si substrate was investigated by photoluminescence (PL) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. The PL spectra suggested that the density of gallium vacancy is not changed by the heat treatment up to 700 degrees C. In the TEM specimen, we had dislocation half loops generated by off-axis propagation of the threading dislocation. We found that the half-loop of c-type dislocation shrinks/moves by a repetitive RTA at 600-700 degrees C. In contrast, we could find no remarkable changes in the a-type or a+c-type dislocations.