Utilizing Low-Dose Transmission Electron Microscopy for Structure and Defect Identification in Group III – Nitride Electronic Devices

The article of record as published may be found at https://doi.org/10.1017/S1431927618010346 Group III – nitride materials are already used in multiple high speed transistor applications as well as in opto-electronics, from light emitting diodes to photodiodes in sensors. Recently, bulk like GaN became available which also enables the development of vertical power device structures due to significantly reduced dislocation density (approximately from 108/cm2 to 104/cm2). Device optimization for any such device structures requires imaging techniques which maintain original, often highly defective device areas, at heterostructure interfaces, in the vicinity of metal contacts or otherwise locally strained, selected material areas, such as in locally dopant implanted regions.