The primary impediment to large deployment of GaN has been the lack of suitable substrates on which to grow and fabricate optimum structures and devices. While GaN films are commonly grown on sapphire or silicon carbide substrates, the lattice mismatch of these materials with GaN results in a large number of defects and dislocations. Many of these problems would be eliminated if large bulk GaN crystals could be grown from which substrates could be fabricated for thin film growth. Accordingly, it is the objective of this proposed research effort to investigate the solution growth of GaN at or near atmospheric pressure. This will be accomplished by identification of one or more suitable solvents in Phase I followed by controlled nucleation and large crystal growth in Phase II.
