In situ and real-time characterization of metal-organic chemical vapor deposition growth by high resolution x-ray diffraction

We present an x-ray diffractometer for the analysis of epitaxial layers during (in situ) metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Our diffractometer has a conventional x-ray source, does not need a goniometer stage, and is not sensitive to precise adjustment of the samples before measurement. It allows us to perform measurements within a few seconds even from rotating and wobbling samples. The first results of laboratory tests performed with our x-ray diffraction system show that it is well suited for in situ and real-time monitoring of the MOCVD growth process. We were able to measure the growth rate of a cubic GaN layer and the intensity and peak position of Bragg reflections of the growing layer in less than 20 s only