The effect of biaxial strain on optical phonons in high-quality GaN epitaxial layers grown on 6H–SiC substrates by metal organic chemical vapor deposition has been studied. The deformation potential constants for the E2(1), A1(TO), E1(TO), and E2(2) optical phonon modes in hexagonal GaN have been obtained. A method for calculating strain in hexagonal GaN layers from Raman data alone is suggested. A comparative analysis of the strain measured by x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy shows that these data agree well. It is found that the biaxial stress of 1 GPa results in a shift of the excitonic photoluminescence lines of 20±3 meV.

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Nickel-based contacts, deposited on 4H-SiC C-face substrates, were annealed at temperatures ranging from 800to1040°C and the phase composition of the contact layers analyzed by x-ray diffraction techniques. Ni2Si was identified as the dominant phase for annealing temperatures exceeding 925°C, with further increases in concentration with increasing temperature. At the highest annealing temperature of 1040°C, a 40nm thick nanocrystalline graphite film at the Ni2Si–SiC interface was discovered and its presence confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. The roles of the Ni2Si and graphite films in the formation of ohmic contacts were determined by their subsequent exclusion from the contact composition. Following deposition and annealing, the Ni2Si and graphite layers were etched away selectively and replaced with new metal films deposited at room temperature and without any annealing. Measurement of the current-voltage characteristics revealed that the ohmic nature of the contacts was preserved after removal of the Ni2Si and the graphite layers. It is concluded that the main reason for the conversion of Schottky to ohmic contacts during high-temperature annealing is a change of the electrical properties of the underlying SiC rather than being attributable to the presence of nickel silicides or graphite. It is proposed that a solid-state reaction between nickel and silicon carbide, similar to catalytic graphitization of carbon, may take place during Ni–SiC contact annealing at the temperature of 1040°C. This process may result in the creation of sufficient carbon vacancies in the near-interface region of the SiC to allow increased electron transport through the Schottky barrier.

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