Growth of p-type Cu-doped GaN films with magnetron sputtering at and below 400 °C

p-Type Cu-doped GaN (Cu–GaN) films have been grown with a cermet target by magnetron sputtering at 100–400 °C on AlN-coated Si substrates. The effects of growth temperature on microstructure, composition, and electrical properties of the Cu–GaN have been systematically investigated. The results indicated that growth kinetics had affected the film performance. Electrical properties of Cu–GaN changed with the change in Cu ratio. The CuGa1− acceptor can be the reason for the p-type behavior. The average surface roughness of Cu–GaN films was 2.65±0.41 nm. Its growth rate and electrical conductivity were 2.30±0.26 μm h−1 and 0.05–0.79 S cm−1, respectively.