Non-polar a-plane GaN grown on LaAlO3 (0Â 0Â 1) substrate by pulsed laser deposition

Non-polar (1 1 2¯ 0) GaN has been successfully grown on (0 0 1) LaAlO3 (LAO) substrate by pulsed laser deposition method. The nitrogen plasma is essential to grow pure a-plane GaN films. The insertion of a ZnO buffer layer improves the quality of GaN thin film as shown by X-ray diffraction. Reflection high energy electron diffraction and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy with selected area diffraction reveal two types of a-plane GaN domains perpendicular to each other in orientation relationships of [0 0 0 1]GaN∥[1 1¯ 0]LAO and [1 1¯ 00]GaN∥[1 1¯ 0]LAO.