In situ X-ray monitoring of transport and chemistry of Ga-containing intermediates under ammonothermal growth conditions of GaN

Formation and transport of Ga-containing intermediates are essential for ammonothermal bulk growth of GaN. In this work, in situ X-ray transmission measurements are established as a tool for monitoring face-selective dissolution of GaN crystals as well as the Ga-concentration in the fluid. The accuracy of concentration determination by X-ray transmission measurements is evaluated and the detection limit for dissolved species is estimated. The detection limit is given both as a gallium concentration and as an attenuation coefficient, thus, it can easily be transferred to other materials of interest. Face-selective ammonothermal etching is investigated for both ammonoacidic and ammonobasic mineralizers. Time- and space-resolved monitoring of the concentration of Ga-containing intermediates is demonstrated using NH4F mineralizer. The results are discussed with respect to the formation of Ga-containing intermediates and mechanisms of mass transport. Based on molecular dynamics simulations, the experimentally observed, unexpectedly low diffusion coefficient for the Ga-transporting species is ascribed at least partially to the diffusion of larger [GaxFy]3x−y aggregates.