This dissertation employs doping to investigate basic gallium nitride (GaN) crystal properties and to solve challenges of the hydride vapour phase epitaxy (HVPE) growth process. Whereas the first chapter is a short introduction to the history of the GaN single crystal growth, the 2nd chapter introduces to current crystal growth techniques, discusses properties of the GaN material system and the resulting influence on the applicable crystal growth techniques. HVPE, as a vapour phase epitaxy crystal growth method will be explained in greater detail, with focus on the used vertical reactor and its capabilities for doping. The 3rd chapter then focusses on point defects in GaN, specifically on intentionally introduced extrinsic point defects used for doping purposes, i.e. to achieve p-type, n-type or semi-insulating behaviour. Different dopants will be reviewed before the diffusion of point defects in a solid will be discussed. The in-situ introduction of iron, manganese, and carbon during crystal growth is employed in chapter 4 to compensate the unintentional doping (UID) of the GaN crystals, and therefore to achieve truly semi-insulating behaviour of the HVPE GaN. However the focus of this chapter lies on the characterisation of the pyroelectric coefficient (p), as semi-insulating properties are a necessary requirement for the applied Sharp-Garn measurement method. The creation of tensile stress due to in-situ silicon doping during GaN crystal growth is the topic of the 5th chapter. The tensile stress generation effect will be reproduced and the strain inside the crystal will be monitored ex-situ employing Raman spectroscopy. The n-type doping is achieved by using a vapour phase doping line and a process is developed to hinder the tensile strain generation effect. The 6th chapter concentrates on the delivery of the doping precursor via a solid state doping line, a newly developed doping method. Similar to chapter 5, the doping line is characterised carefully before
About the Author: Patrick Hofmann studied Applied Natural Science in Freiberg from 2008 to 2013 and finished his studies in the mid of 2013. Starting from June 2013 he worked as a scientist/ PhD-student at NaMLab gGmbH, where he cooperated with Freiberger Compound Materials GmbH, to investigate GaN single crystal growth via Hydride Vapour Phase Epitaxy with a deeper focus on doping. At the end of 2017 he handed in his dissertation and defended his results successfully. The publication of his work poses the end of his graduation.