Study of phase separation in an InGaN alloy by electron energy loss spectroscopy in an aberration corrected monochromated scanning transmission electron microscope

Phase separation of InxGa1−xN into Ga-rich and In-rich regions has been studied by electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) in a monochromated, aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). We analyze the full spectral information contained in EELS of InGaN, combining for the first time studies of high-energy and low-energy ionization edges, plasmon, and valence losses. Elemental maps of the N K, In M4,5and Ga L2,3edges recorded by spectrum imaging at 100 kV reveal sub-nm fluctuations of the local indium content. The low energetic edges of Ga M4,5and In N4,5partially overlap with the plasmon peaks. Both have been fitted iteratively to a linear superimposition of reference spectra for GaN, InN, and InGaN, providing a direct measurement of phase separation at the nm-scale. Bandgap measurements are limited in real space by scattering delocalization rather than the electron beam size to ∼10 nm for small bandgaps, and their energetic accuracy by the method of fitting the onset of the joint density of states rather than energy resolution. For an In0.62Ga0.38N thin film we show that phase separation occurs on several length scales.