A 240-nm thick Al_(0.4)In_(0.02)Ga_(0.58)N layer is grown by metal organic chemical vapour deposition,with an over 1-μm thick GaN layer used as a buffer layer on a substrate of sapphire(0001).Rutherford backscattering and channeling are used to characterize the microstructure of AlInGaN.The results show a good crystalline quality of AlInGaN(x_(min)= 1.5%) with GaN buffer layer.The channeling angular scan around an off-normal(1213) axis in the {1010} plane of the AlInGaN layer is used to determine tetragonal distortion e_T,which is caused by the elastic strain in the AlInGaN.The resulting AlInGaN is subjected to an elastic strain at interfacial layer,and the strain decreases gradually towards the near-surface layer.It is expected that an epitaxial AlInGaN thin film with a thickness of 850 nm will be fully relaxed (e_T=0).
