0000000000061981
AUTHOR
Bruno Daudin
Si Donor Incorporation in GaN Nanowires
With increasing interest in GaN based devices, the control and evaluation of doping are becoming more and more important. We have studied the structural and electrical properties of a series of Si-doped GaN nanowires (NWs) grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) with a typical dimension of 2-3 μm in length and 20-200 nm in radius. In particular, high resolution energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) has illustrated a higher Si incorporation in NWs than that in two-dimensional (2D) layers and Si segregation at the edge of the NW with the highest doping. Moreover, direct transport measurements on single NWs have shown a controlled doping with resistivity from 10(2) to 10(-3) Ω·cm, and a car…
Optical properties of wurtzite GaN/AlN quantum dots grown on non-polar planes: the effect of stacking faults in the reduction of the internal electric field
The optical emission of non-polar GaN/AlN quantum dots has been investigated. The presence of stacking faults inside these quantum dots is evidenced in the dependence of the photoluminescence with temperature and excitation power. A theoretical model for the electronic structure and optical properties of non-polar quantum dots, taking into account their realistic shapes, is presented which predicts a substantial reduction of the internal electric field but a persisting quantum confined Stark effect, comparable to that of polar GaN/AlN quantum dots. Modeling the effect of a 3 monolayer stacking fault inside the quantum dot, which acts as zinc-blende inclusion into the wurtzite matrix, result…
Reduction of the internal electric field in GaN/AlN quantum dots grown on the a ‐plane of SiC substrates
We present a study of the emission of a multi-layer stack of self-assembled GaN/AlN quantum dots grown on the a -plane of 6H-SiC. We look for signatures of the internal electric field in the power dependence of the time-integrated and time-resolved photoluminescence spectra. The lack of a dynamical red-shift reveals that internal electric fields are significantly reduced in these dots. A band on the low energy side of the emission is observed whose intensity quenches fast when increasing the temperature. The polarization selection rules of the emission are examined in order to determine the physical nature of this band. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Deformation profile in GaN quantum dots: Medium-energy ion scattering experiments and theoretical calculations
Medium energy ion scattering (MEIS) has been used to measure at the scale of the monolayer the deformation profile of self-organized GaN quantum dots grown on AlN by molecular-beam epitaxy. The effect of capping the GaN dots by a thin layer of AlN has also been studied. It is shown that GaN dots are partially relaxed in every situation. Capping them with AlN has little effect on the basal plane, as expected, but strongly modifies the strain of the upper part of dots. The experimental results are compared with theoretical calculations, allowing one to conclude that GaN quantum dots experience a nonbiaxial strain, which drastically decreases when going from the basal plane up to the apex of t…
Splitting of surface-related phonons in Raman spectra of self-assembled GaN nanowires
cited By 2; International audience; Micro Raman spectroscopy studies have been performed on GaN nanowires grown by Plasma-Assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy on Silicon (111) substrate. From the analysis of experimental data, the emergence of a two peaks band located near 700 cm-1 has been attributed to the Raman scattering by surface-related phonons. We have analyzed the surface character of these two modes by changing the dielectric constant of the exterior medium and some experimental parameters. Furthermore, a theoretical model describing the nanowires ensemble by means of an effective dielectric function has been used to interpret the Raman scattering results. Those numerical simulations a…
Optical properties of nitride nanostructures
In this paper we review some recent results on the optical properties of nitride nanostructures, in particular on GaN quantum dots (QDs) and InN nanocolumns (NCs). First, we will give a brief introduction on the particularities of vibrational modes of wurtzite. The GaN QDs, embedded in AlN, were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) in the Stransky-Krastanov mode on c- and a-plane 6H-SiC. We have studied the optical properties by means of photoluminescence (PL) and performed Raman scattering measurements to analyze the strain relaxation in the dots and the barrier, the effect of the internal electric fields, and the influence of specific growth parameters, like the influence of capping or t…
Anticrossing of axial and planar surface-related phonon modes in Raman spectra of self-assembled GaN nanowires
cited By 17; International audience; GaN columnar nanostructures usually called nanowires have been investigated by micro-Raman spectroscopy. In addition to conventional Raman scattering by confined optical phonons of a wurtzite structure (i.e., E 2h and QLO modes), an unusual two peaks band centered near 700 cm -1 is observed and analyzed as a function of several experimental parameters (polarization, filling factor, incidence angle). The surface character of these two modes is experimentally confirmed by their high sensitivity to the dielectric constant of the as-grown nanowires surrounding medium. Calculations describing the nanowires' environment by means of an effective dielectric func…
Resonant Raman scattering in self-assembledGaN∕AlNquantum dots
Self-assembled $\mathrm{Ga}\mathrm{N}∕\mathrm{Al}\mathrm{N}$ quantum dots have been investigated by means of Raman scattering. A resonant enhancement of the Raman peaks has been observed when the excitation is tuned above the GaN band-gap energy. The polar mode nature, either quasiconfined or interfacial, has been assigned after comparing with the polar optical modes of spheroidal dots calculated within the framework of the anisotropic dielectric continuum model. The built-in strain of the GaN dots induced a substantial blueshift of the nonpolar ${E}_{2H}$ Raman mode frequency. A theoretical model that analyzes the three-dimensional strain distribution in the quantum dots has been employed …
Evaluation of strain in GaN/AlN quantum dots by means of resonant Raman scattering: the effect of capping
We have studied in detail changes in the strain state of GaN/AlN quantum dots during the capping process. μ-Raman scattering experiments allowed the detection of a resonant mode which provided information on the evolution of strain with capping. Simultaneously, Multiwavelength Anomalous Diffraction (MAD) and Diffraction Anomalous Fine Structure (DAFS) experiments were performed on the same samples, providing the independent determination of the wurtzite lattice parameters a and c. The remarkable agreement between Raman and X-ray data stands out the suitability of polar vibrational modes for the determination of strain in nanostructures. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Influence of strain in the reduction of the internal electric field in GaN/AlN quantum dots grown ona-plane 6H-SiC
The strain state of stacks of GaN/AIN quantum dots (QDs) grown on (0001) and (1120) 6H-SiC has been investigated by means of Raman spectroscopy. Depending on the orientation of the wurtzite axis with respect to the growth direction it is found that the piezoelectric contribution to the electrostatic potential may either reinforce that arising from the spontaneous polarization or oppose it. The experimental results are compared with a theoretical model for the strain and polarization field in QDs of both orientations that allows the calculation of the electrostatic potential in the QDs. Both the experimental results and the theoretical model indicate that the internal electric field and elec…
Reversed polarized emission in highly strained a-plane GaN/AlN multiple quantum wells
The polarization of the emission from a set of highly strained $a$-plane GaN/AlN multiple quantum wells of varying well widths has been studied. A single photoluminescence peak is observed that shifts to higher energies as the quantum well thickness decreases due to quantum confinement. The emitted light is linearly polarized. For the thinnest samples the preferential polarization direction is perpendicular to the wurtzite $c$ axis with a degree of polarization that decreases with increasing well width. However, for the thickest well the preferred polarization direction is parallel to the $c$ axis. Raman scattering, x-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy studies have been p…
Resonant Raman scattering of core-shell GaN/AlN nanowires.
Abstract We have analyzed the electron–phonon coupling in GaN/AlN core–shell nanowires by means of Raman scattering excited at various wavelengths in the ultraviolet spectral range (335, 325 and 300 nm) and as a function of the AlN shell thickness. The detailed analysis of the multi-phonon spectra evidences important differences with excitation energy. Under 325 and 300 nm excitation the Raman process is mediated by the allowed A 1(LO) phonon mode, where the atoms vibrate along the NW axis. Considering its selection rules, this mode is easily accessible in backscattering along the wurtzite c axis. Interestingly, for 335 nm excitation the scattering process is instead mediated by the E 1(LO)…
Raman study and theoretical calculations of strain in GaN quantum dot multilayers
Changes in strain and phonon mode energy in stacks of self-assembled GaN quantum dots embedded in AlN have been studied by means of Raman spectroscopy as a function of the number of periods. The ${E}_{2H}$ phonon modes related to the quantum dots and AlN spacers are clearly resolved, and their energies allow monitoring the state of strain of the dots and AlN spacers simultaneously. The evolution of the measured phonon frequencies and the associated strains are discussed in comparison with theoretical calculations of the inhomogeneous strain distribution in a system of coherent misfitting inclusions.
The structural properties of GaN/AlN core-shell nanocolumn heterostructures.
International audience; The growth and structural properties of GaN/AlN core-shell nanowire heterostructures have been studied using a combination of resonant x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy experiments. For a GaN core of 20 nm diameter on average surrounded by a homogeneous AlN shell, the built-in strain in GaN is found to agree with theoretical calculations performed using a valence force field model. It is then concluded that for an AlN thickness up to at least 12 nm both core and shell are in elastic equilibrium. However, in the case of an inhomogeneous growth of the AlN shell caused by the presence of steps on the sides of the …
Polarity conversion of GaN nanowires grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy
International audience; It is demonstrated that the N-polarity of GaN nanowires (NWs) spontaneously nucleated on Si (111) by molecular beam epitaxy can be reversed by intercalation of an Al-or Ga-oxynitride thin layer. The polarity change has been assessed by a combination of chemical etching, Kelvin probe force microscopy, cathodo-and photoluminescence spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy experiments. Cathodoluminescence of the Ga-polar NW section exhibits a higher intensity in the band edge region, consistent with a reduced incorporation of chemical impurities. The polarity reversal method we propose opens the path to the integration of optimized metal-polar NW devices on any…
Dopant radial inhomogeneity in Mg-doped GaN nanowires
International audience; Using atom probe tomography, it is demonstrated that Mg doping of GaN nanowires grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy results in a marked radial inhomogeneity, namely a higher Mg content in the periphery of the nanowires. This spatial inhomogeneity is attributed to a preferential incorporation of Mg through the m-plane sidewalls of nanowires and is related to the formation of a Mg-rich surface which is stabilized by hydrogen. This is further supported by Raman spectroscopy experiments which give evidence of Mg-H complexes in the doped nanowires. A Mg doping mechanism such as this, specific to nanowires, may lead to higher levels of Mg doping than in layers, boosting the po…
Mg and In Codoped p-type AlN Nanowires for pn Junction Realization.
Efficient, mercury-free deep ultraviolet (DUV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are becoming a crucial challenge for many applications such as water purification. For decades, the poor p-type doping and difficult current injection of Al-rich AlGaN-based DUV LEDs have limited their efficiency and therefore their use. We present here the significant increase in AlN p-doping thanks to Mg/In codoping, which leads to an order of magnitude higher Mg solubility limit in AlN nanowires (NWs). Optimal electrical activation of acceptor impurities has been further achieved by electron irradiation, resulting in tunnel conduction through the AlN NW p-n junction. The proposed theoretical scenario to account f…
Phonon-plasmon coupling in Si doped GaN nanowires
Abstract The vibrational properties of silicon doped GaN nanowires with diameters comprised between 40 and 100 nm are studied by Raman spectroscopy through excitation with two different wavelengths: 532 and 405 nm. Excitation at 532 nm does not allow the observation of the coupled phonon–plasmon upper mode for the intentionally doped samples. Yet, excitation at 405 nm results in the appearance of a narrow peak at frequencies close to that of the uncoupled A 1 (LO) mode for all samples. This behavior points to phonon–plasmon scattering mediated by large phonon wave-vector in these thin and highly doped nanowires.
Growth of zinc-blende GaN on muscovite mica by molecular beam epitaxy
Abstract The mechanisms of plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxial growth of GaN on muscovite mica were investigated. Using a battery of techniques, including scanning and transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, cathodoluminescence, Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction, it was possible to establish that, in spite of the lattice symmetry mismatch, GaN grows in epitaxial relationship with mica, with the [11–20] GaN direction parallel to [010] direction of mica. GaN layers could be easily detached from the substrate via the delamination of the upper layers of the mica itself, discarding the hypothesis of a van der Waals growth mode. Mixture of wurtzite (hexagonal) and z…
Spontaneous intercalation of Ga and In bilayers during plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy growth of GaN on graphene on SiC
The formation of a self-limited metallic bilayer is reported during the growth of GaN by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on graphene on (0001) SiC. Depending on growth conditions, this layer may consist of either Ga or In, which gets intercalated between graphene and the SiC surface. Diffusion of metal atoms is eased by steps at SiC surface and N plasma induced defects in the graphene layer. Energetically favorable wetting of the (0001) SiC surface by Ga or In is tentatively assigned to the breaking of covalent bonds between (0001) SiC surface and carbon buffer layer. As a consequence, graphene doping and local strain/doping fluctuations decrease. Furthermore, the presence of a metal…
Unraveling the strain state of GaN down to single nanowires
International audience; GaN nanowires (NWs) grown by molecular beam epitaxy are usually assumed free of strain in spite of different individual luminescence signatures. To ascertain this usual assumption, the c/a of a GaN NW assembly has been characterized using both X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, with scaling the measurement down to the single NW. Free-standing single NWs have been observed free of strain-defined as [c/a = (c/a)(o)]/(c/a)(o)-within the experimental accuracy amounting to 1.25 x 10(-4). However, in the general case, a significant portion of the NWs is coalesced, generating an average tensile strain that can be partly released by detaching the NWs from their substr…
Raman study of strain in GaN/AlN quantum dot multilayered structures
Raman spectroscopy has been used to investigate self-assembled stacks of GaN/AlN quantum dots with increasing number of periods. The E2H phonon modes associated to GaN and AlN are clearly resolved with visible excitation, and their energies allow the simultaneous monitoring of the dot and barrier strain states. The compression of the quantum dots is evidenced by a shift of the E2H phonon mode of circa 29 cm–1 to higher energies with respect to its relaxed value. The strain of the AlN spacer is found to be correlated to that of the dot, with an increase in its tensile component for the samples with fewer periods and a partial relaxation for samples over 50 periods. Additionally, resonant eff…
Growth, structural and optical properties of GaN/AlN and GaN/GaInN nanowire heterostructures
Abstract After discussing the GaN NW nucleation issue, we will present the structural properties of axial and radial (i.e. core/shell) GaN/AlN NW heterostructures and adress the issue of critical thickness during the growth of such heterostructures. Next, we will present the growth of InGaN NWs on a GaN NW base. It will be shown that the morphology and structural properties of the InGaN NW sections depend on the In content: for high In content a flat top is observed and plastic relaxation is occuring, with mismatch dislocations formed at the InGaN/GaN interface. By contrast, for In content below 25% InGaN NWs exhibit a pencil-like shape assigned to a purely elastic strain relaxation process…
Direct assessment of p–n junctions in single GaN nanowires by Kelvin probe force microscopy
Making use of Kelvin probe force microscopy, in dark and under ultraviolet illumination, we study the characteristics of p-n junctions formed along the axis of self-organized GaN nanowires (NWs). We map the contact potential difference of the single NW p-n junctions to locate the space charge region and directly measure the depletion width and the junction voltage. Simulations indicate a shrinkage of the built-in potential for NWs with small diameter due to surface band bending, in qualitative agreement with the measurements. The photovoltage of the NW/substrate contact is studied by analysing the response of NW segments with p- and n-type doping under illumination. Our results show that th…
Raman scattering as a tool for the evaluation of strain inGaN∕AlNquantum dots: The effect of capping
The strain state of $\mathrm{Ga}\mathrm{N}∕\mathrm{Al}\mathrm{N}$ quantum dots grown on $6H\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{Si}\mathrm{C}$ has been investigated as a function of AlN capping thickness by three different techniques. On the one hand, resonant Raman scattering allowed the detection of the ${A}_{1}(\mathrm{LO})$ quasiconfined mode. It was found that its frequency increases with AlN deposition, while its linewidth did not evolve significantly. Available experiments of multiwavelength anomalous diffraction and diffraction anomalous fine structure on the same samples provided the determination of the wurtzite lattice parameters $a$ and $c$ of the quantum dots. A very good agreement is …
Impact of kinetics on the growth of GaN on graphene by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy.
International audience; The growth of GaN on graphene by molecular beam epitaxy was investigated. The most stable epitaxial relationship, i.e. [00.1]-oriented grains, is obtained at high temperature and N-rich conditions, which match those for nanowire growth. Alternatively, at moderate temperature and Ga-rich conditions, several metastable orientations are observed at the nucleation stage, which evolve preferentially towards [00.1]-oriented grains. The dependence of the nucleation regime on growth conditions was assigned to Ga adatom kinetics. This statement is consistent with the calculated graphene/GaN in-plane lattice coincidence and supported by a combination of transmission electron m…
The role of surface diffusion in the growth mechanism of III-nitride nanowires and nanotubes.
Abstract The spontaneous growth of GaN nanowires (NWs) in absence of catalyst is controlled by the Ga flux impinging both directly on the top and on the side walls and diffusing to the top. The presence of diffusion barriers on the top surface and at the frontier between the top and the sidewalls, however, causes an inhomogeneous distribution of Ga adatoms at the NW top surface resulting in a GaN accumulation in its periphery. The increased nucleation rate in the periphery promotes the spontaneous formation of superlattices in InGaN and AlGaN NWs. In the case of AlN NWs, the presence of Mg can enhance the otherwise short Al diffusion length along the sidewalls inducing the formation of AlN …
Growth, structural and optical properties of AlGaN nanowires in the whole composition range.
International audience; We report on the growth of AlxGa1-xN nanowires by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy for x in the 0.3-0.8 range. Based on a combination of macro- and micro-photoluminescence, Raman spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy experiments, it is shown that the structural and optical properties of AlGaN NWs are governed by the presence of compositional fluctuations associated with strongly localized electronic states. A growth model is proposed, which suggests that, depending on growth temperature and metal adatom density, macroscopic composition fluctuations are mostly of kinetic origin and are directly related to the nucleation of the AlGaN na…
Nucleation of GaN nanowires grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy: The effect of temperature
Abstract The growth of GaN nanowires by means of plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy directly on Si(1 1 1) has been investigated as a function of temperature. Statistical analysis of scanning electron microscopy pictures taken for different growth temperatures has revealed that density, diameter, length and length dispersion of nanowires were strongly dependent on temperature. Length dispersion, in particular, was found to be significant at high temperature. These features have been assigned to the different duration of the nucleation process with temperature, namely to the dependence with temperature of the time necessary for the size increase of the three-dimensional precursors up to a…
The structural properties of GaN insertions in GaN/AlN nanocolumn heterostructures.
The strain state of 1 and 2.5 nm thick GaN insertions in GaN/AlN nanocolumn heterostructures has been studied by means of a combination of high resolution transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and theoretical modeling. It is found that 2.5 nm thick GaN insertions are partially relaxed, which has been attributed to the presence of dislocations in the external AlN capping layer, in close relationship with the morphology of GaN insertions and with the AlN capping mechanism. The observed plastic relaxation in AlN is consistent with the small critical thickness expected for GaN/AlN radial heterostructures.
Assessment of Polarity in GaN Self-Assembled Nanowires by Electrical Force Microscopy
In this work, we demonstrate the capabilities of atomic force microscopies (AFMs) for the nondestructive determination of the polarity of GaN nanowires (NWs). Three complementary AFMs are analyzed here: Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM), light-assisted KPFM, and piezo-force microscopy (PFM). These techniques allow us to assess the polarity of individual NWs over an area of tens of μm(2) and provide statistics on the polarity of the ensemble with an accuracy hardly reachable by other methods. The precise quantitative analysis of the tip-sample interaction by multidimensional spectroscopic measurements, combined with advanced data analysis, has allowed the separate characterization of elec…
Splitting of the surface phonon modes in wurtzite nanowires
We analyze the surface optical modes of GaN nanowires (NW) and perform a comparative study with the characteristics expected for other polar NWs. The theoretical analysis of the modes is performed within the context of the effective medium theory that takes into account the dipolar interaction between neighboring NWs (Maxwell-Garnett approximation). It is shown that deviations of the exciting light from the NWs axis, which coincides with the wurtzite c-axis, result in the anticrossing of two distinct surface phonon branches, leading to their splitting in axial and planar components and the appearance of two peaks in the Raman spectra. Additional calculations are performed that determine th…
Depth profiling of optical and vibrational properties in GaN/AlN quantum dot superlattices
Spatially resolved confocal μ-Raman and μ-photoluminescence experiments were performed to analyze the vibrational and optical properties of GaN/AlN quantum dots as a function of depth. Two approaches have been followed. First, spectra were taken by defocusing the microscope objective at various depths on the sample surface. In a second set of experiments a bevel at an angle of 20° with respect to the surface normal was prepared by mechanical polishing of the surface, and spectra were taken across the bevel. The E2h vibrational modes ascribed to the GaN QDs and the AlN spacer redshift towards the surface, indicating the progressive relaxation of the QDs and a considerable increase of the ten…
Anisotropic polarization of non‐polar GaN quantum dot emission
We report on experimental and theoretical studies of the polarization selection rules of the emission of non-polar GaN/AlN self-assembled quantum dots. Time-integrated and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements have been performed to determine the degree of polarization. It is found that the emission of some samples can be predominantly polarized parallel to the wurtzite c axis, in striking difference with the previously reported results for bulk GaN and its heterostructures, in which the emission was preferentially polarized perpendicular to the c axis. Theoretical calculations based on an 8-band k·p model are used to analyze the relative importance of strain, confinement and quantum…
Structural and Electrical Transport Properties of Si doped GaN nanowires
The control and assessment of doping in GaN nanostructures are crucial for the realization of GaN based nanodevices. In this study, we have investigated a series of Si-doped GaN nanowires (NWs) grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) with a typical dimension of 2–3 µm in length, and 20–200 nm in radius. In particular, high resolution energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) has illustrated a higher Si incorporation in NWs than that in two-dimensional (2D) layers and Si segregation at the edge of the NW with the highest doping. Moreover, direct transport measurements on single NWs have revealed a controlled doping with resistivity from 2 × 10−2 to 10−3 Ω.cm for Si doped NWs. Field effect tra…
Surface optical phonon modes in GaN nanowire arrays: Dependence on nanowire density and diameter
We present a systematic study, by means of Raman scattering, of the surface optical modes of GaN nanowires (NW) as a function of the fill factor, defined as the relative concentration of GaN NWs and the surrounding air. We show that changes in the fill factor from 0.8 to 0.3 result in a shift of the surface optical mode of more than 60 cm${}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, which is explained by theoretical calculations of surface vibrations for a cylindrical nanowire based on the dielectric continuum model. Two cases are considered: the effective dielectric function approximation (Maxwell-Garnett approximation) and a model for isolated NWs with various diameters. We conclude, in agreement with the Maxw…
Vibrational modes and strain in GaN/AlN quantum dot stacks: dependence on spacer thickness
We have investigated the influence of spacer thickness on the vibrational and strain characteristics of GaN/AlN quantum dot multilayers (QD). The Raman shift corresponding to the E2h vibrational mode related to the QDs has been analyzed for AlN thicknesses ranging from 4.4 nm to 13 nm, while the amount of GaN deposited in each layer remained constant from sample to sample. It is shown that there is a rapid blue shift of the GaN vibrational mode with spacer thickness when its value is smaller than 7 nm while it remains almost constant for thicker spacers. A rapid increase of the Raman line-width in the thicker samples is also observed. The experimental behavior is discussed in comparison wit…
The influence of AlN buffer over the polarity and the nucleation of self-organized GaN nanowires
We experimentally investigate the influence of AlN buffer growth on the nucleation and the polarity of a self-organized assembly of GaN nanowires (NWs) grown on Si. Two complementary growth mechanisms for AlN buffer deposited on Si are demonstrated. Both emphasize the aggregation of Si on the AlN surface and the growth of large cubic crystallites, namely, AlN pedestals. Further growths of GaN NWs assembly reveal that the GaN 2D layer found at the bottom of the NW assembly is the result of the coalescence of Ga-polar pyramids, whereas AlN pedestals are observed as preferential but not exclusive NW nucleation sites. NWs are N-polar or exhibit inversion domains with a Ga-polar core/N-polar she…