On the reliable analysis of indium mole fraction within In x Ga 1-x N quantum wells using atom probe tomography
Surface crystallography and polarity are shown to influence the detection probability of In, Ga, and N ions during atom probe tomography analysis of In x Ga 1-x N m -plane, c -plane, and ($20\overline{21}$) quantum wells. A N deficit is observed in regions of the reconstruction generated from Ga-polar surfaces, and the probability of detecting group-III atoms is lower in In x Ga 1-x N quantum wells than in GaN barrier layers. Finally, despite these artifacts, the detected In mole fraction is consistent throughout a given quantum well regardless of the crystal orientation of the quantum well or the evaporation surface from which the reconstruction was generated.