Apparatus of catalytic molecule beam epitaxy and process for growing III-nitride materials using the apparatus

• US 20060035446A1
• Filed: 02/01/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Chun-Yen Chang, Tsung-Hsin Chen
• Original Assignee: Chun-Yen Chang, Tsung-Hsin Chen
• Inventors: Chang, Chun-Yen, Chen, Tsung-Hsin
• Application Number:
  US11/048,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20060035446A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/483
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 23/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/403 AIII-nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0254 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02576 N-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02579 P-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02631 Physical deposition at reduced pressure, e.g. MBE, sputtering, evaporation

Abstract

This invention relates to an apparatus of catalytic molecule beam epitaxy (cat-MBE) and process for growing Group III nitride materials using thereof, characteristically in that said apparatus is equipped with a hot wire to catalytically decompose gaseous ammonium or nitrogen molecule into activated nitrogen radicals as the nitrogen source for growing epitaxial layers by MBE.

Claims

1. A process for growing Group III nitride materials by using catalytic molecule beam epitaxy, which grows Group III nitride epitaxial layer in molecule beam epitaxy apparatus and comprises:

(1) providing a substrate;

(2) providing a solid metal to supply Group III metal elements; and

(3) providing a hot wire to catalytically decompose gases comprising nitrogen, wherein, when gases comprising nitrogen are passed through hot wire, said gases comprising nitrogen are catalytically decomposed by the hot wire to produce activated ions, and said activated ions react with Group III elements to form Group III nitride epitaxial layer on the heated substrate.

2. Process according to claim 1, wherein the gases comprising nitrogen are amonnia, nitrogen or N_xCl_y.

3. Process according to claim 1, wherein the activated ions are N* ion, NH* ion or NH₂* ion.

4. Process according to claim 1, wherein the Group III metal includes Ga, Al or In.

5. A catalytic molecule beam epitaxy apparatus for use in process as described in claim 1, which comprises:

(1) a cool-wall stainless steel ultra-high vacuum system used as environment for growing Group III nitride materials;

(2) a hot wire used for catalytically decompose gases comprising nitrogen; and

(3) a solid Group III metal source used for providing Group III elements needed in the growth of Group III nitride semiconductor,

wherein, when ammonia or nitrogen are passed through hot wire, they are catalytically decomposed to produce activated ions comprising nitrogen, and said activated ions and Group III elements arrive at the heated substrate in the form of molecule beam, react thereon to form Group III nitride epitaxial layer.

6. Catalytic molecule beam epitaxy apparatus as described in claim 5, wherein the activated ions are N* ion, NH* ion or NH₂* ion.

7. Catalytic molecule beam epitaxy apparatus as described in claim 5, wherein the catalytic hot wire comprises high melting-point metals like tungsten (W), tantalum (Ta), molybdenum (Mo), rhenium (Re), niobium (Nb), platinum (Pt), and titanium (Ti).

8. Catalytic molecule beam epitaxy apparatus as described in claim 5, wherein Group III elements is supplied by a solid metal.

9. Catalytic molecule beam epitaxy apparatus as described in claim 8, wherein the solid metal includes Ga, Al or In.