Technique for the growth and fabrication of semipolar (Ga,A1,In,B)N thin films, heterostructures, and devices

• US 20070093073A1
• Filed: 06/01/2006
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Science & Technology Trading Co. Limited
• Original Assignee: Japan Science & Technology Trading Co. Limited
• Inventors: Mishra, Umesh, Sharma, Rajat, Nakamura, Shuji, Chakraborty, Arpan, Baker, Troy, DenBaars, Steven, Haskell, Benjamin, Speck, James, Farrell, Robert, Pattison, P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,846,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/763
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 23/025 characterised by the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/18 characterised by the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/403 AIII-nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02389 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0242 Crystalline insulating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02433 Crystal orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02458 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0254 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02609 Crystal orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0004 Devices characterised by their operation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0062 for devices with an active region comprising only III-V compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/007 comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/02 characterised by the semiconductor bodies
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/16 with a particular crystal structure or orientation, e.g. polycrystalline, amorphous or porous
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2304/04 MOCVD or MOVPE
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0422 with n- and p-contacts on the same side of the active layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/04257 having positive and negative electrodes on the same side of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2201 in a specific crystallographic orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/320275 semi-polar orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/34333 : with a well layer based on Ga(In)N or Ga(In)P, e.g. blue laser

Abstract

A method for growth and fabrication of semipolar (Ga, Al, In, B)N thin films, heterostructures, and devices, comprising identifying desired material properties for a particular device application, selecting a semipolar growth orientation based on the desired material properties, selecting a suitable substrate for growth of the selected semipolar growth orientation, growing a planar semipolar (Ga, Al, In, B)N template or nucleation layer on the substrate, and growing the semipolar (Ga, Al, In, B)N thin films, heterostructures or devices on the planar semipolar (Ga, Al, In, B)N template or nucleation layer. The method results in a large area of the semipolar (Ga, Al, In, B)N thin films, heterostructures, and devices being parallel to the substrate surface.

Claims

1. A method for growth and fabrication of semipolar (Ga,Al,In,B)N film, comprising:

(a) selecting a semipolar growth orientation;

(b) selecting a substrate compatible with growth of the selected semipolar growth orientation;

(c) growing a planar semipolar (Ga,Al,In,B)N template layer on a surface of the substrate; and

(d) growing the semipolar (Ga,Al,In,B)N film on the semipolar (Ga,Al,In,B)N template layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step (a) comprises identifying desired material properties for a particular device application and, based on the desired material properties, selecting the semipolar growth orientation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a free-standing semipolar nitride wafer having a composition lattice matched to the semipolar (Ga,Al,In,B)N film.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a foreign material.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the foreign material is coated with a nitride template layer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a large area of the semipolar (Ga,Al,In,B)N film is parallel to the surface of the substrate.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the template layer is a nucleation layer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the semipolar (Ga,Al,In,B)N film is a heterostructure.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing the semipolar (Ga,Al,In,B)N film into a device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the substrate reduces effective hole mass in the semipolar (Ga,Al,In,B)N film.

11. A device fabricated using the method of claim 1.

12. A method for growth and fabrication of semipolar (Ga,Al,In,B)N film, comprising:

(a) selecting a semipolar growth orientation;

(b) selecting a substrate compatible with growth of the selected semipolar growth orientation; and

(c) growing the semipolar (Ga,Al,In,B)N film on the substrate.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the selecting step (a) comprises identifying desired material properties for a particular device application and, based on the desired material properties, selecting the semipolar growth orientation.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the substrate comprises a free-standing semipolar nitride wafer having a composition lattice matched to the semipolar (Ga,Al,In,B)N film.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the substrate comprises a foreign material.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the foreign material is coated with a nitride template layer.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein a large area of the semipolar (Ga,Al,In,B)N thin film is parallel to the substrate surface.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising processing the semipolar (Ga,Al,In,B)N film into a device.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein selecting the substrate reduces effective hole mass in the semipolar (Ga,Al,In,B)N film.

20. A device fabricated using the method of claim 12.