GROWTH OF PLANAR, NON-POLAR, GROUP-III NITRIDE FILMS

• US 20090001519A1
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Science And Technology Agency
• Original Assignee: Agency For Science Technology and Research (Government of Singapore), Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Matsuda, Shigemasa, Speck, James S., DenBaars, Steven P., Haskell, Benjamin A., Nakamura, Shuji, Craven, Michael D., Fini, Paul T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,450,192 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/615
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/40 AIIIBV compounds wherein A is B, Al, Ga, In or Tl and B is N, P, As, Sb or Bi
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/406 Gallium nitride
• 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 21/0254 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02587 Structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02609 Crystal orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD

Abstract

Growth methods for planar, non-polar, Group-III nitride films are described. The resulting films are suitable for subsequent device regrowth by a variety of growth techniques.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a Group-III nitride film, comprising:

growing a non-polar Group-III nitride film on a growth surface of a substrate, wherein the growth surface of the substrate is not non-polar and the non-polar Group-III nitride film has a specular, planar, top surface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a sapphire substrate,

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a free-standing gallium nitride (GaN), aluminum nitride (AlN), or aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) film.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is coated with a nucleation layer and the non-polar Group-III nitride film is grown on the nucleation layer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is coated with a thin film of gallium nitride (GaN), aluminum nitride (AlN), or aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-polar Group-III nitride film is grown using hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-polar Group-III nitride film is grown using a fraction of hydrogen (H₂) as a carrier gas.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-polar Group-III nitride film is grown using a reduced reactor pressure below atmospheric pressure.

9. A Group-III nitride film fabricated using the method of claim 1.