Method of making an electronic device having a single crystal substrate formed by solid state crystal conversion

• US 6,214,427 B1
• Filed: 08/28/1998
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Levinson, Lionel Monty
• Primary Examiner(s): Kunemund, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAMPAGNE, DONALD
• Application Number:
  US09/141,711
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 117/4, 117/7, 117/9, 117/10, 117/950, 438/22, 438/42, 438/48, 438/57, 438/77, 438/460, 428/620, 428/43
• US Class Current: 428/43
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 1/02 by thermal treatment, e.g. strain annealing C30B1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/20 Aluminium oxides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0242 Crystalline insulating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0243 Surface structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0095 Post-treatment of devices, e.g. annealing, recrystallisation or short-circuit elimination
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/15 Sheet, web, or layer weakened to permit separation through thickness

Abstract

A method of making an electronic device, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, comprises the steps of: forming a polycrystalline substrate in a desired shape; converting the polycrystalline substrate into a single crystal substrate using a solid state crystal conversion process; and forming an electronic element on the substrate. Typically, alumina is formed in the shape of a wafer, sintered to form a densified polycrystalline alumina wafer, and heated to a temperature between the melting point of alumina and one-half the melting point of alumina to convert the densified polycrystalline alumina wafer into a sapphire wafer. A light-emitting diode or other electronic device, such as a laser diode, a high frequency microwave device, or an optoelectronic detector, can be formed on the wafer by depositing layers of semiconductor material on the wafer. The solid state crystal conversion process provides several advantages in forming electronic devices. For example, the cost of the single crystal substrate is significantly reduced since crystal growing from a melt is not required. Also, less processing is required after the crystal is formed, since the precursor polycrystalline substrate can be formed to near net shape. In addition, the polycrystalline substrate can be made in many shapes, in contrast to the shapes possible when growing a crystal from a melt.

Claims

1. A method of making an electronic device comprising the steps of:

forming a polycrystalline substrate in a desired shape, the polycrystalline substrate having at least one groove located at an edge of the electronic device;

converting the polycrystalline substrate into a single crystal substrate using a solid state crystal conversion process; and

forming an electronic element on the substrate, wherein the at least one groove facilitates separation of a first portion of the substrate from a second portion of the substrate at the edge of the electronic device, wherein the desired shape is a wafer having a curvature to relieve strain which results from different materials of the substrate and a layer deposited on the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a light emitting diode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a laser diode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a microwave generator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is an optoelectronic detector.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the polycrystalline substrate comprises alumina, and the single crystal substrate comprises sapphire.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic element is fixed on the substrate by depositing at least one layer comprising In_xGa_yAl_(1-x-y)N, wherein 0≦

x≦

1 and 0≦

y≦

1.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming step comprises at least one of pressing, casting, extruding, and injection molding a ceramic powder.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the converting step is carried out by heating the polycrystalline substrate to a temperature less than the melting point but greater than one-half the melting point of the material of the polycrystalline substrate.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of forming a surface topography on the polycrystalline substrate to enhance the solid state crystal conversion process.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of doping at least, a portion of the polycrystalline substrate with a conversion-enhancing dopant to enhance the solid state crystal conversion process.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of fixing a seed crystal to the polycrystalline substrate to enhance the solid state crystal conversion process.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of selecting an orientation of the seed crystal to control the crystal orientation of the single crystal substrate.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of fixing the seed crystal comprises:

forming a cavity in the polycrystalline substrate; and

inserting a seed crystal in the form of a fiber into the cavity.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of applying energy to a localized region of the polycrystalline substrate to enhance the solid state crystal conversion process.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming an electronic element on the substrate comprises depositing at least one semiconductor layer on the single crystal substrate.

22. The single crystal substrate of claim 1, wherein the single crystal substrate has a random distribution of pores.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one groove has a depth which is at least one half a thickness of the polycrystalline substrate.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of grooves formed in a grid pattern.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein the strain to be relieved is produced by different thermal expansion coefficients of the substrate and the layer deposited on the substrate.

12. A method of making an electronic device comprising the steps of:

forming a polycrystalline substrate in a desired shape;

converting the polycrystalline substrate into a single crystal substrate using a solid state crystal conversion process;

forming an electronic element on the substrate;

doping at least a portion of the polycrystalline substrate with a conversion-enhancing dopant to enhance the solid state crystal conversion process; and

doping a second portion of the polycrystalline substrate with at least one of;

a conversion-retarding dopant and a second conversion enhancing dopant at a concentration greater than a solid solubility limit of the second conversion enhancing dopant, wherein the second conversion enhancing dopant may be the same as the conversion enhancing dopant, to retard the solid state crystal conversion process.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second portion forms a grid on the polycrystalline substrate.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the second portion occupies an outer layer of the polycrystalline substrate such that after solid state crystal conversion, the outer layer acts as a diffuse reflector.

15. A method of making an electronic device comprising the steps of:

forming a polycrystalline substrate in a desired shape;

converting the polycrystalline substrate into a single crystal substrate using a solid state crystal conversion process;

forming an electronic element on the substrate; and

doping at least a portion of the polycrystalline substrate with at least one of a conversion retarding dopant and a conversion enhancing dopant at a concentration greater than a solid solubility limit of t he conversion enhancing dopant to retard the solid state crystal conversion process.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of doping a second portion of the polycrystalline substrate with a second conversion enhancing dopant at a concentration less than a solid solubility limit of the second conversion enhancing dopant, wherein the conversion enhancing dopant and the second conversion enhancing dopant may be the same.

25. A method of forming a sapphire wafer comprising the steps of:

forming alumina in the shape of a wafer to be used in fabrication of at least one electronic device;

sintering the alumina to form a densified polycrystalline alumina wafer, the alumina wafer having at least one groove located at an edge of the at least one electronic device;

heating the densified polycrystalline alumina wafer to a temperature between the melting point of alumina and one-half the melting point of alumina to convert the densified polycrystalline alumina wafer into a sapphire wafer, wherein the at least one groove facilitates separation of a first portion of the sapphire wafer from a second portion of the sapphire wafer at the edge of the at least one electronic device, further comprising the step of forming the alumina wafer to have a curvature to relieve strain which results from different materials of the sapphire wafer and a layer deposited on the sapphire wafer.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one groove has a depth which is at least one half a thickness of the alumina wafer.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the alumina wafer comprises a plurality of grooves in the alumina wafer, and the grooves form a grid pattern.

32. The method of claim 25 wherein the strain to be relieved is produced by different thermal expansion coefficients of the sapphire wafer and the layer deposited on the sapphire wafer.

28. A single crystal wafer for fabrication of a plurality of electronic devices, the single crystal wafer made by:

forming a polycrystalline body in the shape of a wafer for fabrication of a plurality of electronic devices, the polycrystalline body having a curvature in a surface of the body and at least one groove, the curvature being in a direction so as to relieve strain in a layer of different material after the layer is deposited on the single crystal wafer, the at least one groove having a depth which is greater than one half a thickness of the polycrystalline body; and

converting the polycrystalline body into the single crystal wafer by solid state crystal conversion.

29. The single crystal wafer of claim 28, wherein the at least one groove comprises a plurality of grooves in a grid pattern.

30. The single crystal wafer of claim 28, wherein the single crystal wafer has a random distribution of pores and a surface topography in the form of slight undulations and depressed areas.