Method of manufacturing GaN ingots

• US 6,562,124 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2000
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ostendo Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Technologies And Devices International Inc.
• Inventors: Dmitriev, Vladimir, Sukhoveev, Vitaliy, Ivantzov, Vladimir
• Primary Examiner(s): KUNEMUND, ROBERT M
• Application Number:
  US09/585,332
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 117/29, 117/108, 117/13, 117/62, 117/103, 117/952
• US Class Current: 117/29
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 11/00 Single-crystal growth by normal freezing or freezing under temperature gradient, e.g. Bridgman-Stockbarger method C30B13/00, C30B15/00, C30B17/00, C30B19/00 take precedence; under a protective fluid C30B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 17/00 Single-crystal growth onto a seed which remains in the melt during growth, e.g. Nacken-Kyropoulos method C30B15/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/18 characterised by the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/36 Carbides
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/403 AIII-nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/406 Gallium nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 9/14 by electrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0254 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02625 using melted materials

Abstract

A novel method for growing semiconductor material including GaN is disclosed. The method involves placing a first substance into a growth reactor, supplying a second gaseous substance into the grouth reactor, and applying electrical field to the second gaseous substance to produce the cry stalline compound material.

Claims

1. A method of growing a crystalline Group III nitride compound material, comprising the steps of:

placing a first substance into a chamber,

supplying a second gaseous substance containing nitrogen into the chamber, and

applying electrical field inside the chamber to produce the crystalline Group III nitride compound material grown from a liquid phase.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of placing a seed crystal into the chamber to control growth of the crystalline Group III nitride compound material.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first substance is a non-gaseous material.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of heating the first substance carried out before the step of applying electrical field, to produce a liquid material.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first substance contains a group III metal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first substance contains gallium.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electric field is provided by an electrode completely surrounded by the second gaseous substance.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein during the growth of the crystalline Group III nitride compound material, the seed crystal is moved inside an area of the chamber occupied by the first substrate.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the growing crystalline Group III nitride compound material is doped with impurities during the growth run to control the electrical conductivity of the growing compound material.

10. The method of growing of single crystal compound material comprising deposition of single crystal compound material deposited on wafers sliced from the ingot of crystalline material grown by the method of claim 1.

11. A method of growing a crystalline Group III nitride compound material, comprising the steps of:

placing a first substance into a chamber,

supplying a second gaseous substance containing nitrogen into the chamber, and

applying electrical field inside the chamber to produce the crystalline Group III nitride compound material grown from a vapor phase.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first substance contain a vaporous material.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the vaporous material contains a group III metal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the vaporous material contains gallium.