Epitaxial growth method

• US 7,435,666 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Corning Precision Materials Company Limited (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Corning Company Limited (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Park, Sung-soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Geyer; Scott B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nikmanesh; Seahvosh J
• Application Number:
  US11/333,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20060160334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 438/478, 438/481, 257/E21.09
• US Class Current: 438/479
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/04 Pattern deposit, e.g. by using masks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0237 Materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0242 Crystalline insulating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02458 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02513 Microstructure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0254 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD

Abstract

Provided is an epitaxial growth method for forming a high-quality crystalline growth semiconductor wafer. The method includes forming a buffer layer on a single crystalline wafer using a single crystalline material; forming a mask layer on the buffer layer; forming a plurality of holes in the mask layer using a laser to expose portions of the buffer layer; forming wells having a predetermined depth in the exposed portions of the buffer layer by injecting an etchant into the holes; removing the mask layer and annealing the buffer layer to form a porous buffer layer having cavities obtained by the wells; and forming a crystalline material layer on the porous buffer layer using an epitaxial growth process.

Claims

1. An epitaxial growth method comprising the following steps carried out in sequential order:

forming a buffer layer on a single crystalline wafer using a single crystalline material;

forming a mask layer on the buffer layer;

forming a plurality of holes in the mask layer to expose portions of the buffer layer;

forming wells having a predetermined depth in the exposed portions of the buffer layer by injecting an etchant into the holes;

removing the mask layer and annealing the buffer layer to form a porous buffer layer having cavities obtained by the wells; and

forming a crystalline material layer on the porous buffer layer using an epitaxial growth process.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the crystalline material layer is formed of a group III nitride semiconductor.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the single crystalline wafer is formed of Al₂O₃, and the buffer layer and the crystalline material layer are formed of GaN.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the single crystalline wafer is formed of one selected from the group consisting of Si, GaAs, SiC, GaN, and Al₂O₃.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the single crystalline wafer is formed of Al₂O₃, and the buffer layer and the crystalline material layer are formed of GaN.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the single crystalline wafer is formed of Al₂O₃, and the buffer layer and the crystalline material layer are formed of GaN.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the mask layer is formed of photoresist.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mask layer is formed of photoresist.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mask layer is formed of a material having a lower etch rate than the buffer layer.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the crystalline material layer is formed using a vapor deposition process.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the vapor deposition process is one selected from the group consisting of a halide or hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) process, a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), and a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) process.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the annealing of the buffer layer is performed at a temperature of 850°

C. or higher.

13. A semiconductor structure resulting from the method of claim 1.

14. An epitaxial growth method comprising:

forming a buffer layer on a single crystalline wafer using a single crystalline material;

forming a mask layer on the buffer layer;

forming a plurality of holes in the mask layer to expose portions of the buffer layer;

forming wells having a predetermined depth in the exposed portions of the buffer layer by injecting an etchant into the holes;

removing the mask layer and annealing the buffer layer to form a porous buffer layer having cavities obtained by the wells; and

forming a crystalline material layer on the porous buffer layer using an epitaxial growth process, wherein the plurality of holes in the mask layer are formed using a laser.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the single crystalline wafer is formed of Al₂O₃, and the buffer layer and the crystalline material layer are formed of GaN.

16. A semiconductor structure resulting from the method of claim 14.