Defect reduction of non-polar and semi-polar III-nitrides with sidewall lateral epitaxial overgrowth (SLEO)

• US 7,955,983 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2008
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Science & Technology Trading Co. Limited, Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Japan Science & Technology Trading Co. Limited, Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Imer, Bilge M., Speck, James S., DenBaars, Steven P.
• Primary Examiner(s): McNeil; Jennifer C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Langman; Jonathan C
• Application Number:
  US12/041,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20080185690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 257/615, 257/622, 257/627, 257/628, 428/698, 428/699
• US Class Current: 438/698
• 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 21/02516 Crystal orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0254 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02609 Crystal orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02639 Preparation of substrate for selective deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02647 Lateral overgrowth
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0265 Pendeoepitaxy

Abstract

A method of reducing threading dislocation densities in non-polar such as a-{11-20} plane and m-{1-100} plane or semi-polar such as {10-1n} plane III-Nitrides by employing lateral epitaxial overgrowth from sidewalls of etched template material through a patterned mask. The method includes depositing a patterned mask on a template material such as a non-polar or semi polar GaN template, etching the template material down to various depths through openings in the mask, and growing non-polar or semi-polar III-Nitride by coalescing laterally from the tops of the sidewalls before the vertically growing material from the trench bottoms reaches the tops of the sidewalls. The coalesced features grow through the openings of the mask, and grow laterally over the dielectric mask until a fully coalesced continuous film is achieved.

Claims

1. A semi-polar III-nitride device or material, comprising:

(a) template material having adjacent pillars, and a trench between the adjacent pillars, wherein the adjacent pillars form sidewalls for the trench;

(b) semi-polar material grown upward from the trench'"'"'s bottom;

(c) semi-polar material grown laterally on the sidewalls and coalescing at the trench'"'"'s top before the semi-polar material grown upward from the trench'"'"'s bottom reaches the trench'"'"'s top, thereby forming a bridge structure extending across the trench; and

(d) additional semi-polar material deposited on the bridge structure and extending laterally over the adjacent pillars.

2. The device or material of claim 1, further comprising a patterned mask deposited on the template material, a plurality of the trenches, and a plurality of the adjacent pillars, wherein the trenches are etched trenches and the semi-polar material is deposited in windows of the patterned mask and extends laterally over the patterned mask.

3. The device or material of claim 1, wherein the additional semi-polar material forms a coalesced film.

4. The device or material of claim 1, wherein the additional semi-polar material is substantially defect free.

5. The device or material of claim 1, wherein the semi-polar material and the additional semi-polar material is semi-polar {10-1n} plane III-nitride material, and n is an integer.

6. The device or material of claim 1, further comprising a void formed from the semi-polar material on the sidewalls coalescing the tops of the sidewalls before the semi-polar material from the bottom reaches the tops.

7. The device or material of claim 1, wherein the additional material forms a fully coalesced continuous semi-polar film.

8. The device or material of claim 1, wherein the additional semi-polar material deposited on the bridge structure has a threading dislocation density of less than 10¹⁰ cm⁻

2 and a stacking fault density less than 3.8×

10⁵ cm<sup>−

1</sup>.