Growth of planar reduced dislocation density M-plane gallium nitride by hydride vapor phase epitaxy

• US 7,956,360 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2007
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Science And Technology Agency
• Original Assignee: Japan Science And Technology Agency, Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: McLaurin, Melvin B., Speck, James Stephen, DenBaars, Steven P., Haskell, Benjamin A., Nakamura, Shuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Matthew S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jefferson; Quovaunda
• Application Number:
  US11/697,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20070184637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 438/481, 438/41, 438/48, 438/71, 438/479, 257/E21.097, 257/E21.117, 257/64, 257/65, 257/78, 257/189, 257/E29.003, 257/E29.004, 257/E33.025
• US Class Current: 257/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02378 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0242 Crystalline insulating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02458 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0254 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02609 Crystal orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02639 Preparation of substrate for selective deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02647 Lateral overgrowth

Abstract

A method of growing highly planar, fully transparent and specular m-plane gallium nitride (GaN) films. The method provides for a significant reduction in structural defect densities via a lateral overgrowth technique. High quality, uniform, thick m-plane GaN films are produced for use as substrates for polarization-free device growth.

Claims

1. A device having a structure that includes a lateral epitaxial overgrowth layer grown in a non-polar direction and having a top surface that is non-polar, the lateral epitaxial overgrowth layer comprising a non-polar III-nitride film with a reduction in dislocation density as compared to III-nitride films grown heteroepitaxially containing dislocation densities in excess of 10⁸ cm⁻

2.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization-free device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the lateral epitaxial overgrowth layer resides on a surface of a direct growth layer, the direct growth layer comprising a III-nitride film.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the non-polar III-nitride film is a planar film.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the non-polar III-nitride film is an m-plane gallium nitride (GaN) film.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the non-polar III-nitride film contains dislocation densities less than 10⁸ cm⁻

2.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a laser diode, light-emitting diode or transistor.