Method for growing aluminum nitride crystal, process for producing aluminum nitride crystal, and aluminum nitride crystal

• US 8,323,402 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanizaki, Keisuke, Mizuhara, Naho, Miyanaga, Michimasa, Nakahata, Hideaki, Yamamoto, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kornakov, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bratland, Jr., Kenneth A
• Application Number:
  US12/595,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20100143748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 117 2- 3, 117 6- 7, 117/9, 117/84, 117/88, 117 94- 95, 117/97, 117/106, 117/952, 438758-759, 438/761, 438/763
• US Class Current: 117/7
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/403 AIII-nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02378 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0254 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02631 Physical deposition at reduced pressure, e.g. MBE, sputtering, evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02658 Pretreatments cleaning in general H01L21/02041

Abstract

Methods of growing and manufacturing aluminum nitride crystal, and aluminum nitride crystal produced by the methods. Preventing sublimation of the starting substrate allows aluminum nitride crystal of excellent crystallinity to be grown at improved growth rates. The aluminum nitride crystal growth method includes the following steps. Initially, a laminar baseplate is prepared, furnished with a starting substrate having a major surface and a back side, a first layer formed on the back side, and a second layer formed on the first layer. Aluminum nitride crystal is then grown onto the major surface of the starting substrate by vapor deposition. The first layer is made of a substance that at the temperatures at which the aluminum nitride crystal is grown is less liable to sublimate than the starting substrate. The second layer is made of a substance whose thermal conductivity is higher than that of the first layer.

Claims

1. An aluminum nitride crystal growth method comprising:

a step of preparing a laminar baseplate furnished with a starting substrate having a major surface and a back side on the reverse side from the major surface, a first layer formed on the back side, and a second layer formed on the first layer; and

a step of growing aluminum nitride crystal onto the major surface of the starting substrate by vapor deposition;

wherein

the first layer is made of a substance that at the temperatures at which the aluminum nitride crystal is grown is less liable to sublimate than the starting substrate;

the second layer is made of a substance whose thermal conductivity is higher than that of the first layer;

the preparation step includes;

a substep of arranging on the back side of the starting substrate a blend in which a powder and a solvent have been mixed together, and disposing the second layer onto the blend; and

a substep of sintering the blend in order to make it into the first layer; and

the solvent is made by mixing together acetone, formalin (formaldehyde), furfuryl alcohol, and a polyimide resin.

2. An aluminum nitride crystal growth method as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the growth of the aluminum nitride crystal is conducted with the laminar baseplate having been loaded onto a susceptor; and

the second layer is made of a substance whose thermal conductivity is higher than that of the susceptor.

3. An aluminum nitride crystal growth method as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the starting substrate is an aluminum nitride substrate; and

the powder is monocrystalline aluminum nitride.

4. An aluminum nitride crystal growth method as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the starting substrate is an aluminum nitride substrate; and

the powder is a powder of one or more substances selected from the group consisting of polycrystalline aluminum nitride, aluminum nitride ceramics, and aluminum nitride compounds.

5. An aluminum nitride crystal growth method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the powder is a powder of one or more substances selected from the group consisting of zirconium boride, titanium boride, tantalum boride, niobium boride, molybdenum boride and chromium boride.

6. An aluminum nitride crystal growth method as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the starting substrate is a silicon carbide substrate; and

the powder contains carbon atoms.

7. An aluminum nitride crystal growth method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second layer contains carbon atoms.

8. An aluminum nitride crystal growth method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second layer contains aluminum nitride.

9. An aluminum nitride crystal growth method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the second layer is from 10 μ

m to 10 cm.

10. An aluminum nitride crystal growth method as set forth in claim 1, wherein, in a temperature range of from room temperature to 2300°

C.;

the absolute value of the difference between the thermal expansion coefficient of the starting substrate and the thermal expansion coefficient of the first layer is not greater than 1.0×

10<sup>−

5</sup>°

C.<sup>−

1</sup>; and

the absolute value of the difference between the thermal expansion coefficient of the starting substrate and the thermal expansion coefficient of the second layer is not greater than 1.0×

10<sup>−

5</sup>°

C.<sup>−

1</sup>.

11. An aluminum nitride crystal growth method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said preparation step includes a substep of forming a metal coating onto the back side of the starting substrate by evaporation deposition.

12. An aluminum nitride crystal growth method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the thickness of the metal coating is between 1 μ

m and 800 μ

m.

13. An aluminum nitride crystal growth method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the metal coating is made of one or more substances selected from the group consisting of tungsten, tantalum and molybdenum.

14. An aluminum nitride crystal manufacturing method comprising:

a step of growing aluminum nitride crystal by an aluminum nitride crystal growth method as set forth in claim 1; and

a step of removing at least the first layer.

15. Aluminum nitride crystal manufactured by an aluminum nitride crystal manufacturing method as set forth in claim 14.