Method for quantification of extended defects in gallium-containing nitride crystals
First Claim
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1. A method for quantifying extended defects in a gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device, comprising:
- providing a gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device, wherein the crystal, wafer, or device comprises gallium and nitrogen, has a wurtzite crystal structure, and comprises a first surface having a crystallographic orientation that is miscut from a {10-10} m-plane by between about 0.01 degrees and about 60 degrees toward a [000-1] −
c-direction and by up to about 10 degrees toward an orthogonal <
1-210>
a-direction;
preparing an etchant composition;
processing the gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device in the etchant composition at a temperature between about 100 degrees Celsius and about 500 degrees Celsius for a time between about 5 minutes and about 5 hours, wherein the processing temperature and time are selected so as to cause formation of etch pits with diameters between about 1 micrometer and about 25 micrometers;
removing the gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device from the etchant composition; and
quantifying a concentration of at least one of etch pits and etch grooves,wherein quantifying the concentration of etch pits is performed by counting a number of the etch pits within a field of view; and
quantifying the concentration of etch grooves is performed by calculating a total length of the etch grooves within a field of view.
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Abstract
Methods for quantifying extended defects in a gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device, are disclosed. The methods include providing a gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device, processing the gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device in an etchant solution comprising one or more of H3PO4, H3PO4 that has been conditioned by prolonged heat treatment to form polyphosphoric acid, and H2SO4; removing the gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device from the etchant solution; and quantifying the concentration of at least one of etch pits or etch grooves.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for quantifying extended defects in a gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device, comprising:
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providing a gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device, wherein the crystal, wafer, or device comprises gallium and nitrogen, has a wurtzite crystal structure, and comprises a first surface having a crystallographic orientation that is miscut from a {10-10} m-plane by between about 0.01 degrees and about 60 degrees toward a [000-1] −
c-direction and by up to about 10 degrees toward an orthogonal <
1-210>
a-direction;preparing an etchant composition; processing the gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device in the etchant composition at a temperature between about 100 degrees Celsius and about 500 degrees Celsius for a time between about 5 minutes and about 5 hours, wherein the processing temperature and time are selected so as to cause formation of etch pits with diameters between about 1 micrometer and about 25 micrometers; removing the gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device from the etchant composition; and quantifying a concentration of at least one of etch pits and etch grooves, wherein quantifying the concentration of etch pits is performed by counting a number of the etch pits within a field of view; and
quantifying the concentration of etch grooves is performed by calculating a total length of the etch grooves within a field of view. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for quantifying extended defects in a gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device, comprising:
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providing a gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device, wherein the crystal, wafer, or device comprises gallium and nitrogen, has a wurtzite crystal structure, and comprises a surface having a crystallographic orientation within 5 degrees of a (0001) +c-plane; preparing a first etchant composition; processing the gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device in the first etchant composition at a temperature between about 100 degrees Celsius and about 500 degrees Celsius for a time between about 30 seconds and about 5 hours, wherein the processing temperature and time are selected so as to cause formation of etch pits with diameters between about 1 micrometer and about 25 micrometers; removing the gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device from the first etchant composition; quantifying a concentration of at least one of etch pits and etch grooves on a (0001) +c-plane surface; preparing a vicinal m-plane surface on the gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device, the vicinal m-plane surface having a crystallographic orientation that is miscut from a {10-10} m-plane by between about 0.01 degree and about 5 degrees toward a [000-1] −
c-direction and by up to about 10 degrees toward an orthogonal <
1-210>
a-direction;preparing a second etchant composition; processing the gallium-containing nitride crystal gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device in the second etchant composition at a temperature between about 100 degrees Celsius and about 500 degrees Celsius for a time between about 5 minutes and about 5 hours, wherein the processing temperature and time are selected so as to cause formation of etch pits with diameters between about 1 micrometer and about 25 micrometers on the vicinal m-plane surface; removing the gallium-containing nitride crystal gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device from the second etchant composition; and quantifying a concentration of at least one of etch pits and etch grooves on the vicinal m-plane surface, wherein quantifying the concentration of etch pits is performed by counting a number of the etch pits within a field of view; and
quantifying the concentration of etch grooves is performed by calculating a total length of the etch grooves within the field of view. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for quantifying extended defects in a gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device, comprising:
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providing a gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device, wherein the crystal, wafer, or device comprises gallium and nitrogen, has a wurtzite crystal structure, and comprises a surface having a crystallographic orientation that is miscut from a {10-10} m-plane by between about −
1 degree and about +60 degrees toward a [000-1] −
c-direction and by up to about 10 degrees toward an orthogonal <
1-210>
a-direction;preparing an etchant composition;
the etchant composition comprising a solution prepared by conditioning of reagent-grade phosphoric acid to form polyphosphoric acid, increasing its boiling point;processing the gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device in the etchant composition at a temperature between about 100 degrees Celsius and about 500 degrees Celsius for a time between about 5 minutes and about 5 hours, wherein the processing temperature and time are selected so as to cause formation of etch pits with diameters between about 1 micrometer and about 25 micrometers; removing the gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device from the etchant composition; and quantifying a concentration of at least one of etch pits and etch grooves, wherein quantifying the concentration of etch pits is performed by counting a number of the etch pits within a field of view; and
quantifying the concentration of etch grooves is performed by calculating a total length of the etch grooves within the field of view. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A method for quantifying extended defects in a gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device, comprising:
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providing a gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device, wherein the crystal, wafer, or device comprises gallium and nitrogen, has a wurtzite crystal structure, and comprises a surface having a crystallographic orientation within 5 degrees of a (0001) +c-plane; preparing a first etchant composition; processing the gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device in the first etchant composition at a temperature between about 100 degrees Celsius and about 500 degrees Celsius for a time between about 5 minutes and about 5 hours, wherein the processing temperature and time are selected so as to cause formation of etch pits with diameters between about 1 micrometer and about 25 micrometers; removing the gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device from the first etchant composition; quantifying a concentration of at least one of etch pits and etch grooves on a (0001) +c-plane surface; preparing a vicinal m-plane surface on the gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device, the vicinal m-plane surface having a crystallographic orientation that is miscut from a {10-10} m-plane by between about 0.05 degree and about 5 degrees toward a [000-1] −
c-direction and by up to about 5 degrees toward an orthogonal <
1-210>
a-direction;preparing a second etchant composition; processing the gallium-containing nitride crystal gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device in the second etchant composition at a temperature between about 100 degrees Celsius and about 500 degrees Celsius for a time between about 5 minutes and about 5 hours, wherein the processing temperature and time are selected so as to cause formation of etch pits with diameters between about 1 micrometer and about 25 micrometers on the vicinal m-plane surface; removing the gallium-containing nitride crystal gallium-containing nitride crystal, wafer, or device from the second etchant composition; and quantifying the concentrations of at least one of etch pits and etch grooves on the vicinal m-plane surface, wherein quantifying the concentration of etch pits is performed by counting a number of the etch pits within a field of view; and
quantifying the concentration of etch grooves is performed by calculating a total length of the etch grooves within the field of view. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification