Highly insulating monocrystalline gallium nitride thin films

• US 5,686,738 A
• Filed: 01/13/1995
• Issued: 11/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trustees of Boston University
• Original Assignee: Trustees of Boston University
• Inventors: Moustakas, Theodore D.
• Primary Examiner(s): JACKSON JR, JEROME
• Application Number:
  US08/372,113
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 257/103, 257/94, 257/79, 257/615
• US Class Current: 257/103
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 23/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/403 AIII-nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/406 Gallium nitride
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0237 Materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02381 Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• 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 21/0254 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 33/007 comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0075 comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/113 Nitrides of boron or aluminum or gallium

Abstract

This invention relates to a method of preparing highly insulating GaN single crystal films in a molecular beam epitaxial growth chamber. A single crystal substrate is provided with the appropriate lattice match for the desired crystal structure of GaN. A molecular beam source of Ga and source of activated atomic and ionic nitrogen are provided within the growth chamber. The desired film is deposited by exposing the substrate to Ga and nitrogen sources in a two step growth process using a low temperature nucleation step and a high temperature growth step. The low temperature process is carried out at 100-400° C. and the high temperature process is carried out at 600-900° C. The preferred source of activated nitrogen is an electron cyclotron resonance microwave plasma.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate, said substrate consisting of a material selected from the group consisting of(100) Silicon, (111) silicon, (0001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium aresenide, (100) gallium aresenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single crystalline buffer layer having a thickness of about 30 Å

to about 500 Å

, comprising a first material grown on said substrate, the first material consisting essentially of gallium nitride; and

a first growth layer grown on the buffer layer, the first growth layer comprising gallium nitride and a first dopant material.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 further comprising:

a second growth layer grown on the first growth layer, the second growth layer comprising gallium nitride and a second dopant material.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the buffer layer is grown at a first temperature and wherein the first growth layer is grown at a second temperature higher than the first temperature.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 3 wherein the first temperature is in the range of about 100°

C. to about 400°

C.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 3 wherein the second temperature is in the range of about 600°

C. to about 900°

C.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the buffer layer is grown by exposing the substrate to gallium and nitrogen at the first temperature for about 3 to about 15 minutes.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the first dopant material is a donor.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 3 wherein the buffer layer is a recrystallized, partially amorphous layer.

8. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate, said substrate consisting of a material selected from the group consisting of(100) silicon, (111) silicon, (0001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium aresenide. (100) gallium aresenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single crystalline buffer layer, comprising a first material grown on said substrate, the first material consisting essentially of gallium nitride;

a first growth layer grown on the buffer layer, the first growth layer comprising gallium nitride and an acceptor dopant material;

a second growth layer grown on the first growth layer, the second growth layer comprising gallium nitride and a donor dopant material.

9. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate, said substrate consisting of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (111) silicon, (0001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium aresenide, (100) gallium aresenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single crystalline buffer layer, comprising a fast material grown on said substrate, the first material consisting essentially of gallium nitride;

a first growth layer grown on the buffer layer, the first growth layer comprising gallium nitride and a first dopant material;

a second growth layer grown on the first growth layer, the second growth layer comprising gallium nitride and a second dopant material; and

wherein the first growth layer comprises a first conductivity type and the second growth layer comprises the opposite conductivity type.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 9 wherein the first conductivity type is n-type.

11. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate, said substrate consisting of a material selected from the group consisting of(100) silicon, (111) silicon, (0001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium aresenide, (100) gallium aresenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single crystalline buffer layer, comprising a first material grown on said substrate, the first material consisting essentially of gallium nitride;

a first growth layer grown on the buffer layer, the first growth layer comprising gallium nitride and a first dopant material;

wherein the buffer layer is a recrystallized , partially amorphous layer.

13. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate, said substrate consisting of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (111) silicon, (0001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium aresenide, (100) gallium aresenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single crystalline buffer layer, comprising a first material grown on said substrate, the first material comprising gallium nitride; and

a near intrinsic gallium nitride layer grown on the buffer layer and having a resistivity of greater than 10⁸ Ω

·

cm. at room temperature.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 13, wherein the near intrinsic gallium nitride layer has a resistivity in the range of about 10⁸ Ω

·

cm to about 10¹² Ω

·

cm at room temperature.

15. A semiconductor device having an activated p-type layer comprising:

a substrate, said substrate consisting of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (111) silicon, (0001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium aresenide, (100) gallium aresenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single crystalline buffer layer having a thickness of about 30 Å

to about 500 Å

comprising a first material grown on said substrate, the first material consisting essentially of gallium nitride; and

an activated p-type growth layer comprising gallium nitride and an acceptor dopant material formed without the use of a post-growth activation step.

16. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate, said substrate consisting of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (0001) silicon, (0001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium aresenide, (100) gallium aresenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single crystalline buffer layer having a thickness of about 30 Å

to about 500 Å

grown on the substrate and comprising a first material consisting essentially of a Group III nitride grown at a temperature of about 100°

C. to about 400°

C. from a molecular Group III source and an activated nitrogen source in a molecular beam epitaxial growth chamber; and

a first growth layer grown on the buffer layer and comprising gallium nitride and a first dopant material, the first growth layer being grown at a temperature of at least about 600°

C. from a molecular gallium source and an activated nitrogen source in a molecular beam epitaxial growth chamber.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 16 wherein the Group III nitride is gallium nitride.

18. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate, said substrate consisting of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (111) silicon, (0001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium aresenide, (100) gallium aresenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single crystalline buffer layer having a first thickness, comprising a first material grown on said substrate, the first material consisting essentially of gallium nitride; and

a growth layer grown on the buffer layer having a second thickness which is at least ten times greater than the first thickness, the growth layer comprising gallium nitride and a first dopant material.

19. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate, said substrate consisting of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (111) silicon, (0001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium aresenide, (100) gallium aresenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single crystalline buffer layer, comprising a first material grown on said substrate, the first material consisting essentially of gallium nitride; and

a growth layer grown on the buffer layer, the growth layer comprising gallium nitride and a first dopant material.

20. A semiconductor device having an activated p-type layer comprising:

a substrate, said substrate consisting of a material selected from the group consisting of(100) silicon, (111) silicon, (0001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium aresenide, (100) gallium aresenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single crystalline buffer layer, comprising a material grown on said substrate, the material consisting essentially of gallium nitride; and

an activated p-type growth layer comprising gallium nitride and a dopant material formed without the use of a post-growth activation step.

21. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate, said substrate consisting of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (111) silicon, (0001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium aresenide, (100) gallium aresenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single crystalline buffer layer grown on the substrate and comprising a material consisting essentially of a Group III nitride grown at a temperature of about 100°

C. to about 400°

C. from a molecular Group III source and an activated nitrogen source in a molecular beam epitaxial growth chamber; and

a growth layer grown on the buffer layer and comprising gallium nitride and a first dopant material, the growth layer being grown at a temperature of at least about 600°

C. from a molecular gallium source and an activated nitrogen source in a molecular beam epitaxial growth chamber.