Patent · US Expired

Strained defect-free epitaxial mismatched heterostructures and method of fabrication

US5221367A · kind A · utility

52Cited by
13References
61Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 3, 1988
Grant dateJun 22, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 3, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S438/938
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Heterostructures having a large lattice mismatch between an upper epilayer and a substrate and a method of forming such structures having a thin intermediate layer are disclosed. The strain due to a lattice mismatch between the intermediate layer and the substrate is partially relieved by the formation of edge type dislocations which are localized and photoelectrically inactive. Growth of the intermediate layer is interrupted before it reaches the thickness at which the left over strain is relieved by 60 degree type threading dislocations. The upper epilayer is then grown in an unstrained and defect-free condition upon the intermediate layer where the unstrained lattice constant of the epilayer is about the same as the partially relieved strain lattice constant or the intermediate layer. An unstrained defect-free epilayer of InGaAs has been grown on a GaAs substrate with an intermediate layer 3-10 nm in thickness of InAs. Other large mismatch systems are disclosed, including, GaAs on Si with an intermediate layer of GaInAs.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.