Patent · US Expired

Pendeoepitaxial gallium nitride semiconductor layers on silcon carbide substrates

US6177688A · kind A · utility

475Cited by
19References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 24, 1998
Grant dateJan 23, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 24, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/0265
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An underlying gallium nitride layer on a silicon carbide substrate is masked with a mask that includes an array of openings therein, and the underlying gallium nitride layer is etched through the array of openings to define posts in the underlying gallium nitride layer and trenches therebetween. The posts each include a sidewall and a top having the mask thereon. The sidewalls of the posts are laterally grown into the trenches to thereby form a gallium nitride semiconductor layer. During this lateral growth, the mask prevents nucleation and vertical growth from the tops of the posts. Accordingly, growth proceeds laterally into the trenches, suspended from the sidewalls of the posts. The sidewalls of the posts may be laterally grown into the trenches until the laterally grown sidewalls coalesce in the trenches to thereby form a gallium nitride semiconductor layer. The lateral growth from the sidewalls of the posts may be continued so that the gallium nitride layer grows vertically through the openings in the mask and laterally overgrows onto the mask on the tops of the posts, to thereby form a gallium nitride semiconductor layer. The lateral overgrowth can be continued until the gro…

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