Methods of fabricating gallium nitride semiconductor layers by lateral growth from sidewalls into trenches, and gallium nitride semiconductor structures fabricated thereby
US6265289A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 7, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jul 24, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 7, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S2304/12
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A sidewall of an underlying gallium nitride layer is laterally grown into a trench in the underlying gallium nitride layer, to thereby form a lateral gallium nitride semiconductor layer. Microelectronic devices may then be formed in the lateral gallium nitride layer. Dislocation defects do not significantly propagate laterally from the sidewall into the trench in the underlying gallium nitride layer, so that the lateral gallium nitride semiconductor layer is relatively defect free. Moreover, the sidewall growth may be accomplished without the need to mask portions of the underlying gallium nitride layer during growth of the lateral gallium nitride layer. The defect density of the lateral gallium nitride semiconductor layer may be further decreased by growing a second gallium nitride semiconductor layer from the lateral gallium nitride layer. In one embodiment, the lateral gallium nitride layer is masked with a mask that includes an array of openings therein. The lateral gallium nitride layer is then grown through the array of openings and onto the mask, to thereby form an overgrown gallium nitride semiconductor layer. In another embodiment, the lateral gallium nitride layer is grow…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.