Patent · US Expired

Single step process for epitaxial lateral overgrowth of nitride based materials

US6478871B1 · kind B1 · utility

22Cited by
4References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 2, 2000
Grant dateNov 12, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 2, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/02647
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An epitaxial deposition process produces epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) of nitride based materials directly a patterned substrate (10). The substrate (10) is preferably formed from SiC or sapphire, and is patterned with a mask (12), preferably formed of silicon nitride, having a plurality of openings (13) formed therein. A nucleation layer (14), preferably formed of AlGaN, is grown at a high reactor temperature of 700-1100 degrees C., which wets the exposed substrate surface, without significant nucleation on the mask (12). This eliminates the need for regrowth while producing smooth growth surfaces in the window openings (13) as well as over the mask (12). Subsequent deposition of a nitride based material layer (16), preferably GaN, results in a relatively defect free planar surfaced material grown laterally over the mask (12).

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