Methods of fabricating gallium nitride microelectronic layers on silicon layers

US6602764B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• North Carolina State University · US

Inventors

• Kevin J. Linthicum · Cary, US
• Thomas Gehrke · Carrboro, US
• Robert F. Davis · Raleigh, US
• Darren Thomson · Cary, US
• Kieran Mark Tracy · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 7, 2001
• Grant date: Aug 5, 2003
• Expiry date: May 7, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/02664
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A gallium nitride microelectronic layer is fabricated by converting a surface of a (111) silicon layer to 3C-silicon carbide. A layer of 3C-silicon carbide is then epitaxially grown on the converted surface of the (111) silicon layer. A layer of 2H-gallium nitride then is grown on the epitaxially grown layer of 3C-silicon carbide. The layer of 2H-gallium nitride then is laterally grown to produce the gallium nitride microelectronic layer. The silicon layer is a (111) silicon substrate, the surface of which is converted to 3C-silicon carbide, or the (111) silicon layer is part of a Separation by IMplanted OXygen (SIMOX) silicon substrate which includes a layer of implanted oxygen that defines the (111) layer on the (111) silicon substrate, or the (111) silicon layer is a portion of a Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) substrate in which a (111) silicon layer is bonded to a substrate.