Patent · US Active

Method for controlling the structure and surface qualities of a thin film and product produced thereby

US7501299B2 · kind B2 · utility

19Cited by
18References
4Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 17, 2006
Grant dateMar 10, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 28, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S5/34333
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A system and method for providing improved surface quality following removal of a substrate and template layers from a semiconductor structure provides an improved surface quality for a layer (such as a quantum well heterostructure active region) prior to bonding a heat sink/conductive substrate to the structure. Following the physical removal of a sapphire substrate, a sacrificial coating such as a spin-coat polymer photoresist is applied to an exposed GaN surface. This sacrificial coating provides a planar surface, generally parallel to the planes of the interfaces of the underlying layers. The sacrificial coating and etching conditions are selected such that the etch rate of the sacrificial coating approximately matches the etch rate of GaN and the underlying layers, so that the physical surface profile during etching approximates the physical surface profile of the sacrificial coating prior to etching. Following etching, a substrate is bonded to the exposed surface which acts as a heat sink and may be conductive providing for backside electrical contact to the active region.

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