US3859148A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Epitaxial crystal growth of group iii-v compound semiconductors from solution
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1972-12-01
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Granted: 1975-01-07
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Expires: 1992-12-01
Abstract
Abstract Epitaxial layers of Group III-V compound semiconductor materials are grown from solution simultaneously on several substrate wafers. The wafers are held in the growth vessel in pairs, contacting one another at a broad face so as to prevent penetration of the solution between them. Each pair is held with its broad faces essentially parallel to broad faces of the adjacent pairs and separated from the adjacent pairs by, preferably,from 0.1 to 3 millimeters. To accomplish epitaxial growth a nutrient solution is caused to fill the interpair spaces and the temperature of the growth vessel is progressively lowered. Gap red-emitting diodes with electroluminescent efficiencies as high as 9 percent have been produced using this method for production of successive n and p epitaxial layers.
Inventors
- 👤 Larry Ralph Dawson
- 👤 Orval George Lorimor
- 👤 Robert H Saul
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 07:06
CPC Classifications
C; C30; C30B; C30B19/00; C30B19/06; C30B19/061; H; H10; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/20; H10P14/26; H10P14/263; H10P14/265; H10P14/34; H10P14/3402; H10P14/3414; H10P14/3418; H10P14/3421; H10P14/3438; H10P14/3441; H10P14/3442
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
193 words
A METHOD FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS EPITAXIAL GROWTH OF CRYSTALLINE LAYERS OF GROUP III-V COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTOR ON A PLURALITY OF CRYSTALLINE SUBSTRATE WAFERS COMPRISING PLACING THE WAFERS IN A GROWTH VESSEL TOGETHER WITH BUT OUT OF CONTACT WITH A BODY OF CONSTITUENTS WHICH, WHEN HEATED, FORM A NUTRIENT SOLUTION AND RAISING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE VESSEL TO AN INITIAL TEMPERATURE AT LEAST AS GREAT AS WOULD PRODUCE A SATURATED SOLUTION, CAUSING THE NUTRIENT SOLUTION TO CONTACT THE WAFERS, REDUCING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE VESSEL TO A FINAL TEMPERATURE AT A PREDETERMINED RATE WHEREBY EPITAXIAL CRYSTALLINE LAYERS ARE GROWN AND SEPARATING THE NUTRIENT SOLUTION AND THE WAFERS, WHEREIN THE WAFERS ARE ARRANGED IN THE VESSEL VERTICALLY IN PAIRS, EACH MEMBER OF THE PAIR CONTACTING THE OTHER MEMBER OF THE PAIR AT A BROAD FACE OF THE WAFER, SO AS TO ESSENTIALLY PREVENT FLOW OF THE NUTRIENT SOLUTION IN BETWEEN THE MEMBERS OF THE PAIR, AND EACH PAIR ESSENTIALLY PARALLEL TO AND SEPARATED FROM A BROAD FACE OF THE ADJACENT PAIR BY FROM 0.1 TO 3 MILLIMETERS AND THE NUTRIENT SOLUTION IS CAUSED TO CONTACT THE WAFERS BY SIMULTANEOUSLY IMMERSING THE WAFERS IN THE NUTRIENT SOLUTION.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
193 words
A METHOD FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS EPITAXIAL GROWTH OF CRYSTALLINE LAYERS OF GROUP III-V COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTOR ON A PLURALITY OF CRYSTALLINE SUBSTRATE WAFERS COMPRISING PLACING THE WAFERS IN A GROWTH VESSEL TOGETHER WITH BUT OUT OF CONTACT WITH A BODY OF CONSTITUENTS WHICH, WHEN HEATED, FORM A NUTRIENT SOLUTION AND RAISING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE VESSEL TO AN INITIAL TEMPERATURE AT LEAST AS GREAT AS WOULD PRODUCE A SATURATED SOLUTION, CAUSING THE NUTRIENT SOLUTION TO CONTACT THE WAFERS, REDUCING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE VESSEL TO A FINAL TEMPERATURE AT A PREDETERMINED RATE WHEREBY EPITAXIAL CRYSTALLINE LAYERS ARE GROWN AND SEPARATING THE NUTRIENT SOLUTION AND THE WAFERS, WHEREIN THE WAFERS ARE ARRANGED IN THE VESSEL VERTICALLY IN PAIRS, EACH MEMBER OF THE PAIR CONTACTING THE OTHER MEMBER OF THE PAIR AT A BROAD FACE OF THE WAFER, SO AS TO ESSENTIALLY PREVENT FLOW OF THE NUTRIENT SOLUTION IN BETWEEN THE MEMBERS OF THE PAIR, AND EACH PAIR ESSENTIALLY PARALLEL TO AND SEPARATED FROM A BROAD FACE OF THE ADJACENT PAIR BY FROM 0.1 TO 3 MILLIMETERS AND THE NUTRIENT SOLUTION IS CAUSED TO CONTACT THE WAFERS BY SIMULTANEOUSLY IMMERSING THE WAFERS IN THE NUTRIENT SOLUTION.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method of claim 1 in which the wafers are immersed in the nutrient solution by a change of orientation of the growth vessel causing the solution to flow in between the wafer pairs.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method of claim 1 in which the growth vessel contains at least 10 substrate wafers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method of claim 1 in which the Group III-V compound semiconductor is at least 80 percent by weight of at least one material selected from the group consisting of gallium phosphide and gallium arsenide.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method of claim 4 in which the Group III-V compound semiconductor is at least 99 percent by weight GaP.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method of claim 4 in which the solution contains at least one member selected from the group consisting of S, Se, Te, Zn, Cd, Ge, Si, O and N in such quantity as to form less than one percent by weight of the crystalline layers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method of claim 6 in which the predetermined rate is less than 3 C per minute resulting in the deposition of a zinc and oxygen doped epitaxial layer on the substrate wafer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method of claim 7 in which the substrate wafer consists essentially of an n-type bulk grown portion and a tellurium doped epitaxial crystalline layer deposited from solution.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method of claim 7 including heat treating the wafer at a temperature between 450* and 800*C for times between 3 and 60 hours subsequent to the formation of the zinc and oxygen doped epitaxial layer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method of claim 9 including electrically contacting the n-type portion of the wafer and the zinc-oxygen doped epitaxial layer so as to form a diode capable of emitting red light when suitably biased.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method of claim 1 in which the body of constituents includes the nutrient solution.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method of claim 1 in which the wafers are placed in the growth vessel prior to raising the temperature of the growth vessel to the initial temperature.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method of claim 1 in which the nutrient solution and the wafers are separated by draining the solution away from the wafers.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method of claim 13 in which the draining away of the solution is accomplished by changing the orientation of the growth vessel.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-01-06 | 1978-07-08 | 1979-01-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-01-06 | 1982-07-08 | 1983-01-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-01-06 | 1986-07-08 | 1987-01-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |