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US5208182A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Dislocation density reduction in gallium arsenide on silicon heterostructures

Assignee: Kopin Corp
•
Filing: 1991-11-12
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Granted: 1993-05-04
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Expires: 2011-11-12
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Abstract

Abstract A method of forming gallium arsenide on silicon heterostructure including the use of strained layer superlattices in combination with rapid thermal annealing to achieve a reduced threading dislocation density in the epilayers. Strain energy within the superlattices causes threading dislocations to bend, preventing propagation through the superlattices to the epilayer. Rapid thermal annealing causes extensive realignment and annihilation of dislocations of opposite Burgers vectors and a further reduction of threading dislocations in the epilayer.

Inventors

  • 👤 Jagdish Narayan
  • 👤 John C. C. Fan

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-31 21:19
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P95/00; H10P95/90; H10P95/904; H10P14/00; H10P14/20; H10P14/24; H10P14/29; H10P14/2901; H10P14/2902; H10P14/2905; H10P14/32; H10P14/3202; H10P14/3214; H10P14/3221; H10P14/3242; H10P14/3244; H10P14/3251; H10P14/3252; H10P14/34; H10P14/3402; H10P14/3414; H10P14/3421; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S148/00; Y10S148/16; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/933; Y10S438/938

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim 81 words
A method of forming a gallium arsenide on silicon heterostructure comprising the steps of: forming a first gallium arsenide layer over a silicon substrate; forming a first strained layer superlattice over the first gallium arsenide layer, the strained layer superlattice comprising alternating layers of a first material and second material; forming an upper gallium arsenide over the first strained layer superlattice to form a layered structure; and subjecting the formed structure to rapid thermal annealing for about two minutes or less.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 81 words
A method of forming a gallium arsenide on silicon heterostructure comprising the steps of: forming a first gallium arsenide layer over a silicon substrate; forming a first strained layer superlattice over the first gallium arsenide layer, the strained layer superlattice comprising alternating layers of a first material and second material; forming an upper gallium arsenide over the first strained layer superlattice to form a layered structure; and subjecting the formed structure to rapid thermal annealing for about two minutes or less.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 22 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the first material is In x Ga 1-x As and the second material is gallium arsenide.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 25 words
The method of claim 2 wherein each of the In x Ga 1-x As layers has a thickness which is greater than a critical thickness.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 54 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the first strained layer forming step further comprises forming a second gallium arsenide layer over first strained layer and forming a second strained layer superlattice over the second gallium arsenide layer, the second strained layer superlattice structure comprising alternating layers of the first material and the second material.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 33 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the first strained layer superlattice is positioned 0.5 μm above the silicon substrate and the second strained layer superlattice is positioned 2.5 μm above the silicon substrate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 22 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the first material is In x Ga 1-x As and the second material is gallium arsenide.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method of claim 4 wherein each strained layer superlattice comprises three layers of the first material and two layers of the second material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 51 words
A method of claim 4 wherein the first strained layer forming step further comprises forming over the second strained layer superlattice a plurality of alternating gallium arsenide layers and strained layer superlattices, each of said plurality strained layer superlattices comprising of alternating layers of the first material and the second material.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 90 words
A method of forming a gallium arsenide on silicon heterostructure comprising the steps of: forming a first gallium arsenide layer over a silicon substrate; forming a strained layer superlattice structure over the first gallium arsenide layer, the strained layer superlattice structure comprising a plurality of superlattices in which each superlattice includes alternating layers of In x Ga 1-x As and gallium arsenide; forming an upper galium arsenide layer over the first strained layer superlattice structure; and subjecting the formed structure to rapid thermal annealing for about two minutes of less.
Claim 11
Independent Claim 90 words
A method of forming a gallium arsenide on silicon heterostructure comprising the steps of: forming a first gallium arsenide layer over a silicon substrate; forming a strained layer superlattice structure over the first gallium arsenide layer, the strained layer superlattice structure comprising a plurality of superlattices in which each superlattice includes alternating layers of In x Ga 1-x As and gallium arsenide; forming an upper galium arsenide layer over the first strained layer superlattice structure; and subjecting the formed structure to rapid thermal annealing for about two minutes of less.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 22 words
The method of claim 9 wherein rapid thermal annealing comprises heating for a period of time between 10 seconds and 60 seconds.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method of claim 9 wherein each strained layer superlattice comprises three layers In x Ga 1-x As and two layers of gallium arsenide.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 25 words
The method of claim 9 wherein each of the In x Ga 1-x As layers has a thickness which is greater than a critical thickness.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 35 words
The method of claim 9 wherein each strained layer superlattice has In x Ga 1-x As layers with a thickness of about 100 angstroms and gallium arsenide layers with a thickness of about 300 angstroms.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method of claim 9 wherein each strained layer superlattice comprises alternating layers of In 0 .3 Ga 0 .7 As and gallium arsenide.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 93 words
The method of claim 9 wherein the first strained layer superlattice and a second strained layer superlattice are comprised of three layers of In 0 .3 Ga 0 .7 As each having a thickness of about 100 angstroms and two layers of gallium arsenide each having a thickness of about 300 angstroms and a third strained layer superlattice is comprised of three layers of Al 0 .6 Ga 0 .4 As each having a thickness of about 300 angstroms and two layers of gallium arsenide each having a thickness of about 100 angstroms.
Claim 18
Independent Claim 87 words
A method of forming a gallium arsenide on silicon heterostructure comprising: forming a first gallium arsenide layer over a substrate; forming a first strained layer superlattice over the first gallium arsenide layer, the strained layer superlattice comprising alternating layers of a first material and a second material; forming an upper gallium arsenide layer over the first strained layer superlattice to form a layered structure; and heating the formed structure for a period of time in the range of 10 seconds to 60 seconds to anneal the structure.
Claim 19
Independent Claim 87 words
A method of forming a gallium arsenide on silicon heterostructure comprising: forming a first gallium arsenide layer over a substrate; forming a first strained layer superlattice over the first gallium arsenide layer, the strained layer superlattice comprising alternating layers of a first material and a second material; forming an upper gallium arsenide layer over the first strained layer superlattice to form a layered structure; and heating the formed structure for a period of time in the range of 10 seconds to 60 seconds to anneal the structure.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 22 words
The method of claim 16 wherein the first material comprises In x Ga 1-x As and the second material comprises gallium arsenide.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 20 words
The method of claim 16 further comprising forming a plurality of strained layer superlattices over the first gallium arsenide layer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 14 words
The method of claim 16 wherein the superlattice has an asymetric distribution of strain.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 15 words
The method of claim 16 wherein the forming steps comprise organo metallic chemical vapor deposition.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4088515A Cited
US4561916A Cited
US4963508A Cited
JPS6442116A Cited
EP0332329A2 Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1996-05-03 1996-11-02 1997-05-04 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2000-05-03 2000-11-02 2001-05-04 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2004-05-03 2004-11-02 2005-05-04 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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