Method for growth of crystal surfaces and growth of heteroepitaxial single crystal films thereon

Claim 1

A method of producing single-crystal atomically-flat surfaces on a single-crystal substrate, said method comprising the steps of: (a) choosing a single-crystal substrate material which exhibits the property that the material contains at least one growth plane orientation whereby under selected growth conditions the growth rate due to step-flow growth is greater than at least one hundred (100) times the growth rate due to growth involving two-dimensional nucleation; (b) preparing a planar growth surface on said substrate that is parallel to within a predetermined angle relative to said at least one growth plane orientation of said substrate; (c) removing material in said substrate so as to define at least one selected separated area having boundaries; (d) treating said substrate so as to remove any sources of unwanted crystal nucleation and to remove any unwanted sources of steps; (e) depositing a homoepitaxial film over said at least one selected separated area under selected conditions so as to provide a step-flow growth while suppressing two-dimensional nucleation; and (f) continuing said deposition of said homoepitaxial film until said step-flow growth obtains an atomically-flat epitaxial film surface on each of said at least one separated area where said atomically-flat surface is parallel to said selected crystal plane.

Claim 2

A method of producing single-crystal atomically-flat surfaces on a single-crystal substrate, said method comprising the steps of: (a) choosing a single-crystal substrate material which exhibits the property that the material contains at least one growth plane orientation whereby under selected growth conditions the growth rate due to step-flow growth is greater than at least one hundred (100) times the growth rate due to growth involving two-dimensional nucleation; (b) preparing a planar growth surface on said substrate that is parallel to within a predetermined angle relative to said at least one growth plane orientation of said substrate; (c) removing material in said substrate so as to define at least one selected separated area having boundaries; (d) treating said substrate so as to remove any sources of unwanted crystal nucleation and to remove any unwanted sources of steps; (e) depositing a homoepitaxial film over said at least one selected separated area under selected conditions so as to provide a step-flow growth while suppressing two-dimensional nucleation; and (f) continuing said deposition of said homoepitaxial film until said step-flow growth obtains an atomically-flat epitaxial film surface on each of said at least one separated area where said atomically-flat surface is parallel to said selected crystal plane.

Claim 6

A method of producing multiple heteroepitaxial films of atomically-flat surfaces on a single-crystal substrate, said method comprising the steps of: (a) choosing a single-crystal substrate material which exhibits the property that the material contains at least one growth plane orientation whereby under selected growth conditions the growth rate due to step-flow growth is greater than at least one hundred (100) times the growth rate due to growth involving two-dimensional nucleation; (b) preparing a planar growth surface on said substrate that is parallel to within a predetermined angle relative to said at least one growth plane orientation of said substrate; (c) removing material in said substrate so as to define at least one selected separated area having boundaries; (d) treating said substrate so as to remove any sources of unwanted crystal nucleation and remove any unwanted sources of steps; (e) depositing a homoepitaxial film over said at least one selected separated area under selected conditions so as to provide a step-flow growth while suppressing two-dimensional nucleation; (f) continuing said deposition of said homoepitaxial film until said step-flow growth obtains an atomically-flat epitaxial film surface on each of said at least one separated area where said atomically-flat surface is parallel to said selected crystal plane; (g) depositing a desired heteroepitaxial film selected from the group comprising elemental semiconductors, compounds of Group III and Group V elements of the Periodic Table and compounds and alloys of the Group IV elements of the Periodic Table on said homoepitaxial film under predetermined conditions that preferably cause two-dimensional nucleation accompanied by step-flow growth of said desired heteroepitaxial film; (h) continuing said depositing of said step (g) of said heteroepitaxial film until a desired thickness is obtained; (i) continuing the growth of the said heteroepitaxial film under selected conditions so as to provide a step flow growth while suppressing two-dimensional nucleation; (j) continuing said deposition of said heteroepitaxial film until said step-flow growth obtains an atomically-flat epitaxial film surface on each of said at least one separated area where said atomically-flat surface is parallel to said selected crystal plane; (l) repeating step (g); (m) repeating step (h); (n) repeating step (i); (o) repeating step (j); and (p) repeating steps (l), (m), (n), and (o) until desired multiple heteroepitaxial film structure is obtained.

Claim 7

A method of producing multiple heteroepitaxial films of atomically-flat surfaces on a single-crystal substrate, said method comprising the steps of: (a) choosing a single-crystal substrate material which exhibits the property that the material contains at least one growth plane orientation whereby under selected growth conditions the growth rate due to step-flow growth is greater than at least one hundred (100) times the growth rate due to growth involving two-dimensional nucleation; (b) preparing a planar growth surface on said substrate that is parallel to within a predetermined angle relative to said at least one growth plane orientation of said substrate; (c) removing material in said substrate so as to define at least one selected separated area having boundaries; (d) treating said substrate so as to remove any sources of unwanted crystal nucleation and remove any unwanted sources of steps; (e) depositing a homoepitaxial film over said at least one selected separated area under selected conditions so as to provide a step-flow growth while suppressing two-dimensional nucleation; (f) continuing said deposition of said homoepitaxial film until said step-flow growth obtains an atomically-flat epitaxial film surface on each of said at least one separated area where said atomically-flat surface is parallel to said selected crystal plane; (g) depositing a desired heteroepitaxial film selected from the group comprising elemental semiconductors, compounds of Group III and Group V elements of the Periodic Table and compounds and alloys of the Group IV elements of the Periodic Table on said homoepitaxial film under predetermined conditions that preferably cause two-dimensional nucleation accompanied by step-flow growth of said desired heteroepitaxial film; (h) continuing said depositing of said step (g) of said heteroepitaxial film until a desired thickness is obtained; (i) continuing the growth of the said heteroepitaxial film under selected conditions so as to provide a step flow growth while suppressing two-dimensional nucleation; (j) continuing said deposition of said heteroepitaxial film until said step-flow growth obtains an atomically-flat epitaxial film surface on each of said at least one separated area where said atomically-flat surface is parallel to said selected crystal plane; (l) repeating step (g); (m) repeating step (h); (n) repeating step (i); (o) repeating step (j); and (p) repeating steps (l), (m), (n), and (o) until desired multiple heteroepitaxial film structure is obtained.

Claim 12

A method of producing a semiconductor device having single-crystal atomically-flat surfaces on a single-crystal substrate, said method comprising the steps of: (a) choosing a single-crystal substrate material which exhibits the property that the material contains at least one growth plane orientation whereby under selected growth conditions the growth rate due to step-flow growth is greater than at least one hundred (100) times the growth rate due to growth involving two-dimensional nucleation; (b) preparing a planar growth surface on said substrate that is parallel to within a predetermined angle relative to said at least one growth plane orientation of said substrate; (c) removing material in said substrate so as to define at least one selected separated area having boundaries; (d) treating said substrate so as to remove any sources of unwanted crystal nucleation and remove any unwanted sources of steps; (e) depositing a homoepitaxial film over said at least one selected separated area under selected conditions so as to provide a step-flow growth while suppressing two-dimensional nucleation; and (f) continuing said deposition of said homoepitaxial film until said step-flow growth obtains an atomically-flat epitaxial film surface on each of said at least one separated area where said atomically-flat surface is parallel to said selected crystal plane.

Claim 13

A method of producing a semiconductor device having single-crystal atomically-flat surfaces on a single-crystal substrate, said method comprising the steps of: (a) choosing a single-crystal substrate material which exhibits the property that the material contains at least one growth plane orientation whereby under selected growth conditions the growth rate due to step-flow growth is greater than at least one hundred (100) times the growth rate due to growth involving two-dimensional nucleation; (b) preparing a planar growth surface on said substrate that is parallel to within a predetermined angle relative to said at least one growth plane orientation of said substrate; (c) removing material in said substrate so as to define at least one selected separated area having boundaries; (d) treating said substrate so as to remove any sources of unwanted crystal nucleation and remove any unwanted sources of steps; (e) depositing a homoepitaxial film over said at least one selected separated area under selected conditions so as to provide a step-flow growth while suppressing two-dimensional nucleation; and (f) continuing said deposition of said homoepitaxial film until said step-flow growth obtains an atomically-flat epitaxial film surface on each of said at least one separated area where said atomically-flat surface is parallel to said selected crystal plane.

Claim 15

A method of producing a semiconductor device having a heteroepitaxial film of atomically-flat surfaces on a single-crystal substrate, said method comprising the steps of: (a) choosing a single-crystal substrate material which exhibits the property that the material contains at least one growth plane orientation whereby under selected growth conditions the growth rate due to step-flow growth is greater than at least one hundred (100) times the growth rate due to growth involving two-dimensional nucleation; (b) preparing a planar growth surface on said substrate that is parallel to within a predetermined angle relative to said at least one growth plane orientation of said substrate; (c) removing material in said substrate so as to define at least one selected separated area having boundaries; (d) treating said substrate so as to remove any sources of unwanted crystal nucleation and remove any unwanted sources of steps; (e) depositing a homoepitaxial film over said at least one selected separated area under selected conditions so as to provide a step-flow growth while suppressing two-dimensional nucleation; (f) continuing said deposition of said homoepitaxial film until said step-flow growth obtains an atomically-flat epitaxial film surface on each of said at least one separated area where said atomically-flat surface is parallel to said selected crystal plane; (g) depositing a desired heteroepitaxial film selected from the group comprising elemental semiconductors, compounds of Group III and Group V elements of the Periodic Table and compounds and alloys of the Group IV elements of the Periodic Table on said homoepitaxial film under predetermined conditions that preferably cause two-dimensional nucleation accompanied by step-flow growth of said desired heteroepitaxial film; and (h) continuing said depositing of said step (f) of said heteroepitaxial film until a desired thickness is obtained.

Claim 16

A method of producing a semiconductor device having a heteroepitaxial film of atomically-flat surfaces on a single-crystal substrate, said method comprising the steps of: (a) choosing a single-crystal substrate material which exhibits the property that the material contains at least one growth plane orientation whereby under selected growth conditions the growth rate due to step-flow growth is greater than at least one hundred (100) times the growth rate due to growth involving two-dimensional nucleation; (b) preparing a planar growth surface on said substrate that is parallel to within a predetermined angle relative to said at least one growth plane orientation of said substrate; (c) removing material in said substrate so as to define at least one selected separated area having boundaries; (d) treating said substrate so as to remove any sources of unwanted crystal nucleation and remove any unwanted sources of steps; (e) depositing a homoepitaxial film over said at least one selected separated area under selected conditions so as to provide a step-flow growth while suppressing two-dimensional nucleation; (f) continuing said deposition of said homoepitaxial film until said step-flow growth obtains an atomically-flat epitaxial film surface on each of said at least one separated area where said atomically-flat surface is parallel to said selected crystal plane; (g) depositing a desired heteroepitaxial film selected from the group comprising elemental semiconductors, compounds of Group III and Group V elements of the Periodic Table and compounds and alloys of the Group IV elements of the Periodic Table on said homoepitaxial film under predetermined conditions that preferably cause two-dimensional nucleation accompanied by step-flow growth of said desired heteroepitaxial film; and (h) continuing said depositing of said step (f) of said heteroepitaxial film until a desired thickness is obtained.

Claim 18

A method of producing a semiconductor device having multiple heteroepitaxial films of atomically-flat surfaces on a single-crystal substrate, said method comprising the steps of: (a) choosing a single-crystal substrate material which exhibits the property that the material contains at least one growth plane orientation whereby under selected growth conditions the growth rate due to step-flow growth is greater than at least one hundred (100) times the growth rate due to growth involving two-dimensional nucleation; (b) preparing a planar growth surface on said substrate that is parallel to within a predetermined angle relative to said at least one growth plane orientation of said substrate; (c) removing material in said substrate so as to define at least one selected separated area having boundaries; (d) treating said substrate so as to remove any sources of unwanted crystal nucleation and remove any unwanted sources of steps; (e) depositing a homoepitaxial film over said at least one selected separated area under selected conditions so as to provide a step-flow growth while suppressing two-dimensional nucleation; (f) continuing said deposition of said homoepitaxial film until said step-flow growth obtains an atomically-flat epitaxial film surface on each of said at least one separated area where said atomically-flat surface is parallel to said selected crystal plane; (g) depositing a desired heteroepitaxial film selected from the group comprising elemental semiconductors, compounds of Group III and Group V elements of the Periodic Table and compounds and alloys of the Group IV elements of the Periodic Table on said homoepitaxial film under predetermined conditions that preferably cause two-dimensional nucleation accompanied by step-flow growth of said desired heteroepitaxial film; (h) continuing said depositing of said step (g) of said heteroepitaxial film until a desired thickness is obtained; (i) continuing the growth of the said heteroepitaxial film under selected conditions so as to provide a step flow growth while suppressing two-dimensional nucleation; (j) continuing said deposition of said heteroepitaxial film until said step-flow growth obtains an atomically-flat epitaxial film surface on each of said at least one separated area where said atomically-flat surface is parallel to said selected crystal plane; (k) repeating step (g); (l) repeating step (h); (m) repeating step (i); (n) repeating step (j); and (o) repeating steps (k), (l), (m), and (n) until desired multiple heteroepitaxial film structure of said semiconductor device is obtained.

Claim 19

A method of producing a semiconductor device having multiple heteroepitaxial films of atomically-flat surfaces on a single-crystal substrate, said method comprising the steps of: (a) choosing a single-crystal substrate material which exhibits the property that the material contains at least one growth plane orientation whereby under selected growth conditions the growth rate due to step-flow growth is greater than at least one hundred (100) times the growth rate due to growth involving two-dimensional nucleation; (b) preparing a planar growth surface on said substrate that is parallel to within a predetermined angle relative to said at least one growth plane orientation of said substrate; (c) removing material in said substrate so as to define at least one selected separated area having boundaries; (d) treating said substrate so as to remove any sources of unwanted crystal nucleation and remove any unwanted sources of steps; (e) depositing a homoepitaxial film over said at least one selected separated area under selected conditions so as to provide a step-flow growth while suppressing two-dimensional nucleation; (f) continuing said deposition of said homoepitaxial film until said step-flow growth obtains an atomically-flat epitaxial film surface on each of said at least one separated area where said atomically-flat surface is parallel to said selected crystal plane; (g) depositing a desired heteroepitaxial film selected from the group comprising elemental semiconductors, compounds of Group III and Group V elements of the Periodic Table and compounds and alloys of the Group IV elements of the Periodic Table on said homoepitaxial film under predetermined conditions that preferably cause two-dimensional nucleation accompanied by step-flow growth of said desired heteroepitaxial film; (h) continuing said depositing of said step (g) of said heteroepitaxial film until a desired thickness is obtained; (i) continuing the growth of the said heteroepitaxial film under selected conditions so as to provide a step flow growth while suppressing two-dimensional nucleation; (j) continuing said deposition of said heteroepitaxial film until said step-flow growth obtains an atomically-flat epitaxial film surface on each of said at least one separated area where said atomically-flat surface is parallel to said selected crystal plane; (k) repeating step (g); (l) repeating step (h); (m) repeating step (i); (n) repeating step (j); and (o) repeating steps (k), (l), (m), and (n) until desired multiple heteroepitaxial film structure of said semiconductor device is obtained.

Claim 21

A method of producing a laser diode having multiple heteroepitaxial films of atomically-flat surfaces on a single-crystal substrate, said method comprising the steps of: (a) choosing a single-crystal substrate material which exhibits the property that the material contains at least one growth plane orientation whereby under selected growth conditions the growth rate due to step-flow growth is greater than at least one hundred (100) times the growth rate due to growth involving two-dimensional nucleation; (b) preparing a planar growth surface on said substrate that is parallel to within a predetermined angle relative to a selected crystal plane of said substrate; (c) removing material in said substrate so as to define at least one selected separated area having boundaries; (d) treating said substrate so as to remove any sources of unwanted crystal nucleation and remove any unwanted sources of steps; (e) depositing a homoepitaxial film over said at least one selected separated area under selected conditions so as to provide a step-flow growth while suppressing two-dimensional nucleation; (f) continuing said deposition of said homoepitaxial film until said step-flow growth obtains an atomically-flat epitaxial film surface on each of said at least one separated area where said atomically-flat surface is parallel to said selected crystal plane; (g) depositing a desired heteroepitaxial film selected from the group comprising elemental semiconductors, compounds of Group III and Group V elements of the Periodic Table and compounds and alloys of the Group IV elements of the Periodic Table on said homoepitaxial film under predetermined conditions that preferably cause two-dimensional nucleation accompanied by step-flow growth of said desired heteroepitaxial film; (h) continuing said depositing of said step (g) of said heteroepitaxial film until a desired thickness is obtained; (i) continuing the growth of the said heteroepitaxial film under selected conditions so as to provide a step flow growth while suppressing two-dimensional nucleation; (j) continuing said deposition of said heteroepitaxial film until said step-flow growth obtains an atomically-flat epitaxial film surface on each of said at least one separated area where said atomically-flat surface is parallel to said selected crystal plane; (k) repeating step (g); (l) repeating step (h); (m) repeating step (i); (n) repeating step (j); and (o) repeating steps (k), (l), (m), and (n) until desired multiple heteroepitaxial film structure for said laser diode is obtained.

Claim 22

A method of producing a laser diode having multiple heteroepitaxial films of atomically-flat surfaces on a single-crystal substrate, said method comprising the steps of: (a) choosing a single-crystal substrate material which exhibits the property that the material contains at least one growth plane orientation whereby under selected growth conditions the growth rate due to step-flow growth is greater than at least one hundred (100) times the growth rate due to growth involving two-dimensional nucleation; (b) preparing a planar growth surface on said substrate that is parallel to within a predetermined angle relative to a selected crystal plane of said substrate; (c) removing material in said substrate so as to define at least one selected separated area having boundaries; (d) treating said substrate so as to remove any sources of unwanted crystal nucleation and remove any unwanted sources of steps; (e) depositing a homoepitaxial film over said at least one selected separated area under selected conditions so as to provide a step-flow growth while suppressing two-dimensional nucleation; (f) continuing said deposition of said homoepitaxial film until said step-flow growth obtains an atomically-flat epitaxial film surface on each of said at least one separated area where said atomically-flat surface is parallel to said selected crystal plane; (g) depositing a desired heteroepitaxial film selected from the group comprising elemental semiconductors, compounds of Group III and Group V elements of the Periodic Table and compounds and alloys of the Group IV elements of the Periodic Table on said homoepitaxial film under predetermined conditions that preferably cause two-dimensional nucleation accompanied by step-flow growth of said desired heteroepitaxial film; (h) continuing said depositing of said step (g) of said heteroepitaxial film until a desired thickness is obtained; (i) continuing the growth of the said heteroepitaxial film under selected conditions so as to provide a step flow growth while suppressing two-dimensional nucleation; (j) continuing said deposition of said heteroepitaxial film until said step-flow growth obtains an atomically-flat epitaxial film surface on each of said at least one separated area where said atomically-flat surface is parallel to said selected crystal plane; (k) repeating step (g); (l) repeating step (h); (m) repeating step (i); (n) repeating step (j); and (o) repeating steps (k), (l), (m), and (n) until desired multiple heteroepitaxial film structure for said laser diode is obtained.