Patent US6818061B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6818061B2
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Method for growing single crystal GaN on silicon
Assignee: III Holdings 12 LLC
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Filing: 2003-04-10
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Granted: 2004-11-16
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Expires: 2023-04-10
Abstract
Abstract A method for growing a single crystal GaN film at least 2 microns thick on a Si substrate is disclosed. The method includes growing a prelayer, a buffer layer including AlN on the Si substrate and a plurality of GaN layers and AlN layers deposited alternatively on the top of the AlN buffer layer. By controlling the deposition conditions and timings of the plurality of GaN layers and AlN layers, the single crystal GaN film can be grown thicker than 2 microns without cracks or pits.
Inventors
- 👤 Andrzej Peczalski
- 👤 Thomas E. Nohava
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 08:18
CPC Classifications
C; C30; C30B; C30B29/00; C30B29/10; C30B29/38; C30B25/00; C30B25/02; C30B25/18; C30B29/40; C30B29/403; C30B29/406; H; H10; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/20; H10P14/24; H10P14/29; H10P14/2901; H10P14/2902; H10P14/2905; H10P14/32; H10P14/3202; H10P14/3214; H10P14/3216; H10P14/3241; H10P14/3242; H10P14/3244; H10P14/3251; H10P14/3252; H10P14/34; H10P14/3402; H10P14/3414; H10P14/3416
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 42
Claim 1
Independent Claim
111 words
A method for growing a single crystal GaN (gallium nitride) film on a Si substrate, comprising: depositing at least one initial layer on a top of the Si substrate using Trimethylaluminum (TMAl) in a hydrogen atmosphere; and depositing alternately a plurality of GaN layers and interlayers on a top of the initial layer with each of the interlayers interspaced between adjacent GaN layers, wherein the number of the interlayers is N and the number of the GaN layer is N+1, and N is an integer no less than 1, and wherein each of the interlayers comprises an odd number of sub-layers and a bottom sub-layer and a top sub-layer comprises AIN.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
111 words
A method for growing a single crystal GaN (gallium nitride) film on a Si substrate, comprising: depositing at least one initial layer on a top of the Si substrate using Trimethylaluminum (TMAl) in a hydrogen atmosphere; and depositing alternately a plurality of GaN layers and interlayers on a top of the initial layer with each of the interlayers interspaced between adjacent GaN layers, wherein the number of the interlayers is N and the number of the GaN layer is N+1, and N is an integer no less than 1, and wherein each of the interlayers comprises an odd number of sub-layers and a bottom sub-layer and a top sub-layer comprises AIN.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one initial layer comprises at least one of a prelayer and a buffer layer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the GaN layers is grown using Trimethylgallium (TMGa) and Ammonia (NH3) in a hydrogen atmosphere and has a thickness of about 5000 Å.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein the buffer layer is grown using Trimethylaluminum (TMAl) and NH3 in a hydrogen atmosphere and has a thickness of about 400 Å.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the interlayers includes at least one AlN layer that is formed by using TMAl and NH3 in a hydrogen atmosphere.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the interlayers includes at least three layers comprising an AlN layer, a GaN layer and an AlN layer from bottom to top, wherein the AlN layer and the GaN layer in each interlayer are formed using TMAl and NH3 in a hydrogen atmosphere and TMGa and NH3 in a hydrogen atmosphere, respectively.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 6 , wherein each of the AlN layer and the GaN layers within each interlayer has a thickness of about 100 Å.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the GaN layers and the interlayers are deposited by a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) process and the pressure used in the process is about 100 Torr.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one of the prelayer and the buffer layer is deposited by a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) process and the pressure used in the process is about 100 Torr.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 9 , wherein the deposition of the buffer layer is performed at a temperature of about 1150 degrees C. for about 8 minutes.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 8 , wherein the deposition of the GaN layer is performed at a temperature of about 1050 degrees C. for about 11 minutes.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 8 , wherein the deposition of the interlayer layer is performed at a temperature of about 1050 degrees C. for about 15 seconds for the GaN layer and at a temperature of about 700 degrees C. for about 2 minutes for the AlN layer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the Si substrate is a Si(1,1,1) substrate.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising a preparation process for the Si substrate, wherein the preparation process includes: bathing a Si wafer in a BOE (buffer oxide etch) etchant (10:1); baking the Si wafer in a MOCVD system growth reactor in a hydrogen atmosphere; and depositing a prelayer on the Si wafer using metalorganic TMAl in a hydrogen atmosphere.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 14 , wherein the pressure used in the MOCVD system growth reactor is about 100 Torr and the prelayer is deposited at a temperature of about 1150 degrees C. for about 4-8 seconds.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 14 , wherein the prelayer is formed using metalorganic TMAl in a hydrogen.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 14 , wherein after bathing in the BOE etchant, the Si wafer is rinsed in deionized water and then removed from the deionized water.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
118 words
A method for growing a single crystal GaN (gallium nitride) film on a Si substrate, comprising: depositing a prelayer on a top of the Si substrate; depositing a buffer layer on a top of the prelayer using Trimethylaluminum (TMAl) in a hydrogen atmosphere; and depositing alternately a plurality of GaN layers and interlayers on a top of the buffer layer with each of the interlayers interspaced between adjacent GaN layers, wherein the number of the interlayers is N and the number of the GaN layer is N+1, and N is an integer no less than 1, and wherein each of the interlayers comprises an odd number of sub-layers and a bottom sub-layer and a top sub-layer comprises AIN.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
118 words
A method for growing a single crystal GaN (gallium nitride) film on a Si substrate, comprising: depositing a prelayer on a top of the Si substrate; depositing a buffer layer on a top of the prelayer using Trimethylaluminum (TMAl) in a hydrogen atmosphere; and depositing alternately a plurality of GaN layers and interlayers on a top of the buffer layer with each of the interlayers interspaced between adjacent GaN layers, wherein the number of the interlayers is N and the number of the GaN layer is N+1, and N is an integer no less than 1, and wherein each of the interlayers comprises an odd number of sub-layers and a bottom sub-layer and a top sub-layer comprises AIN.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 18 , wherein the buffer layer has a thickness of about 400 Å.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 18 , wherein each of the GaN layers has a thickness of about 5000 Å.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of claim 18 , wherein each of the interlayers includes at least three layers an AlN layer, a GaN layer and an AlN layer, each of the AlN layers is formed using TMAl and NH3 in a hydrogen atmosphere, and the GaN layer is formed using TMGa and NH3 in a hydrogen atmosphere.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 21 , wherein each of the AlN layer, the GaN layer and the AlN layer has a thickness of about 100 Å.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 18 , wherein the prelayer, the buffer layer, the GaN layers and the interlayers are deposited by a MOCVD process and the pressure used in the MOCVD process is about 100 Torr.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 18 , wherein the depositions of the prelayer and the buffer layer are performed at a temperature of about 1150 degrees C. for about 8 minutes.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 18 , wherein the deposition of the GaN layer is performed at a temperature of about 1050 degrees C. for about 11 minutes.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 21 , wherein the deposition of the interlayer layer is performed at a temperature of about 1050 degrees C. for about 15 seconds for the GaN layer and at a temperature of about 700 degrees C. for about 2 minutes for the AlN layer.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method of claim 18 , further comprising a preparation process for the Si substrate, the preparation process comprising: bathing a Si wafer in a BOE (buffer oxide etch) etchant (10:1); baking the Si wafer in a MOCVD system growth reactor in a hydrogen atmosphere; and depositing the prelayer on the Si wafer using metalorganic TMAl in a hydrogen atmosphere.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 27 , wherein the pressure used in the MOCVD system growth reactor is about 100 Torr and the prelayer is deposited at a temperature of about 1150 degrees C. for about 4-8 seconds.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
126 words
A single crystal GaN film structure, comprising: a Si(1 1 1) substrate; at least one initial layer deposited on the Si(1 1 1) substrate which is formed by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) by using trimethylaluminum (TMAl) as a reactive gases; and a plurality of GaN layers and interlayers alternatively deposited on the initial layer with a GaN layer directly deposited on a top of the initial layer and each of the interlayers interspaced between adjacent GaN layers, wherein the number of the interlayers is N and the number of the GaN layer is N+1, and N is an integer no less than 1, and wherein each of the interlayers comprises an odd number of sub-layers and a bottom sub-layer and a top sub-layer comprises AIN.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
126 words
A single crystal GaN film structure, comprising: a Si(1 1 1) substrate; at least one initial layer deposited on the Si(1 1 1) substrate which is formed by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) by using trimethylaluminum (TMAl) as a reactive gases; and a plurality of GaN layers and interlayers alternatively deposited on the initial layer with a GaN layer directly deposited on a top of the initial layer and each of the interlayers interspaced between adjacent GaN layers, wherein the number of the interlayers is N and the number of the GaN layer is N+1, and N is an integer no less than 1, and wherein each of the interlayers comprises an odd number of sub-layers and a bottom sub-layer and a top sub-layer comprises AIN.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
29 words
The single crystal GaN film structure of claim 29 , wherein the at least one initial layer comprises at least one of a prelayer and a buffer AlN layer.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
37 words
The single crystal GaN film structure of claim 29 , wherein the numbers of the plurality of the interlayers and the GaN layers are N and N+1, respectively, and N is an integer no less than 1.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
23 words
The single crystal GaN film structure of claim 29 , wherein each of the GaN layers has a thickness of about 5000 Å.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
33 words
The single crystal GaN film structure of claim 29 , wherein each of the interlayers includes at least one AlN layer, which is formed by using TMAl and NH3 in a hydrogen atmosphere.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
66 words
The single crystal GaN film structure of claim 29 , wherein each of the interlayers includes at least three layers comprising of an AlN layer, a GaN layer and an AlN layer from bottom to top, wherein the AlN layer and the GaN layer in each interlayer are formed using TMAl and NH3 in a hydrogen atmosphere and TMGa and NH3 in a hydrogen atmosphere, respectively.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
30 words
The single crystal GaN film structure of claim 34 , wherein each of the AlN layer and the GaN layers within each interlayer has a thickness of about 100 Å.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
41 words
The single crystal GaN film structure of claim 29 , wherein the buffer layer, the GaN layers and the interlayers are deposited by a metalorganic chemical vaper deposition (MOCVD) process and the pressure used in the process is about 100 Torr.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
31 words
The single crystal GaN film structure of claim 29 , wherein the deposition of the initial layer is performed at a temperature of about 1150 degrees C. for about 8 minutes.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
31 words
The single crystal GaN film structure of claim 29 , wherein the deposition of the GaN layer is performed at a temperature of about 1050 degrees C. for about 11 minutes.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
51 words
The single crystal GaN film structure of claim 34 , wherein the deposition of the interlayer layer is performed at a temperature about 1050 degrees C. for about 15 seconds for the GaN layer and at a temperature of about 700 degrees C. for about 2 minutes for the AIN layer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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