Dislocation reduction in non-polar iii-nitride thin films

a technology of non-polar iii-nitride and thin film, applied in the field of semiconductor materials, can solve problems such as fixed sheet charge formation, and achieve the effect of reducing threading dislocations and reducing threading dislocations

US20120068184A1Inactive Publication Date: 2012-03-22RGT UNIV OF CALIFORNIA
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Patent Type
Applications(United States)
Current Assignee / Owner
Publication Date
2012-03-22
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

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Abstract

Lateral epitaxial overgrowth of non-polar III-nitride seed layers reduces threading dislocations in the non-polar III-nitride thin films. First, a thin patterned dielectric mask is applied to the seed layer. Second, a selective epitaxial regrowth is performed to achieve a lateral overgrowth based on the patterned mask. Upon regrowth, the non-polar III-nitride films initially grow vertically through openings in the dielectric mask before laterally overgrowing the mask in directions perpendicular to the vertical growth direction. Threading dislocations are reduced in the overgrown regions by (1) the mask blocking the propagation of dislocations vertically into the growing film and (2) the bending of dislocations through the transition from vertical to lateral growth.
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Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 11 / 852,908, entitled “DISLOCATION REDUCTION IN NON-POLAR III-NITRIDE THIN FILMS,” filed on Sep. 10, 2007, by Michael D. Craven, Steven P. Denbaars, James S. Speck, and Shuji Nakamura, attorneys docket number 30794.245-US-I1, which application is a continuation-in-part of the following application:

[0002] U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 11 / 472,033, entitled “NON-POLAR (Al, B, In, Ga)N QUANTUM WELL AND HETEROSTRUCTURE MATERIALS AND DEVICES,” filed on Jun. 21, 2006, by Michael D. Craven, Stacia Keller, Steven P. DenBaars, Tal Margalith, James S. Speck, Shuji Nakamura, and Umesh K. Mishra, attorneys docket number 30794.101-US-D1, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,982,208, issued Jul. 19, 2011, which application is a divisional of U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 10 / 413,690, filed on Apr. 15, 2003, by Michael D. Craven et al., entitled “NON-POLAR (Al, B, In, Ga)N Q...

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Embodiment Construction

[0023]In the following description of the preferred embodiment, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration a specific embodiment in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0024]Overview

[0025]The present invention reduces threading dislocation densities in non-polar III-nitride through the lateral overgrowth of a planar heteroepitaxial “seed” layer. Lateral overgrowth techniques require a processing step between two MOCVD growths, an initial heteroepitaxial growth and a regrowth that constitutes the lateral overgrowth. First, a thin patterned dielectric mask is applied to the seed layer. Upon regrowth, the III-nitride initially grows vertically through openings in the dielectric mask before laterally overgrowing the mask in directions perpendicular to the ver...