UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA

Brief Description

A novel method for growing high-quality thick films of a-plane GaN suitable for use as substrates in homoepitaxial device layer regrowth.

Background

Gallium nitride (GaN) and its ternary and quaternary compounds incorporating aluminum and indium (AlGaN, InGaN, AlInGaN) have proven useful in fabricating visible and ultraviolet optoelectronic devices and high-power electronic devices. GaN and its alloys are most stable in the hexagonal w'rtzite crystal structure. However, the positions of the gallium and nitrogen atoms in this structure leads to polarization of the GaN crystals along the c-axis. Virtually all GaN-based devices are grown parallel to the polar c-axis, due to the relative ease of growing planar Ga-face planes. In addition, strain at the interfaces between adjacent dissimilar layers causes piezoelectric polarization and subsequent charge separation. These polarization effects decrease the likelihood of electron and hole interaction, which is essential for the operation of light-emitting devices. As a result, eliminating these polarization effects inherent to c-axis oriented devices could greatly enhance the efficiency of GaN light-emitting devices.

Description

Scientists at the University of California have developed a novel method for growing high-quality thick films of a-plane GaN suitable for use as substrates in homoepitaxial device layer regrowth. This invention can be used in conjunction with a method for growing reduced-dislocation density non-polar GaN by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) (UC Case 2003-224).

Advantages

• Allows for the production of thick a-plane GaN films for use as substrates for polarization-free device growth;

• Produces films of superior quality that are suitable for subsequent device regrowth by a variety of growth techniques.

Applications

• Fabrication of GaN by HVPE

This technology is available for a non-exclusive license. See below for a selection of the patents and patent applications related to this invention. Please inquire for full patent portfolio status. 

Patent Status

Additional Patent Pending

Inventors

• Craven, Michael D.
• DenBaars, Steven P.
• Fini, Paul T.
• Haskell, Benjamin A.
• Matsuda, Shigemasa
• Nakamura, Shuji
• Speck, James S.

Other Information

Contact

Shaun R. Juncal / juncal@tia.ucsb.edu / tel: View Phone Number. Please reference Tech ID #10268.

ADDITIONAL TECHNOLOGIES BY THESE INVENTORS

• Fabrication Of High Quality P-Type GaN and Alloys by Preventing Hydrogen Incorporation
• Self-Assembled Nano-Cluster And Quantum Dot Lattices
• Reduced Dislocation Density of Non-Polar GaN Grown by Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy
• Nonpolar (Al, B, In, Ga)N Quantum Well Design
• Electrically-Pumped Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL)
• Improved Manufacturing of Semiconductor Lasers
• High Efficiency LED With Emitters Within Structured Materials
• Asymmetrically Cladded Laser Diode with Improved Performance
• Yellow-Emitting Phosphors for White LEDs
• Cleaved Facet Edge-Emitting Laser Diodes Grown on Semipolar GaN
• Etching Technique for the Fabrication of Thin (Al, In, Ga)N Layers
• Enhancing Growth of Semipolar (Al,In,Ga,B)N Films via MOCVD
• Device Structure for High Efficiency LED
• Nitride-Based LED with Optimized Efficiency
• Selective Dry Etching of N-Face (Al, In, Ga)N Heterostructures
• High-Efficiency, White, Single, or Multi-Color LED by Photon Recycling
• GaN-Based Thermoelectric Device for Micro-Power Generation
• Mirrorless LED with High Luminous Efficiency
• Method for Producing GaN Substrates for Electronic and Optoelectronic Devices
• Hybrid Inorganic Light-Emitting Devices
• Growth of High-Quality, Thick, Non-Polar M-Plane GaN Films
• Method for Growing High-Quality Group III-Nitride Crystals
• Growth of Planar Semi-Polar Gallium Nitride
• Defect Reduction of Non-Polar and Semi-Polar III-Nitrides
• MOCVD Growth of Planar Non-Polar M-Plane Gallium Nitride
• Lateral Growth Method for Defect Reduction of Semipolar Nitride Films
• Low Temperature Deposition of Magnesium Doped Nitride Films
• Growth of Polyhedron-Shaped Gallium Nitride Bulk Crystals
• Long Wavelength Nonpolar and Semipolar Nitride-Based Laser Diodes
• Semipolar III-Nitride Laser Diodes with Etched Mirrors
• Fabrication of Optoelectronic Devices with Embedded Void-Gap Structures
• Method for Making a High Performance Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser
• Use of Flux Method to Grow Seed Crystals for Ammonothermal Growth of Group-III Nitride Crystal Crystal Growth
• Method for Ammonothermal Growth of Highly Pure Group-III Nitrides
• LED Structure with Low Efficiency Droop for High-Current Applications
• Improved Manufacturing of Solid State Lasers via Patterning of Photonic Crystals
• Low Carrier Loss Device Structure for High Performance Green LEDs
• High Efficiency Group-III Nitride/Non-Group-III Nitride Tandem Solar Cells
• Control of Photoelectrochemical (PEC) Etching by Modification of the Local Electrochemical Potential of the Semiconductor Structure
• Phosphor-Free White Light Source
• Method for Wafer Bonding for Optoelectronic Applications
• Single or Multi-Color High Efficiency LED by Growth Over a Patterned Substrate
• High Efficiency LED with Optimized Photonic Crystal Extractor
• Wafer Bonding For Highly Efficient Nitride-Based LEDs
• Packaging Technique for the Fabrication of Polarized Light Emitting Diodes
• LED Device Structures with Minimized Light Re-Absorption
• High Efficiency and High Brightness LEDs for Various Lighting Applications
• Photoelectrochemical Etching for Laser Facets
• Enhancement Of Thermoelectric Properties Through Polarization Engineering
• Improved Gallium Nitride (GaN) Thermoelectric Devices
• Two dimensionally relaxed III-N buffer layers for LEDs
• Novel Layer Structure for Semipolar InGaN/GaN LEDs and Laser Diodes
• Efficient High-Power, Laser-Driven White Lighting Device
• GaN-based Green/Red Light-Emitting Diodes With Low Voltage
• Outdoor Street Light Fixture with Novel Laser Diode Light Source
• Improved LED Performance via Optimized Polarization Properties
• (In,Ga,Al)N Optoelectronic Devices with Thicker Active Layers for Improved Performance
• Controlling Contact Resistivity of Transparent Conductive Layers of Optoelectronic Devices

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