Lateral Growth Method for Defect Reduction of Semipolar Nitride Films

Brief Description

A novel method for defect reduction via lateral growth of semipolar nitrides

Background

As bulk GaN crystals are not widely available, current devices are grown on foreign substrates heteroepitaxially. The nature of heteroepitaxial growth leads to significant defect densities, most prominently in the form of threading dislocations. Researchers are continually trying to reduce defect density. In c-plane nitride growth, as well as other semiconductor materials systems, the threading dislocation defects predominantly propagate along the principal growth direction. As such, laterally growing polar and nonpolar nitrides tend to exhibit reduced defect densities.

Description

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara have developed a novel method for defect reduction via lateral growth of semipolar nitrides. Lateral growth can be used to reduce defect density in semipolar nitride films by such growth techniques as LEO, SLEO, cantilever epitaxy, and nanomasking. The lateral growth can also be performed multiple times to further decrease the dislocation density.

Advantages

• Reduced defect density in semipolar nitride films

• Can be performed multiple times to further decrease dislocation density

Applications

• Growth of semipolar nitride films  

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Patent Status