# US 10,319,587 B2 · Method of manufacturing epitaxial wafer and silicon-based substrate for epitaxial growth

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- Number: US 10,319,587 B2
- Document ID: US10319587B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/120,924
- Filed: 2015-02-10
- Published: 2016-12-15
- Granted: 2019-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2014-03-04
- Assignees: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Kazunori Hagimoto; Masaru Shinomiya; Keitaro Tsuchiya; Hirokazu Goto; Ken Sato; Hiroshi Shikauchi; Shoichi Kobayashi; Hirotaka Kurimoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10319587B2

## CPC

- H10P 14/3416: {Nitrides}
- C30B 25/183: {being provided with a buffer layer, e.g. a lattice matching layer}
- C30B 29/403: {AIII-nitrides}
- H10D 62/8503: {Nitride Group III-V materials, e.g. AlN or GaN}
- H10P 14/2904: {Silicon carbide}
- H10P 14/2905: {Silicon, silicon germanium or germanium}
- H10P 14/2925: {Surface structures}
- H10P 14/3216: {Nitrides}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- C30B: SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH (by using ultra-high pressure, e.g. for the formation of diamonds, B01J3/06); UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL (zone-refining of metals or alloys C22B); PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (casting of metals, casting of other substances by the same processes or devices B22D; working of plastics B29; modifying the physical structure of metals or alloys C21D, C22F); SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (for producing semiconductor devices or parts thereof H10); APPARATUS THEREFOR
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

## Abstract

A method of manufacturing an epitaxial wafer having an epitaxial layer on a silicon-based substrate, the method of manufacturing the epitaxial wafer including epitaxially growing a semiconductor layer on the silicon-based substrate after applying terrace processing to an outer peripheral portion of the silicon-based substrate. As a result, the method of manufacturing the epitaxial wafer having the epitaxial layer on the silicon-based substrate in which an epitaxial wafer which is completely free from cracks can be obtained, is provided.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of manufacturing an epitaxial wafer having a semiconductor layer on a silicon-based substrate, the method of manufacturing the epitaxial wafer comprising:
applying terrace processing to an outer peripheral portion of the silicon-based substrate in which a constant width of said portion is removed to a depth below the substrate surface without changing its outer diameter to form a terrace portion having a flat surface,
making a ground terrace surface of the terrace portion a mirror surface or a quasi-mirror surface, and
epitaxially growing the semiconductor layer on the silicon-based substrate such that the semiconductor layer at the terrace portion becomes a polycrystal directly on the terrace surface,
wherein the terrace processing is performed through grinding using a grinding wheel.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of manufacturing the epitaxial wafer according to claim 1,
wherein the semiconductor layer to be epitaxially grown is composed of a nitride semiconductor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of manufacturing the epitaxial wafer according to claim 2,
wherein the nitride semiconductor is one or more of any of AlN, GaN, InN and a mixed crystal of these.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of manufacturing the epitaxial wafer according to claim 1,
wherein said width is equal to or greater than 1 mm, and said depth is equal to or greater than 3 μm.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of manufacturing the epitaxial wafer according to claim 1,
wherein said width is 1 to 3 mm, and said depth is 3 to 50 μm.

### Claim 6

An epitaxial wafer in which a semiconductor layer is grown on a silicon-based substrate by epitaxial growth, the epitaxial wafer comprising:
a terrace portion having a flat surface that is obtained by applying terrace processing to an outer peripheral portion of the silicon-based substrate in which a constant width of said portion is removed to a depth below the substrate surface without changing its outer diameter,
wherein a terrace surface of the terrace portion is a mirror surface or a quasi-mirror surface, and
wherein the semiconductor layer at the terrace portion is a polycrystal directly on the terrace surface.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The epitaxial wafer according to claim 6,
wherein the semiconductor layer to be epitaxially grown is composed of a nitride semiconductor.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The epitaxial wafer according to claim 7,
wherein the nitride semiconductor is one or more of any of AlN, GaN, InN and a mixed crystal of these.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The epitaxial wafer according to claim 6,
wherein said width is equal to or greater than 1 mm, and said depth is equal to or greater than 3 μm.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The epitaxial wafer according to claim 6,
wherein said width is 1 to 3 mm, and said depth is 3 to 50 μm.