# US 10,770,616 B2 · Heterostructure with sacrificial layer

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- Number: US 10,770,616 B2
- Document ID: US10770616B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/101,646
- Filed: 2018-08-13
- Published: 2018-12-27
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2015-07-01
- Assignees: Sensor Electronic Technology, Inc.
- Applicants: Sensor Electronic Technology, Inc.
- Inventors: Michael Shur; Alexander Dobrinsky; Maxim S. Shatalov
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10770616B2

## CPC

- H10H 20/018: {Bonding of wafers}
- H10H 20/01335: {the light-emitting regions comprising nitride materials}
- H10P 14/2925: {Surface structures}
- H10P 14/3216: {Nitrides}
- H10P 14/3242: {Structure}
- H10P 14/3252: {Alternating layers, e.g. superlattice}
- H10P 14/3416: {Nitrides}
- H10P 14/38: {characterised by treatments done after the formation of the materials}
- H10P 50/646: {of Group III-V materials}
- H10P 52/00: Grinding, lapping or polishing of wafers, substrates or parts of devices
- H10P 72/74: {using temporarily an auxiliary support}
- H10P 95/112: {leaving a reusable substrate, e.g. epitaxial lift off}
- H10P 72/7434: {used in a transfer process involving at least two transfer steps, i.e. including an intermediate handle substrate}
- H10P 72/744: {Details of chemical or physical process used for separating the auxiliary support from a device or a wafer}
- H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Fabrication of a heterostructure, such as a group III nitride heterostructure, for use in an optoelectronic device is described. The heterostructure can be epitaxially grown on a sacrificial layer, which is located on a substrate structure. The sacrificial layer can be at least partially decomposed using a laser. The substrate structure can be completely removed from the heterostructure or remain attached thereto. One or more additional solutions for detaching the substrate structure from the heterostructure can be utilized. The heterostructure can undergo additional processing to form the optoelectronic device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A heterostructure comprising:
a substrate structure including:
a substrate; and
a set of group III nitride buffer layers directly adjacent to the substrate;
a set of group III nitride device layers located adjacent to the substrate structure; and
a sacrificial layer located between the substrate structure and the set of group III nitride device layers, wherein the sacrificial layer includes at least one sublayer including a first set of regions formed of a first material and a second set of regions located laterally adjacent to the first set of regions and having a composition different from the first material, wherein the first material has a bandgap smaller than a bandgap of each of the set of group III nitride buffer layers, and wherein the composition of the second set of regions is similar to a composition of a group III nitride buffer layer in the set of group III nitride buffer layers in the substrate structure.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The heterostructure of claim 1, wherein a surface of the substrate structure directly adjacent to the sacrificial layer is patterned.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The heterostructure of claim 1, wherein the substrate is sapphire.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The heterostructure of claim 1, wherein the set of group III nitride buffer layers includes a set of openings and a set of pillars.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The heterostructure of claim 1, wherein a group III nitride device layer immediately adjacent to the sacrificial layer is an n-type contact layer having n-type doping.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The heterostructure of claim 1, wherein a group III nitride device layer located on an opposite side of the set of group III nitride device layers as the sacrificial layer is a p-type layer having a p-type doping.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The heterostructure of claim 6, further comprising a set of electrodes directly adjacent to the p-type layer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The heterostructure of claim 7, further comprising a submount directly adjacent to the set of electrodes.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The heterostructure of claim 8, wherein the submount has a thermal conductivity at least as large as a thermal conductivity of the set of electrodes.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The heterostructure of claim 9, wherein the submount comprises silicon carbide.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The heterostructure of claim 1, wherein the sacrificial layer is configured to reduce a dislocation density in the set of group III nitride device layers.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The heterostructure of claim 1, wherein the second set of regions comprise vacancies.

### Claim 13

A heterostructure comprising:
a substrate structure having a patterned surface, the substrate structure including:
a sapphire substrate; and
a set of group III nitride buffer layers directly adjacent to the substrate;
a set of group III nitride device layers located adjacent to the substrate structure; and
a sacrificial layer located between the substrate structure and the set of group III nitride device layers, wherein the sacrificial layer includes at least one sub-layer including a first set of regions formed of a first material and a second set of regions located laterally adjacent to the first set of regions and having a composition different from the first material, wherein the first material has bandgap smaller than a bandgap of each of the set of group III nitride buffer layers, and wherein the composition of the second set of regions is similar to a composition of a group III nitride buffer layer in the set of group III nitride buffer layers in the substrate structure.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The heterostructure of claim 13, wherein the set of group III nitride buffer layers includes a set of openings and a set of pillars.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The heterostructure of claim 14, wherein the set of openings and the set of pillars are located at an interface between the group III nitride buffer layers and the sacrificial layer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The heterostructure of claim 13, wherein the sacrificial layer is configured to reduce a dislocation density in the set of group III nitride device layers.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The heterostructure of claim 13, wherein a group III nitride device layer immediately adjacent to the sacrificial layer is an n-type contact layer having n-type doping.

### Claim 18

A heterostructure comprising:
a substrate structure including:
a substrate; and
a set of group III nitride buffer layers directly adjacent to the substrate;
a set of group III nitride device layers located adjacent to the substrate structure; and
a sacrificial layer located between the substrate structure and the set of group III nitride device layers, wherein the sacrificial layer includes an essentially continuous sublayer located directly adjacent to the set of group III nitride device layers and a non-continuous sublayer located directly adjacent to the set of group III nitride buffer layers, wherein the non-continuous sublayer includes plurality of columnar structures formed of a semiconductor material and a set of vacancies located laterally adjacent to the plurality of columnar structures.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The heterostructure of claim 18, wherein the sacrificial layer includes at least one sub-layer having a bandgap smaller than a bandgap of each of the set of group III nitride buffer layers.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The heterostructure of claim 18, wherein the set of group III nitride device layers includes:
a group III nitride n-type contact layer immediately adjacent to the sacrificial layer; and
a group III nitride p-type layer located on an opposite side of the set of group III nitride device layers as the sacrificial layer.