Laser-initiated exfoliation of group iii-nitride films and applications for layer transfer and patterning

A laser-initiated exfoliation method for transferring a Group III-nitride-based structure from a growth substrate to a handle substrate, said method comprising:

• forming a Group III-nitride film on a growth substrate, the Group III-nitride film having a lower surface in contact with the growth substrate at a growth substrate/Group III-nitride film interface;
• bonding a handle substrate to an upper surface of the Group III-nitride film;
• selecting a laser providing pulsed laser radiation at a wavelength at which the Group III-nitride film and the handle substrate are non-absorbing, while the growth substrate is absorbing;
• irradiating the growth substrate/Group III-nitride film interface with the laser radiation, wherein the laser radiation (i) is incident from a handle substrate/Group III-nitride side, (ii) is provided in a pattern that defines the periphery of an area of the Group III-nitride film to be transferred, and (iii) causes the Group III-nitride film immediately adjacent to the irradiated areas to at least partially exfoliate onto the handle substrate;
• and
• removing a handle substrate/Group III-nitride film structure from the growth substrate.