III-N SEMICONDUCTOR LAYER ON Si SUBSTRATE

A method of growing III-N semiconducting material on a silicon substrate comprising the steps of:

• providing a single crystal silicon substrate;
• epitaxially growing a first layer of rare earth oxide on the silicon substrate, the first layer of rare earth oxide being substantially lattice matched to the silicon substrate;
• epitaxially growing a second layer of rare earth oxide on the first layer of rare earth oxide, the second layer of rare earth oxide having a different lattice constant then the first layer of rare earth oxide creating a stress in the second layer of rare earth oxide;
• nitridizing the second layer of epitaxial rare earth oxide with nitrogen to form a nucleation layer;
• and
• epitaxially growing a layer of III-N material on the nucleation layer of epitaxial rare earth oxide.

A method of growing III-N semiconducting material on a silicon substrate comprising the steps of:

• providing a single crystal silicon substrate;
• epitaxially growing a first layer of rare earth oxide on the silicon substrate, the first layer of rare earth oxide being substantially lattice matched to the silicon substrate;
• epitaxially growing a second layer of rare earth oxide on the first layer of rare earth oxide, the second layer of rare earth oxide having a different lattice constant then the first layer of rare earth oxide creating a stress in the second layer of rare earth oxide;
• nitridizing the second layer of epitaxial rare earth oxide with nitrogen to form a nucleation layer;
• epitaxially growing a nucleation-buffer layer of REN RE-III-N material on the nucleation layer of epitaxial rare earth oxide;
• and
• epitaxially growing a layer of III-N material on the nucleation-buffer layer of epitaxial rare earth oxide.

A method of growing III-N semiconducting material on a silicon substrate comprising the steps of:

• providing a single crystal silicon substrate;
• growing a layer of epitaxial rare earth oxide on the silicon substrate, the layer of epitaxial rare earth oxide having a surface;
• modifying the surface of the layer of epitaxial rare earth oxide with a nitrogen plasma using the following parameters:
• the nitrogen plasma has an atomic-to-molecular ratio in a range of 2 to 4 and the substrate temperature during the nitrogen plasma modification is in a range of 550° C. to 850° C.;
• growing a layer of low temperature epitaxial gallium nitride on the modified surface of the layer of epitaxial rare earth oxide using the parameters:
• a substrate temperature in a range of 450° C. to 650° C.;
• atomic-to-molecular nitrogen ratio in the plasma in a range of 2 to 4;
• and gallium vapor partial pressure of approximately 1×10−6 Torr;
• and
• growing a layer of bulk epitaxial III-N semiconductive material on the layer of low temperature epitaxial gallium nitride using the parameters:
• a substrate temperature in a range of 800° C. to 950° C.;
• a gallium vapor partial pressure of approximately 2.5×10−6 Torr;
• and an atomic-to-molecular nitrogen ratio in the plasma in a range of 2 to 4.

III-N semiconducting material on a silicon substrate comprising:

• a single crystal silicon substrate;
• a first epitaxial layer of rare earth oxide positioned on the silicon substrate, the first layer of rare earth oxide being substantially lattice matched to the silicon substrate;
• a second epitaxial layer of rare earth oxide positioned on the first epitaxial layer of rare earth oxide, the second epitaxial layer of rare earth oxide having a different lattice constant then the first epitaxial layer of rare earth oxide with a stress in the second epitaxial layer of rare earth oxide;
• the second layer of epitaxial rare earth oxide being nitridized with nitrogen to form a nucleation layer;
• and
• an epitaxial layer of III-N material positioned on the nucleation layer of epitaxial rare earth oxide.

III-N semiconducting material on a silicon substrate comprising:

• a single crystal silicon substrate;
• a single crystal layer of rare earth oxide positioned on the silicon substrate and having a surface;
• the surface of the single crystal layer of rare earth oxide being terminated with nitrogen atoms forming a nitrogen atom template;
• a single crystal layer of III-N material positioned on the nitrogen atom template;
• and
• a single crystal epitaxial bulk semiconductor III-N layer positioned on the single crystal layer of III-N material.