Method for reducing surface layer defects in semiconductor materials having a volatile species

A method of reducing surface defects in the surface layer of a semiconductor sample which includes a volatile species, comprising the steps of:

• implanting atoms of said volatile species into the surface layer of said sample to fill species vacancies existing in said surface layer, and
• annealing said sample to move some of said implanted atoms from interstitial to substitutional sites in said surface layer, said annealing performed after said implanting,
• said implanting and annealing reducing the number of species vacancies in said surface layer,
• wherein said sample is formed from zinc sulfide and said volatile species is sulfur.

A method for reducing surface defects in the surface layer of a semiconductor sample which includes a volatile species, comprising the steps of:

• covering the surface layer of the semiconductor sample which includes a volatile species with a dummy layer,
• implanting atoms of said volatile species into said sample through said dummy layer at an energy necessary to implant some of said atoms to fill species vacancies in said surface layer, and
• rapid thermal annealing said sample for a duration and time necessary to move some of said implanted species atoms which occupy interstitial sites in the surface layer to substitutional sites in the surface layer,
• so that said surface layer has less species vacancies after said covering, implanting and annealing than before, and
• wherein said volatile species is nitrogen, said species vacancies are nitrogen vacancies, and said species atoms are nitrogen atoms.

A method for reducing surface defects in the surface layer of a semiconductor sample which includes a volatile species, comprising the steps of:

• covering the surface layer of the semiconductor sample which includes a volatile species with a dummy layer,
• implanting atoms of said volatile species into said sample through said dummy layer at an energy necessary to implant some of said atoms to fill species vacancies in said surface layer, and
• rapid thermal annealing said sample for a duration and time necessary to move some of said implanted species atoms which occupy interstitial sites in the surface layer to substitutional sites in the surface layer,
• so that said surface layer has less species vacancies after said covering, implanting and annealing than before, and
• wherein said semiconductor sample which includes a volatile species is a group-III nitride-based semiconductor sample, said species vacancies are nitrogen vacancies, and said species atoms are nitrogen atoms.

A method for reducing surface defects in the surface layer of a semiconductor sample which includes a volatile species, comprising the steps of:

• covering the surface layer of the semiconductor sample which includes a volatile species with a dummy layer,
• implanting atoms of said volatile species into said sample through said dummy layer at an energy necessary to implant some of said atoms to fill species vacancies in said surface layer, and
• rapid thermal annealing said sample for a duration and time necessary to move some of said implanted species atoms which occupy interstitial sites in the surface layer to substitutional sites in the surface layer,
• so that said surface layer has less species vacancies after said covering, implanting and annealing than before, and
• wherein said sample comprises gallium nitride (GaN).

A method for reducing surface defects in the surface layer of a semiconductor sample which includes a volatile species, comprising the steps of:

• covering the surface layer of the semiconductor sample which includes a volatile species with a dummy layer,
• implanting atoms of said volatile species into said sample through said dummy layer at an energy necessary to implant some of said atoms to fill species vacancies in said surface layer, and
• rapid thermal annealing said sample for a duration and time necessary to move some of said implanted species atoms which occupy interstitial sites in the surface layer to substitutional sites in the surface layer, and
• so that said surface layer has less species vacancies after said covering, implanting and annealing than before, and further comprising the step of tilting said sample prior to the implanting of species atoms so that a side wall on said surface layer receives implanted species atoms to fill species vacancies.