Methods of fabricating gallium nitride microelectronic layers on silicon layers and gallium nitride microelectronic structures formed thereby

A method of fabricating a gallium nitride microelectronic layer comprising the steps of:

• converting a surface of a (111) silicon substrate to 3C-silicon carbide;
• epitaxially growing a layer of 3C-silicon carbide on the converted surface of the (111) silicon substrate;
• thinning the epitaxially grown layer of 3C-silicon carbide
• growing a buffer layer on the thinned epitaxially grown layer of 3C-silicon carbide;
• growing a layer of 2H-gallium nitride on the buffer layer;
• and
• laterally growing the layer of 2H-gallium nitride to produce the gallium nitride microelectronic layer.

A method of fabricating a gallium nitride microelectronic layer comprising the steps of:

• implanting oxygen into a (111) silicon substrate to define a (111) silicon surface layer on a (111) silicon substrate;
• converting at least a portion of the (111) silicon surface layer to 3C-silicon carbide;
• epitaxially growing a layer of 3C-silicon carbide on the converted (111) silicon surface layer;
• thinning the epitaxially grown layer of 3C-silicon carbide;
• growing a buffer layer on the thinned epitaxially grown layer of 3C-silicon carbide;
• growing a layer of 2H-gallium nitride on the buffer layer;
• and
• laterally growing the layer of 2H-gallium nitride to produce the gallium nitride microelectronic layer.

A method of fabricating a gallium nitride microelectronic layer comprising the steps of:

• bonding a (111) silicon substrate to a (100) silicon substrate;
• thinning the (111) silicon substrate to define a (111) silicon layer on the (100) silicon substrate;
• converting at least a portion of the (111) silicon layer to 3C-silicon carbide;
• epitaxially growing a layer of 3C-silicon carbide on the converted (111) silicon layer;
• growing a buffer nitride layer on the epitaxially grown layer of 3C-silicon carbide;
• growing a layer of 2H-gallium nitride on the buffer layer;
• and
• laterally growing the layer of 2H-gallium nitride to produce the gallium nitride microelectronic layer.

A method of fabricating a gallium nitride microelectronic layer comprising the steps of:

• bonding a (111) silicon layer to a substrate;
• epitaxially growing a layer of 3C-silicon carbide on a surface of the (111) silicon layer;
• growing a layer of 2H-gallium nitride on the epitaxially grown layer of 3C-silicon carbide;
• and
• laterally growing the layer of 2H-gallium nitride to produce the gallium nitride microelectronic layer.

A method of fabricating a gallium nitride microelectronic layer comprising the steps of:

• converting a surface of a (111) silicon layer to 3C-silicon carbide;
• epitaxially growing a layer of 3C-silicon carbide on the converted surface of the (111) silicon layer;
• thinning the epitaxially grown layer of 3C-silicon carbide;
• growing a layer of 2H-gallium nitride on the thinned epitaxially grown layer of 3C-silicon carbide;
• and
• laterally growing the layer of 2H-gallium nitride to produce the gallium nitride microelectronic layer.

A method of fabricating a gallium nitride microelectronic layer comprising the steps of:

• epitaxially growing a layer of 3C-silicon carbide on a surface of a (111) silicon layer;
• thinning the epitaxially grown layer of 3C-silicon carbide;
• growing a layer of 2H-gallium nitride on the thinned epitaxially grown layer of 3C-silicon carbide;
• and
• laterally growing the layer of 2H-gallium nitride to produce the gallium nitride microelectronic layer.