Method of growing a semiconductor layer
AssigneeSharp Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsStewart Edward Hooper, Jennifer Mary Barnes, Jonathan Heffernan, Alistair Henderson Kean
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Abstract
A method of growing a nitride semiconductor layer, such as a GaN layer, by molecular beam epitaxy comprises the step of growing a GaAlN nucleation layer on a substrate by molecular beam epitaxy. The nucleation layer is annealed, and a nitride semiconductor layer is then grown over the nucleation layer by molecular beam epitaxy. The nitride semiconductor layer is grown at a V/III molar ratio of 100 or greater, and this enables a high substrate temperature to be used so that a good quality semiconductor layer is obtained. Ammonia gas is supplied during the growth process, to provide the nitrogen required for the MBE growth process.
Claims16
A method of growing a nitride semiconductor layer by molecular beam epitaxy, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) disposing a substrate in a vacuum chamber;
- b) growing a layer of GaxAl1−xN (0≦x≦1) on the substrate by molecular beam epitaxy;
- c) annealing the GaxAl1−xN layer to change from polycrystalline to mono-crystalline in crystal structure;
- and
- d) growing a nitride semiconductor layer on the GaxAl1−xN layer by molecular beam epitaxy at a V/III molar ratio within the vacuum chamber of 100:1 or greater;
- wherein the method further comprises supplying ammonia gas to the vacuum chamber in step (b) and step (d).
A method as claimed in claim S wherein step (b) comprises growing the GaxAl1−xN layer at a V/III molar ratio within the vacuum chamber in the range 100:1-10,000:1 in stop (b).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.