US 6,656,285 B1Granted

Reactor for extended duration growth of gallium containing single crystals

AssigneeTechnologies and Devices International, Inc.

InventorsYuri V. Melnik, Vitali Soukhoveev, Vladimir Ivantsov, Katie Tsvetkov, Vladimir A. Dmitriev

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Abstract

An apparatus for growing bulk GaN and AlGaN single crystal boules, preferably using a modified HVPE process, is provided. The single crystal boules typically have a volume in excess of 4 cubic centimeters with a minimum dimension of approximately 1 centimeter. If desired, the bulk material can be doped during growth to achieve n-, i-, or p-type conductivity. In order to have growth cycles of sufficient duration, preferably an extended Ga source is used in which a portion of the Ga source is maintained at a relatively high temperature while most of the Ga source is maintained at a temperature close to, and just above, the melting temperature of Ga. To grow large boules of AlGaN, preferably multiple Al sources are used, the Al sources being sequentially activated to avoid Al source depletion and excessive degradation. In order to achieve high growth rates, preferably a dual growth zone reactor is used in which a first, high temperature zone is used for crystal nucleation and a second, low temperature zone is used for rapid crystal growth. Although the process can be used to grow crystals in which the as-grown material and the seed crystal are of different composition, preferably the two crystalline structures have the same composition, thus yielding improved crystal quality.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A reactor for growing a gallium containing single crystal, comprising:

a first growth zone;
means for heating at least one substrate within said first growth zone to a first temperature, wherein said first temperature is greater than 850° C.;
a gallium source zone;
means for simultaneously heating a first portion of a gallium source within said gallium source zone to a second temperature and a second portion of said gallium source within said gallium source zone to a third temperature, wherein said second temperature is greater than 450° C., wherein said third temperature is greater than 30° C., and wherein said third temperature is less than 100° C.;
a halide reaction gas source coupled to said gallium source zone;
an inert gas source coupled to said gallium source zone to transport a first reaction product from said gallium source zone to said first growth zone;
a reaction gas source coupled to said first growth zone;
a first aluminum source zone, wherein said halide reaction gas source is coupled to said first aluminum source zone, and wherein said inert gas source is coupled to said first aluminum source zone;
means for heating a first aluminum source within said first aluminum source zone to a fourth temperature, wherein said fourth temperature is greater than 700° C.;
a second aluminum source zone, wherein said halide reaction gas source is coupled to said second aluminum source zone, and wherein said inert gas source is coupled to said second aluminum source zone;
and
means for heating a second aluminum source within said second aluminum source zone to a fifth temperature, wherein said fifth temperature is greater than 700° C.;
means for alternately coupling said first and second aluminum source zones to said halide reaction gas source and said inert gas source, wherein said means for heating said first aluminum source and said means for heating said second aluminum source are the same heating means, and wherein said heating means alternates between heating said first aluminum source and said second aluminum source.

10 more elements

A reactor for growing a gallium containing single crystal, comprising:

a multi-zone heater at least partially surrounding at least a portion of the reactor;
a first growth zone, wherein said multi-zone heater heats any substrates held within said first growth zone to a first temperature in the temperature range of 1,000° C. to 1,100° C.;
a second growth zone, wherein said multi-zone heater heats any substrates held within said second growth zone to a second temperature in the temperature range of 850° C. to 1,000° C.;
a multi-temperature gallium source zone, wherein said multi-zone heater heats a first portion of a gallium source within said multi-temperature gallium source zone to a third temperature greater than 450° C., and wherein said multi-zone heater heats a second portion of said gallium source within said multi-temperature gallium source zone to a fourth temperature greater than 30° C. and less than 100° C.;
an HCl gas source coupled to said multi-temperature gallium source zone, wherein a reaction between an HCl gas supplied by said HCl gas source to said multi-temperature gallium source zone and said first portion of said gallium source forms a gallium chloride reaction product;
an inert gas source coupled to said multi-temperature gallium source zone, wherein an inert gas supplied by said inert gas source to said multi-temperature gallium source zone transports said gallium chloride reaction product from said multi-temperature gallium source zone to said first and second growth zones;
an ammonia gas source coupled to said first and second growth zones, wherein a reaction between an ammonia gas supplied by said ammonia gas source to said first and second growth zones and said gallium chloride reaction product forms a first portion of said gallium containing single crystal;
and
means for transporting said at least one substrate between said first growth zone and said second growth zone, wherein a reaction between said ammonia gas supplied by said ammonia gas source to said second growth zone and said gallium chloride reaction product forms a second portion of said gallium containing single crystal.

6 more elements

A reactor for growing a gallium containing single crystal, comprising:

a multi-zone heater at least partially surrounding at least a portion of the reactor;
a first growth zone, wherein said multi-zone heater heats any substrates held within said first growth zone to a first temperature in the temperature range of 1,000° C. to 1,100° C.;
a second growth zone, wherein said multi-zone heater heats any substrates held within said second growth zone to a second temperature in the temperature range of 850° C. to 1,000° C.;
means for transporting a substrate between said first growth zone and said second growth zone;
a multi-temperature gallium source zone, wherein said multi-zone heater heats a first portion of a gallium source within said multi-temperature gallium source zone to a third temperature greater than 450° C., and wherein said multi-zone heater heats a second portion of said gallium source within said multi-temperature gallium source zone to a fourth temperature greater than 30° C. and less than 100° C.;
a first aluminum source zone, wherein said multi-zone heater heats a first aluminum source within said first aluminum source zone to a fifth temperature greater than 700° C.;
a second aluminum source zone, wherein said multi-zone heater heats a second aluminum source within said second aluminum source zone to a sixth temperature greater than 700° C.;
means for selecting between said first and second aluminum source zones;
an HCl gas source coupled to said multi-temperature gallium source zone, said first aluminum source zone, and said second aluminum source zone, wherein a reaction between an HCl gas supplied by said HCl gas source to said multi-temperature gallium source zone and said first portion of said gallium source forms a gallium chloride reaction product, and wherein a reaction between said HCl gas supplied by said HCl gas source to said selected first or second aluminum source zone and said selected first or second aluminum source forms an aluminum trichloride reaction product;
an inert gas source coupled to said multi-temperature gallium source zone, said first aluminum source zone, and said second aluminum source zone, wherein an inert gas supplied by said inert gas source to said multi-temperature gallium source zone transports said gallium chloride reaction product from said multi-temperature gallium source zone to said first and second growth zones, and wherein said inert gas supplied by said inert gas source to said selected first or second aluminum source zone transports said aluminum trichloride reaction product to said first and second growth zones;
and
an ammonia gas source coupled to said first and second growth zones, wherein a reaction between an ammonia gas supplied by said ammonia gas source to said first and second growth zones and said gallium chloride reaction product and said aluminum trichloride reaction product forms the gallium containing single crystal.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/903,299Filed 11 Jul 2001 · continuation
Priority: 6 Jul 2001
Published: US 2003/0221619 A14 Dec 2003
Granted: 2 Dec 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

C30B 25/00
Single-crystal growth by chemical reaction of reactive gases
C30B 25/02
Single-crystal growth by chemical reaction of reactive gases, e.g. chemical vapour-deposition growth: epitaxial-layer growth
C30B 29/403
AIIIBV compounds wherein A is B, Al, Ga, In or Tl and B is N, P, As, Sb or Bi: aIII-nitrides
C30B 29/406
AIII-nitrides: gallium nitride