Method and apparatus for growing a group (III) metal nitride film and a group (III) metal nitride film

A process for growing a group (III) metal nitride film by remote plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition, the process comprising the steps of:

• (a) contacting at least a portion of an inner surface of a containment tube comprising silica or quartz with a nitrogen plasma at a pressure of from 10 mTorr to 100 Torr and for a period of 1 hour to 100 hours, the contacting at least a portion of the inner surface of the containment tube with a nitrogen plasma causing at least a portion of the inner surface of the containment tube to react with nitrogen ions in the nitrogen plasma, whereby at least a portion of the inner surface is converted into a passivated species that releases less oxygen atoms at a pressure of from 10 mTorr to 100 Torr;
• (b) heating an object selected from the group consisting of a substrate and a substrate comprising a buffer layer in a growth chamber to a temperature in the range of from about 400° C. to about 750° C.;
• (c) producing active neutral nitrogen species in a nitrogen plasma remotely located from the growth chamber;
• (d) transferring the active neutral nitrogen species to the growth chamber via the containment tube;
• (e) forming a reaction mixture in the growth chamber, the reaction mixture containing a species of a group (III) metal that is capable of reacting with the nitrogen species so as to form a group (III) metal nitride film;
• and
• (f) forming a film of group (III) metal nitride on the heated object under conditions whereby the film is suitable for device purposes.