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US 9,437,430 B2Granted
Thick pseudomorphic nitride epitaxial layers
AssigneeCrystal IS, Inc.
InventorsLeo J. Schowalter, Joseph A. Smart, James R. Grandusky, Shiwen Liu
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Abstract
Semiconductor structures are fabricated to include strained epitaxial layers exceeding a predicted critical thickness thereof.
Claims28
A semiconductor heterostructure comprising:
- an aluminum nitride single-crystal substrate;
- and
- at least one strained layer epitaxially grown thereover, the layer comprising at least one of AlN, GaN, InN, or any binary or tertiary alloy combination thereof,
- wherein a thickness of the strained layer exceeds a predicted critical thickness associated therewith by at least a factor of 5, as calculated with the Matthews-Blakeslee theory,
- h
- c
- =
- b
- 8
-
- π
-
-
- f
-
- (
- 1
- -
- v
-
-
- cos
- 2
-
- α
- )
- (
- 1
- +
- v
- )
-
- cos
-
-
- λ
-
- (
- ln
-
- (
- h
- c
- b
- )
- +
- 1
- )
- ,
- where hc is the predicted critical thickness, b is the magnitude of the Burgers vector of a dislocation formed between the layer and the substrate, f is the lattice mismatch between the layer and the substrate, υ is the Poisson's ratio of the layer, λ is the angle between the slip direction of the layer and the direction in the plane of the layer perpendicular to the line of intersection of the slip plane of the layer and the interface between the layer and the substrate, and α is the angle between the dislocation and the Burgers vector of the dislocation.
47 more elements
A method for forming a semiconductor heterostructure, the method comprising:
- providing an aluminum nitride single-crystal substrate;
- and
- epitaxially depositing over the substrate a strained layer comprising at east one of AlN, GaN, InN, or any binary or tertiary alloy combination thereof,
- wherein a thickness of the strained layer exceeds a predicted critical thickness associated therewith by at least a factor of 5, as calculated with the Matthews-Blakeslee theory,
- h
- c
- =
- b
- 8
-
- π
-
-
- f
-
- (
- 1
- -
- v
-
-
- cos
- 2
-
- α
- )
- (
- 1
- +
- v
- )
-
- cos
-
-
- λ
-
- (
- ln
-
- (
- h
- c
- b
- )
- +
- 1
- )
- ,
- where hc is the predicted critical thickness, b is the magnitude of the Burgers vector of a dislocation formed between the layer and the substrate, f is the lattice mismatch between the layer and the substrate, υ is the Poisson's ratio of the layer, λ is the angle between the slip direction of the layer and the direction in the plane of the layer perpendicular to the line of intersection of the slip plane of the layer and the interface between the layer and the substrate, and α is the angle between the dislocation and the Burgers vector of the dislocation.
47 more elements
A device selected from the group consisting of a field effect transistor, a light-emitting diode, and a laser diode, the device comprising at least a portion of a strained heterostructure including:
- an aluminum nitride single-crystal substrate;
- and
- at least one strained layer epitaxially grown thereover, the layer comprising at least one of AlN, GaN, InN, or any binary or tertiary alloy combination thereof,
- wherein a thickness of the strained layer exceeds a predicted critical thickness associated therewith by at least a factor of 10, as calculated with the Matthews-Blakeslee theory,
- h
- c
- =
- b
- 8
-
- π
-
-
- f
-
- (
- 1
- -
- v
-
-
- cos
- 2
-
- α
- )
- (
- 1
- +
- v
- )
-
- cos
-
-
- λ
-
- (
- ln
-
- (
- h
- c
- b
- )
- +
- 1
- )
- ,
- where hc is the predicted critical thickness, b is the magnitude of the Burgers vector of a dislocation formed between the layer and the substrate, λ is the lattice mismatch between the layer and the substrate, υ is the Poisson's ratio of the layer, λ is the angle between the slip direction of the layer and the direction in the plane of the layer perpendicular to the line of intersection of the slip plane of the layer and the interface between the layer and the substrate, and α is the angle between the dislocation and the Burgers vector of the dislocation.
47 more elements
A device selected from the group consisting of a field effect transistor, a light-emitting diode, and a laser diode, the device comprising at least a portion of a strained heterostructure including:
- an aluminum nitride single-crystal substrate;
- and
- a plurality of strained layers epitaxially grown thereover, each of the plurality of strained layers comprising at least one of AlN, GaN, InN, or any binary or tertiary alloy combination thereof,
- wherein a total thickness of the plurality of strained layers exceeds a predicted critical thickness associated therewith by at least a factor of 10, as calculated with the Matthews-Blakeslee theory,
- h
- c
- =
- b
- 8
-
- π
-
-
- f
-
- (
- 1
- -
- v
-
-
- cos
- 2
-
- α
- )
- (
- 1
- +
- v
- )
-
- cos
-
-
- λ
-
- (
- ln
-
- (
- h
- c
- b
- )
- +
- 1
- )
- ,
- where hc is the predicted critical thickness, b is the magnitude of the Burgers vector of a dislocation formed between the layers and the substrate, f is the lattice mismatch between the layers and the substrate, υ is the Poisson's ratio of the layers, λ is the angle between the slip direction of the layers and the direction in the plane of the layers perpendicular to the line of intersection of the slip plane of the layers and the interface between the layers and the substrate, and α is the angle between the dislocation and the Burgers vector of the dislocation.
47 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.