Growth of nitride films

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016340783-A1
Application number	US-201615158305-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 18, 2016
Priority date	May 19, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A gallium nitride thin film can be formed on a substrate at a low temperature (e.g., not higher than 600° C.) by applying a laser to resonantly excite molecules of a first precursor that contains nitrogen, in which the laser has a wavelength that is selected to match a vibration mode and/or a vibrational-rotational mode of the molecules of the first precursor. A second precursor is provided in which the excited first precursor and the second precursor react to form a nitride that is deposited on the substrate. For example, the second precursor may include gallium, and the nitride may be gallium nitride. Other nitride films can be produced in a similar manner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
applying a first laser to resonantly excite molecules of a first precursor to produce at least one of nitrogen or nitrogen-associated species; providing a second precursor having a component that reacts with at least one of the nitrogen or the nitrogen-associated species to form a nitride; and depositing the nitride on a substrate.

2 . The method of claim 1 in which the first laser having a wavelength that is selected to match at least one of a vibrational mode or a vibrational-rotational mode of the molecules of the first precursor.

3 . The method of claim 1 in which the nitrogen-associated species comprise at least one of N, NH, or NH 2 .

4 . The method of claim 1 , comprising causing the excited first precursor to react with the second precursor, and maintaining the substrate at a temperature not more than 600° C., in which the substrate is not subjected to more than 600° C. during deposition of the nitride.

5 . The method of claim 1 , comprising causing the excited first precursor to react with the second precursor, and maintaining the substrate at approximately 250° C., in which the substrate is subjected no more than 260° C. during deposition of the nitride.

6 . The method of claim 1 , comprising causing the excited first precursor to react with the second precursor, and maintaining the substrate at a temperature in a range from 250 to 300° C., in which the substrate is subjected no more than 300° C. during deposition of the nitride.

7 . The method of claim 1 , comprising causing the excited first precursor to react with the second precursor, and maintaining the substrate at a temperature in a range from 300 to 350° C., in which the substrate is subjected no more than 350° C. during deposition of the nitride.

8 . The method of claim 1 , comprising causing the excited first precursor to react with the second precursor, and maintaining the substrate at a temperature in a range from 350 to 400° C., in which the substrate is subjected no more than 400° C. during deposition of the nitride.

9 . The method of claim 1 , comprising causing the excited first precursor to react with the second precursor, and maintaining the substrate at a temperature in a range from 400 to 450° C., in which the substrate is subjected no more than 450° C. during deposition of the nitride.

10 . The method of claim 1 , comprising causing the excited first precursor to react with the second precursor, and maintaining the substrate at a temperature in a range from 450 to 500° C., in which the substrate is subjected no more than 500° C. during deposition of the nitride.

11 . The method of claim 1 , comprising causing the excited first precursor to react with the second precursor, and maintaining the substrate at a temperature in a range from 500 to 550° C., in which the substrate is subjected no more than 550° C. during deposition of the nitride.

12 . The method of claim 1 , comprising causing the excited first precursor to react with the second precursor, and maintaining the substrate at a temperature in a range from 550 to 600° C., in which the substrate is subjected no more than 600° C. during deposition of the nitride.

13 . The method of claim 1 in which depositing the nitride comprises forming a thin film of nitride on the substrate.

14 . The method of claim 1 in which providing a second precursor comprises providing a second precursor that includes gallium, and the nitride comprises gallium nitride (GaN).

15 . The method of claim 14 in which providing the second precursor comprises providing trimethylgallium ((CH 3 ) 3 Ga).

16 . The method of claim 1 in which providing a second precursor comprises providing a second precursor that includes indium, and the nitride comprises indium nitride (InN).

17 . The method of claim 16 in which providing the second precursor comprises providing trimethylindium ((CH 3 ) 3 In).

18 . The method of claim 1 in which providing a second precursor comprises providing a second precursor that includes aluminum, and the nitride comprises aluminum nitride (AlN).

19 . The method of claim 18 in which providing the second precursor comprises providing trimethylaluminum ((CH 3 ) 3 Al).

20 . The method of claim 1 in which providing a second precursor comprises providing a second precursor that includes silicon, and the nitride comprises silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ).

21 . The method of claim 20 in which providing the second precursor comprises providing silane (SiH 4 ).

22 . The method of claim 1 in which providing a second precursor comprises providing a second precursor that includes titanium, and the nitride comprises titanium nitride (TiN).

23 . The method of claim 20 in which providing the second precursor comprises providing titanium tetrachloride (TiCl 4 ).

24 . The method of claim 1 in which providing a second precursor comprises providing a second precursor that includes carbon, and the nitride comprises carbon nitride (C 3 N 4 ).

25 . The method of claim 20 in which providing the second precursor comprises providing hydrocarbons.

26 . The method of claim 25 in which providing hydrocarbons comprises providing at least one of ethylene or methane.

27 . The method of claim 1 in which applying a laser to resonantly excite molecules of a first precursor comprises applying a laser to resonantly excite molecules of ammonia (NH 3 ).

28 . The method of claim 27 in which applying a laser comprises applying a laser having a wavelength of 9.219 μm to resonantly excite the NH 3 molecules.

29 . The method of claim 1 in which applying a laser comprises projecting a laser along a path parallel to a surface of the substrate.

30 . The method of claim 29 in which a distance between the path and the substrate is less than 30 mm.

31 . The method of claim 30 in which a distance between the path and the substrate is approximately 20 mm.

32 . The method of claim 1 , comprising expanding a laser beam to form a wide laser beam, and in which applying a laser comprises projecting the wide laser beam along a path parallel to a surface of the substrate.

33 . The method of claim 1 in which depositing the nitride on a substrate comprises depositing the nitride on at least one of a plastic substrate, a polymer substrate, a silicon substrate, an aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) substrate, a silicon carbide (SiC-4H) substrate, a silicon carbide (SiC-6H) substrate, a lithium aluminum oxide (LiAlO 2 ) substrate, or a zinc oxide substrate.

34 . The method of claim 1 in which depositing the nitride on a substrate comprises depositing the nitride on a sapphire substrate.

35 . The method of claim 1 , comprising applying a second laser to resonantly excite molecules of a third precursor to produce at least one of nitrogen or nitrogen-associated species.

36 . The method of claim 35 in which the second laser has a wavelength that is selected to match at least one of a vibrational mode or a vibrational-rotational mode of molecules of the third precursor.

37 . The method of claim 35 in which the first and second lasers are applied concurrently, and the wavelength of the first laser is diffe

Assignees

• Univ Nebraska

Inventors

• Lu Yongfeng
• Golgir Hossein Rabiee
• Zhou Yunshen

Classifications

• H10P14/2922

  being non-crystalline insulating materials, e.g. glass or polymers · CPC title

• H10P14/2905

  Silicon, silicon germanium or germanium · CPC title

• H10P14/2904

  Silicon carbide · CPC title

• H10P14/3416

  Nitrides · CPC title

• H10P14/2923

  being conductive materials, e.g. metallic silicides · CPC title