Semiconductor material having a compositionally-graded transition layer
US-10177229-B2 · Jan 8, 2019 · US
Gallium nitride materials and methods
US2019229190A1 · US · A1
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Publication number | US-2019229190-A1 |
| Application number | US-201816231225-A |
| Country | US |
| Kind code | A1 |
| Filing date | Dec 21, 2018 |
| Priority date | Dec 14, 2000 |
| Publication date | Jul 25, 2019 |
| Grant date | — |
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Abstract
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The invention provides semiconductor materials including a gallium nitride material layer formed on a silicon substrate and methods to form the semiconductor materials. The semiconductor materials include a transition layer formed between the silicon substrate and the gallium nitride material layer. The transition layer is compositionally-graded to lower stresses in the gallium nitride material layer which can result from differences in thermal expansion rates between the gallium nitride material and the substrate. The lowering of stresses in the gallium nitride material layer reduces the tendency of cracks to form. Thus, the invention enables the production of semiconductor materials including gallium nitride material layers having few or no cracks. The semiconductor materials may be used in a number of microelectronic and optical applications.
First claim
Opening claim text (preview).
What is claimed is: 1 . A method of producing a semiconductor material comprising: forming a compositionally-graded transition layer over a silicon substrate; and forming a gallium nitride material layer over the transition layer. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition of the transition layer is graded continuously across the thickness of the layer. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the transition layer comprises an alloy of gallium nitride selected from the group consisting of Al x In y Ga (1-x-y) N, In y Ga (1-y) N, and Al x Ga (1-x) N. 4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of gallium in the transition layer is graded. 5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the value of x decreases in a direction away from the silicon substrate. 6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the transition layer comprises Al x Ga (1-x) N. 7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the transition layer comprises a superlattice including a series of alternating Al x In y Ga (1-x-y) N/Al a In b Ga (1-a-b) N layers. 8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer comprises GaN. 9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer comprises Al x In y Ga (1-x) N. 10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising processing the semiconductor material to form at least one semiconductor device. 11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer has a crack level of less than 0.005 μm/μm 2 . 12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer has a crack level of less than 0.001 μm/μm 2 . 13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer is substantially free of cracks. 14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer is monocrystalline. 15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming an intermediate layer over the silicon substrate and under the transition layer.
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Classifications
Monocrystalline · CPC title
Nitrides · CPC title
Graded layers · CPC title
Alternating layers, e.g. superlattice · CPC title
Nitrides · CPC title
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- What does patent US2019229190A1 cover?
- The invention provides semiconductor materials including a gallium nitride material layer formed on a silicon substrate and methods to form the semiconductor materials. The semiconductor materials include a transition layer formed between the silicon substrate and the gallium nitride material layer. The transition layer is compositionally-graded to lower stresses in the gallium nitride material…
- Who is the assignee on this patent?
- Macom Tech Solutions Holdings Inc
- What technology area does this patent fall under?
- Primary CPC classification H01L29/155. Mapped technology areas include Electricity.
- When was this patent published?
- Publication date Thu Jul 25 2019 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (A1). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
- What related patents are in patentsdb?
- We list 4 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).