University of Strathclyde

Paul Roger Edwards

Martin David Dawson

Robert William Martin

Erdan Gu

Ian Michael Watson

A method of growing semiconductor materials in the Indium, Aluminium, Gallium Nitride (InAlGaN) material system and to devices made therefrom, in particular optical devices in the ultraviolet to green region of the visible spectrum. Certain optical devices, for example Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) require great precision in the thickness of certain semiconductor layers. One aspect of the present invention provides a gallium-rich group III nitride layer () and an adjacent layer of AlInGaN layer (). The AlInGaN layer () acts as a fabrication facilitation layer and is selected to provide a good lattice match and high refractive index contrast with the gallium-rich group III nitride layer (). The high refractive index contrast permits in-situ optical monitoring. The extra layer () can be used as an etch marker or etch stop layer in subsequent processing and may be used in a lift-off process.

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Glasgow, United Kingdom

Paul Roger Edwards