Sensor Electronic Technology, Inc.

Wenhong Sun

Michael Shur

Remigijus Gaska

Maxim S Shatalov

Rakesh B Jain

Alexander Dobrinsky

Jinwei Yang

Robert Mark Kennedy

Daniel Billingsley

Brandon A Robinson

A method of fabricating a device using a layer with a patterned surface for improving the growth of semiconductor layers, such as group III nitride-based semiconductor layers with a high concentration of aluminum, is provided. The patterned surface can include a substantially flat top surface and a plurality of stress reducing regions, such as openings. The substantially flat top surface can have a root mean square roughness less than approximately 0.5 nanometers, and the stress reducing regions can have a characteristic size between approximately 0.1 microns and approximately five microns and a depth of at least 0.2 microns. A layer of group-III nitride material can be grown on the first layer and have a thickness at least twice the characteristic size of the stress reducing regions. A device including one or more of these features also is provided.

Patterned layer design for group III nitride layer growth

A solution for fabricating a semiconductor structure is provided. The semiconductor structure includes a plurality of semiconductor layers grown over a substrate using a set of epitaxial growth periods. During each epitaxial growth period, a first semiconductor layer having one of: a tensile stress or a compressive stress is grown followed by growth of a second semiconductor layer having the other of: the tensile stress or the compressive stress directly on the first semiconductor layer.

Epitaxy technique for growing semiconductor compounds

A semiconductor structure, such as a group III nitride-based semiconductor structure is provided. The semiconductor structure includes a cavity containing semiconductor layer. The cavity containing semiconductor layer can have a thickness greater than two monolayers and a multiple cavities. The cavities can have a characteristic size of at least one nanometer and a characteristic separation of at least five nanometers.

Stress relieving semiconductor layer

A solution for fabricating a semiconductor structure is provided. The semiconductor structure includes a plurality of semiconductor layers grown over a substrate using a set of epitaxial growth periods. During each epitaxial growth period, a first semiconductor layer having one of: a tensile stress or a compressive stress is grown followed by growth of a second semiconductor layer having the other of: the tensile stress or the compressive stress directly on the first semiconductor layer. One or more of a set of growth conditions, a thickness of one or both of the layers, and/or a lattice mismatch between the layers can be configured to create a target level of compressive and/or shear stress within a minimum percentage of the interface between the layers.

Epitaxy technique for reducing threading dislocations in stressed semiconductor compounds

A heterostructure for use in fabricating an optoelectronic device is provided. The heterostructure includes a layer, such as an n-type contact or cladding layer, that includes thin sub-layers inserted therein. The thin sub-layers can be spaced throughout the layer and separated by intervening sub-layers fabricated of the material for the layer. The thin sub-layers can have a distinct composition from the intervening sub-layers, which alters stresses present during growth of the heterostructure.

Semiconductor heterostructure with stress management

A solution for fabricating a group III nitride heterostructure and/or a corresponding device is provided. The heterostructure can include a nucleation layer, which can be grown on a lattice mismatched substrate using a set of nucleation layer growth parameters. An aluminum nitride layer can be grown on the nucleation layer using a set of aluminum nitride layer growth parameters. The respective growth parameters can be configured to result in a target type and level of strain in the aluminum nitride layer that is conducive for growth of additional heterostructure layers resulting in strains and strain energies not exceeding threshold values which can cause relaxation and/or dislocation formation.

Strain-control heterostructure growth

A light emitting heterostructure including one or more fine structure regions is provided. The light emitting heterostructure can include a plurality of barriers alternating with a plurality of quantum wells. One or more of the barriers and/or quantum wells includes a fine structure region. The fine structure region includes a plurality of subscale features arranged in at least one of: a growth or a lateral direction.

Non-uniform superlattice structure

A device having a layer with a patterned surface for improving the growth of semiconductor layers, such as group III nitride-based semiconductor layers with a high concentration of aluminum, is provided. The patterned surface can include a substantially flat top surface and a plurality of stress reducing regions, such as openings. The substantially flat top surface can have a root mean square roughness less than approximately 0.5 nanometers, and the stress reducing regions can have a characteristic size between approximately 0.1 microns and approximately five microns and a depth of at least 0.2 microns. A layer of group-III nitride material can be grown on the first layer and have a thickness at least twice the characteristic size of the stress reducing regions.

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Columbia, SC, United States of America

Wenhong Sun