Growth reactor for gallium-nitride crystals using ammonia and hydrogen chloride

Abstract

The present invention in one preferred embodiment discloses a new design of HVPE reactor, which can grow gallium nitride for more than one day without interruption. To avoid clogging in the exhaust system, a second reactor chamber is added after a main reactor where GaN is produced. The second reactor chamber may be configured to enhance ammonium chloride formation, and the powder may be collected efficiently in it. To avoid ammonium chloride formation in the main reactor, the connection between the main reactor and the second reaction chamber can be maintained at elevated temperature. In addition, the second reactor chamber may have two or more exhaust lines. If one exhaust line becomes clogged with powder, the valve for an alternative exhaust line may open and the valve for the clogged line may be closed to avoid overpressuring the system. The quartz-made main reactor may have e.g. a pyrolytic boron nitride liner to collect polycrystalline gallium nitride efficiently. The new HVPE reactor which can grow gallium nitride crystals for more than 1 day may produce enough source material for ammonothermal growth. Single crystalline gallium nitride and polycrystalline gallium nitride from the HVPE reactor may be used as seed crystals and a nutrient for ammonothermal group III-nitride growth.