Passivation of aluminum nitride substrates

Details Passivation of aluminum nitride substrates Passivation of aluminum nitride substrates

2011-03-29

2011-03-29

Garber, Charles D (Department: 2812)

Semiconductor device manufacturing: process

Coating of substrate containing semiconductor region or of...

By reaction with substrate

C438S694000, C438S745000, C438S767000

Reexamination Certificate

active

07915178

ABSTRACT:
The present invention provides methods of protecting a surface of an aluminum nitride substrate. The substrate with the protected surface can be stored for a period of time and easily activated to be in a condition ready for thin film growth or other processing. In certain embodiments, the method of protecting the substrate surface comprises forming a passivating layer on at least a portion of the substrate surface by performing a wet etch, which can comprise the use of one or more organic compounds and one or more acids. The invention also provides aluminum nitride substrates having passivated surfaces.

REFERENCES:
patent: 5296119 (1994-03-01), Moustakas
patent: 5385862 (1995-01-01), Moustakas
patent: 5633192 (1997-05-01), Moustakas et al.
patent: 5677538 (1997-10-01), Moustakas et al.
patent: 5686738 (1997-11-01), Moustakas
patent: 5725674 (1998-03-01), Moustakas et al.
patent: 5821170 (1998-10-01), Klingbeil et al.
patent: 5847397 (1998-12-01), Moustakas
patent: 5849170 (1998-12-01), Djokic et al.
patent: 6123768 (2000-09-01), Moustakas
patent: 6284042 (2001-09-01), Sasaoka
patent: 6548405 (2003-04-01), Kraus et al.
patent: 6576054 (2003-06-01), Melnik et al.
patent: 2003/0198837 (2003-10-01), Craven et al.
patent: 2007/0042560 (2007-02-01), Sumiya et al.
patent: 2002270525 (2002-09-01), None
patent: WO 2005004213 (2005-01-01), None
S. Fukumoto, T. Hookabe, H. Tsubakino, Hydrolysis behavior of aluminum nitride in various solutions, Journal of Materials Science 2000, vol. 35 p. 2743-2748.
W. J. Mecouch, B. P. Wagner, Z. J. Reitmeier, R. F. Davis, C. Pandarinath, B.J. Rodriguez, R. J. Nemanich, Preparation and characterization of atomically clean, stoichioetric surfaces of AIN(0001), J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 23(1) Jan./Feb. 2005, p. 72-77.
L. J. Schowalter, J. C. Rojo, N. Yakolve, Y. Shusterman, K. Dovidenko, R. Wang, I. Bhat, G. A. Slack, Preparation and characterization of single-crystal aluminum nitride substrates, Materials Research Society Proceedings, Fall 1999, vol. 595 W6.7.
King, S.W. et al, “Cleaning of AIN and GaN surfaces,” Nov. 1 1998 Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 84 No. 9 p. 5248-5260.
Campman et al., “Surface Preparation of Aluminum Nitride for Metalization,”Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 2003, pp. 877-890, vol. 18, No. 6.
Krnel et al., “Reactivity of Aluminum Nitride Powder in Dilute Inorganic Acids,”J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 2000, pp. 1375-1378, vol. 83.
Loretz et al., “Hydrogenated Aluminum Nitride Thin Films Prepared by R.F. Reactive Sputtering. Infrared and Structural Properties”.
Svedberg et al., “Corrosion of Aluminum Nitride (AIN) in Aqueous Cleaning Solutions,”J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 2000. pp. 41-46, vol. 83, No. 1.Thin Solid Films, 1995, pp. 15-21, vol. 265.
Ammu et al., “Epitaxial Growth of GaN for Optoelectronic Applications,” cited online Apr. 7, 2005; http.//www2.egr.uh.edu/˜smotamar/GaN/GaN.html.
Collazo et al., “Polarity Control of GaN Thin Films Grown by Metalorganic Vapor Phase Epitaxy,”Phys. Stat. Sol., 2005, pp. 2117-2120, vol. 2, No. 7.
Huang et al., “Comparative Study of Ga- and N-Polar GaN Films Grown on Sapphire Substrates by Molecular Beam Epitaxy,”J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B, 2002, pp. 2256-2264, vol. 20, No. 6.
Kim et al., “The Effects of Nitridation on Propertis of GaN Grown on Sapphire Substrate by Metal-Organic Chemical Vapour Deposition,”Semicond. Sci. Technol., 1999, pp. 557-560, vol. 14.
Losurdo et al., “The Effect of Substrate nitridation Temperature and Buffer Design on the Quality of GaN Epitaxial Films,”10thEuropean Workshop on MOVPE, Lecce, Italy, Jun. 8-11, 2003.
Mita et al., “Polarity Control of GaN Films Grown by Metal Organic chemical Vapor Depostion on (0001) Sapphire Substrates,”Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc., 2005, pp. E320.1-E3.20.6, vol. 831.
Stutzmann et al., “Playing with Polarity,”Phys. Stat. Sol. (b), 2001, pp. 505-512, vol. 228, No. 2.
Tischler, “Advances in Metalorganic Vapor-Phase Epitaxy,”IBM J. Res. Develop., 1990, pp. 828-848, vol. 34, No. 6.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Passivation of aluminum nitride substrates does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Passivation of aluminum nitride substrates, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Passivation of aluminum nitride substrates will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2780458