Semiconductor devices having gallium nitride epilayers on diamond substrates
Methods for integrating wide-gap semiconductors with synthetic diamond substrates are disclosed. Diamond substrates are created by depositing synthetic diamond onto a nucleating layer deposited or formed on a layered structure including at least one layer of gallium nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, or zinc oxide. The resulting structure is a low stress process compatible with wide-gap semiconductor films, and may be processed into optical or high-power electronic devices. The diamond substrates serve as heat sinks or mechanical substrates.
1. A semiconductor apparatus comprising:
a layered structure layer comprising a wide-gap semiconductor material;
a nucleating layer for nucleating growth of synthetic diamond disposed under the layered structure layer, wherein the nucleating layer includes amorphous or polycrystalline material;
and a synthetic diamond layer disposed under the nucleating layer.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the layered structure layer includes a layer including a material selected from the group consisting of gallium nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, and zinc oxide.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the layered structure layer has been obtained by epitaxial growth.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor apparatus includes a semiconductor laser.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said semiconductor apparatus includes a high-electron mobility transistor.
6. A semiconductor apparatus comprising:
a layered structure including at least one layer of a wide-gap semiconductor material, the layered structure having a first surface and a second surface;
at least one electrical contact, the electrical contact disposed on the first surface of the layered structure;
a nucleating layer for nucleating growth of synthetic diamond disposed on the second surface of the layered structure, wherein the nucleating layer includes amorphous or polycrystalline material; and
a synthetic diamond layer disposed on the nucleating layer.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the layered structure has a single lattice constant.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nucleating layer includes amorphous silicon carbide.
9. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the semiconductor apparatus includes a high-electron mobility transistor.
10. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the semiconductor apparatus comprises a light-emitting device.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the light-emitting device is a semiconductor laser.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the semiconductor laser is an edge-emitting semiconductor laser.
13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the light-emitting device is an super-luminescent light-emitting diode.
14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the light-emitting device is a light-emitting diode.
15. A semiconductor apparatus comprising:
a layered structure including a layer of gallium nitride material, the layered structure having a first surface and a second surface;
at least one electrical contact, the electrical contact disposed on the first surface of the layered structure;
a synthetic diamond growth nucleating layer including silicon nitride disposed on the second surface of the layered structure; and
a synthetic diamond layer disposed on the synthetic diamond growth nucleating layer.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the apparatus includes a hetero junction bipolar transistor.
17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the apparatus includes a field-effect transistor.
18. A semiconductor apparatus comprising:
a layered structure layer including gallium nitride material having a thickness of less than five micrometers;
an amorphous nucleating layer disposed under the layered structure layer; and
a synthetic diamond layer disposed under the nucleating layer.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the amorphous nucleating layer includes silicon nitride.
20. A semiconductor apparatus comprising:
a layered structure including at least one layer of a wide-gap semiconductor material, the layered structure having a first growth direction;
a nucleating layer for nucleating growth of synthetic diamond disposed on the layered structure, the nucleating layer including amorphous or polycrystalline material;
a synthetic diamond layer disposed on the nucleating layer, the synthetic diamond layer having a second growth direction;
wherein the first growth direction is opposite to the second growth direction.
21. A semiconductor apparatus comprising:
a layered structure including at least a first layer and a second layer, the first and second layers including a wide-gap semiconductor material, the first layer having a first growth direction and the second layer having a second growth direction opposite to the first growth direction;
a nucleating layer for nucleating growth of synthetic diamond disposed on the surface of the first layer, the nucleating layer including an amorphous or a polycrystalline material; and
a synthetic diamond layer disposed on the nucleating layer, the synthetic diamond layer having the second growth direction.