AlN inter-layers in III-N material grown on REO/silicon substrate

1. III-N material grown on a silicon substrate comprising:

a single crystal silicon substrate;

a single crystal rare earth oxide layer positioned on the silicon substrate, the rare earth oxide being substantially crystal lattice matched to the surface of the silicon substrate;

a first layer of single crystal GaN material positioned on the surface of the rare earth oxide layer;

an inter-layer of single crystal aluminum nitride (AlN) positioned on the surface of the first layer of single crystal GaN material and an additional layer of single crystal GaN material positioned on the surface of the inter-layer of single crystal aluminum nitride, the inter-layer of single crystal aluminum nitride and the additional layer of single crystal GaN material repeated n times; and

a final single crystal III-N layer one of positioned on or incorporated in a final additional layer of single crystal GaN material and having reduced or engineered strain.

2. The III-N material grown on a silicon substrate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the single crystal layer of rare earth oxide includes a composition including multiple rare earth oxides one of graded to bridge the multiple rare earth oxides or stepped to have an abrupt change in the rare earth oxides.

3. The III-N material grown on a silicon substrate as claimed in claim 2 wherein the composition including multiple rare earth oxides includes a first rare earth oxide adjacent the silicon substrate having a crystal lattice spacing substantially matching a double lattice spacing of silicon and a second rare earth oxide adjacent the first layer of single crystal GaN material having a crystal lattice spacing substantially matching a crystal lattice spacing of the first layer of single crystal GaN material.

4. The III-N material grown on a silicon substrate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the layer of III-N material includes one of an LED structure and an HEMT structure.

5. The III-N material grown on a silicon substrate as claimed in claim 4 wherein the LED structure includes at least one layer of i-GaN, n-GaN, an active layer, an electron blocking layer, or p-GaN.

6. The III-N material grown on a silicon substrate as claimed in claim 4 wherein the HEMT structure includes at least one layer of i-GaN, AlN, AlGaN, or GaN.

7. A method of growing III-N material on a silicon substrate comprising the steps of:

providing a single crystal silicon substrate;

growing or depositing a single crystal layer of rare earth oxide on the silicon substrate, the rare earth oxide layer being substantially crystal lattice matched to the surface of the silicon substrate;

growing or depositing a first layer of single crystal GaN material on the surface of the rare earth oxide layer;

growing or depositing an inter-layer of aluminum nitride (AlN) on the first layer of single crystal GaN material;

growing or depositing an additional layer of single crystal GaN material on the surface of the layer of aluminum nitride; and

repeating the steps of growing or depositing the inter-layer of aluminum nitride and the additional layer of single crystal GaN material n-times to reduce or engineer strain in a final III-N layer.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the step of growing or depositing the single crystal layer of rare earth oxide includes a growing or depositing a composition including multiple rare earth oxides one of graded to bridge the multiple rare earth oxides or stepped to have an abrupt change in the rare earth oxides.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the step of growing or depositing the composition includes growing or depositing a first rare earth oxide adjacent the silicon substrate having a crystal lattice spacing substantially matching a double lattice spacing of silicon and a second rare earth oxide adjacent the first layer of single crystal GaN material having a crystal lattice spacing substantially matching a crystal lattice spacing of the single crystal GaN material layer.

10. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the step of growing or depositing the aluminum nitride coating includes depositing a layer of aluminum nitride with a thickness in a range of approximately 1 nm to approximately 10 nm thick.

11. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the step of growing or depositing the inter-layer of aluminum nitride includes depositing a layer in a range of approximately 1 nm to approximately 10 nm thick.

12. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the step of growing or depositing the final layer of III-N material includes growing or depositing an LED structure on the final layer of III-N material.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the step of growing the LED structure on the final layer of III-N material includes growing at least one layer including one of i-GaN, n-GaN, active layers, electron blocking layers, or p-GaN.

14. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the step of growing or depositing the final layer of III-N material includes growing an HEMI structure on the final layer of III-N material.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the step of growing the HEMI structure on the final layer of III-N material includes growing at least one layer including one of, i-GaN, AlN, AlGaN, or GaN.

16. A method of growing GaN material on a silicon substrate comprising the steps of:

providing a single crystal silicon substrate;

epitaxially depositing a single crystal layer of rare earth oxide on the silicon substrate, the rare earth oxide layer being substantially crystal lattice matched to the surface of the silicon substrate;

epitaxially depositing a first layer of GaN on the surface of the rare earth oxide layer;

epitaxially depositing an inter-layer of aluminum nitride (AlN) on the first GaN layer;

epitaxially depositing an additional layer of GaN on the surface of the aluminum nitride inter-layer; and

repeating the steps of epitaxially depositing the inter-layer of aluminum nitride and the additional layer of GaN material n-times to reduce or engineer strain in each subsequent additional layer of GaN material and in a final III-N layer.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16 wherein the step of epitaxially depositing the final layer of III-N material includes growing one of an LED structure and an HEMI structure on the final layer of III-N material.