Fabrication and use of large-grain templates for epitaxial deposition of semiconductor materials

1. A method comprising:

depositing a small-grain layer of a semiconductor material;

treating the small-grain layer such that the small-grain layer becomes a large-grain layer; and

growing an epitaxial layer of the semiconductor material on the large-grain layer;

wherein a ratio of an average grain size of the small-grain layer to a thickness of the small-grain layer is less than 1.0, and a ratio of an average grain size of the large-grain layer to a thickness of the large-grain layer is greater than 1.5.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the small-grain layer is deposited onto an n-type semiconductor material within a superstrate structure.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the small-grain layer is deposited onto a metal film within a substrate structure.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the depositing of the small-grain layer comprises:

reducing an oxide from a deposition surface; and

subsequently depositing the small-grain layer on the deposition surface by close-spaced sublimation (CSS) or vapor transport deposition (VTD).

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the average grain size of the small-grain layer to the thickness of the small-grain layer is less than 0.5, and the ratio of the average grain size of the large-grain layer to the thickness of the large-grain layer is greater than 2.0.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the treating of the small-grain layer comprises heating the small-grain layer in the presence of CdCl 2 .

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein:

the small-grain layer is heated in the presence of oxygen and a ballast gas, and a ratio of a pressure of the oxygen to a pressure of the ballast gas is less than 1/3.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein during the heating of the small-grain layer, a temperature of the small-grain layer is greater than a temperature of a source of the CdCl 2 .

9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the small-grain layer is heated in the presence of oxygen and a ballast gas, and a ratio of a pressure of the oxygen to a pressure of the ballast gas is between 0.8 and 2.0.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein during the heating of the small-grain layer, a temperature of the small-grain layer is equal to a temperature of a source of the CdCl 2 .

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein a capping layer comprising oxychloride is formed on the small-grain layer, and the treating of the small-grain layer further comprises annealing the small-grain layer and the capping layer.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising removing the capping layer before growing the epitaxial layer on the large-grain layer.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the epitaxial layer is grown by close-spaced sublimation (CSS) or vapor transport deposition (VTD).

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising doping the epitaxial layer.

15. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, before depositing the small-grain layer, treating a surface on which the small-grain layer will be deposited to increase a surface energy of the surface.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the treating of the surface comprises at least one of an ion beam treatment or an application of a high surface energy additive having a low segregation coefficient in the semiconductor material.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the treating of the surface comprises removing oxides from the surface by using a hydrogen-reduction thermal treatment.