IP Library Granted Patent US 12,024,794
Granted Patent B2
US 12,024,794 · App. 17/350,100 · Granted Jul 2, 2024

Reduced optical absorption for silicon carbide crystalline materials

Inventors: Robert Tyler Leonard (Raleigh, NC); Elif Balkas (Cary, NC); Valeri F. Tsvetkov (Durham, NC); Yuri Khlebnikov (Raleigh, NC); Kathryn A. O'Hara (Raleigh, NC); Simon Bubel (Carrboro, NC); David P. Malta (Raleigh, NC)
Assignee: Wolfspeed, Inc.
C30B33/02H01L33/34
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,024,794
App. No.
17/350,100
Granted
Jul 2, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Silicon carbide (SiC) crystalline materials and related methods are disclosed that provide SiC crystalline materials with reduced optical absorption. In certain aspects, SiC crystalline materials with reduced absorption coefficients for wavelengths of light within the visible spectrum are disclosed. Various peaks in absorption over a wavelength spectrum may be reduced in SiC crystalline materials to improve overall absorption coefficient uniformity across the visible spectrum. By providing such improvements in absorption coefficients for SiC crystalline materials, reduced reflection and transmission losses of light in corresponding devices may be realized. Related methods are disclosed that include various combinations of crystalline growth, with and without various post-growth thermal conditioning steps.

Claims (19)

1. A silicon carbide (SiC) crystalline material, comprising an absorption coefficient that is within an absorption coefficient range defined by a minimum value and a maximum value that are 0.15 centimeters (cm −1 ) apart over a wavelength range from 420 nanometers (nm) to 700 nm.

2. The SiC crystalline material of claim 1 , wherein the absorption coefficient range is defined by the minimum value and the maximum value that are 0.1 cm −1 apart over the wavelength range.

3. The SiC crystalline material of claim 1 , wherein the absorption coefficient range is defined by the minimum value and the maximum value that are 0.05 cm −1 apart over the wavelength range.

4. The SiC crystalline material of claim 1 , wherein the SiC crystalline material comprises a diameter that is greater than or equal to 145 mm.

5. The SiC crystalline material of claim 4 , wherein the diameter is in a range from 145 mm to 305 mm.

6. The SiC crystalline material of claim 1 , wherein the SiC crystalline material comprises one of 4H-SiC, semi-insulating SiC, n-type SiC, and p-type SiC.

7. The SiC crystalline material of claim 1 , wherein the absorption coefficient is within another absorption coefficient range defined by the minimum value and the maximum value that are 0.2 cm −1 apart over another wavelength range from 400 nm to 700 nm.

8. The SiC crystalline material of claim 1 , wherein the absorption coefficient is within another absorption coefficient range defined by another minimum value and another maximum value that are 0.15 cm −1 over another wavelength range from 400 nm to 700 nm.

9. The SiC crystalline material of claim 1 , wherein the absorption coefficient is less than or equal to 0.15 cm −1 over the wavelength range.

10. The SiC crystalline material of claim 1 , wherein the SiC crystalline material comprises a thickness in a range from 2 mm to 55 mm.

11. The SiC crystalline material of claim 1 , wherein the SiC crystalline material comprises a thickness in a range from 100 μm to 2 mm.

12. A silicon carbide (SiC) crystalline material comprising an absorption coefficient that is less than 0.15 reciprocal centimeters (cm −1 ) over a wavelength range from 420 nanometers (nm) to 700 nm.

13. The SiC crystalline material of claim 12 , wherein the absorption coefficient is in a range from greater than 0 cm −1 to less than 0.15 cm −1 over the wavelength range.

14. The SiC crystalline material of claim 12 , wherein the absorption coefficient is less than 0.06 cm −1 over another wavelength range from 450 nm to 680 nm.

15. The SiC crystalline material of claim 12 , wherein the SiC crystalline material comprises a diameter that is greater than or equal to 145 mm.

16. The SiC crystalline material of claim 15 , wherein the diameter is in a range from 145 mm to 305 mm.

17. The SiC crystalline material of claim 12 , wherein the SiC crystalline material comprises one of 4 H-SiC, semi-insulating SiC, n-type SiC, and p-type SiC.

18. The SiC crystalline material of claim 12 , wherein the SiC crystalline material comprises a thickness in a range from 2 mm to 55 mm.

19. The SiC crystalline material of claim 12 , wherein the SiC crystalline material comprises a thickness in a range from 100 μm to 2 mm.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COLLATERAL AT REEL/FRAME NO. 64185/0755 Recorded Sep 30, 2025
From: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: WOLFSPEED, INC.
Reel/Frame 072989/0001 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Sep 30, 2025
From: WOLFSPEED, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072992/0113 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Sep 30, 2025
From: WOLFSPEED, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072992/0381 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Sep 30, 2025
From: WOLFSPEED, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072992/0467 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Sep 30, 2025
From: WOLFSPEED, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072992/0588 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 30, 2023
From: WOLFSPEED, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 064185/0755 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 28, 2022
From: LEONARD, ROBERT TYLER; BALKAS, ELIF; TSVETKOV, VALERI F.; KHLEBNIKOV, YURI; O'HARA, KATHRYN A.; BUBEL, SIMON; MALTA, DAVID P.
To: CREE, INC.
Reel/Frame 058804/0022 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 22, 2021
From: CREE, INC.
To: WOLFSPEED, INC.
Reel/Frame 057891/0880 →