IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,198,924
Granted Patent B2
US 12,198,924 · App. 18/068,735 · Granted Jan 14, 2025

Epitaxial alkali halide layers for III-V substrate recycling

Inventors: Brelon James May (Idaho Falls, ID); David Levi Young (Golden, CO); Aaron Joseph Ptak (Littleton, CO)
Assignee: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC
H01L21/02079B08B3/08C30B23/025C30B25/186C30B29/12C30B29/40
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,198,924
App. No.
18/068,735
Granted
Jan 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method that includes depositing a first layer onto a substrate, depositing a second layer onto a surface of the first layer, and separating the substrate from the second layer, where the substrate includes a first III-V alloy, the second layer includes second III-V alloy, and the first layer includes a material that includes at least two of a Group 1A element, a Group 2A element, a Group 6A element, and/or a halogen.

Claims (51)

1. A method comprising:

depositing a first layer onto a substrate;

depositing a second layer onto a surface of the first layer; and

removing the substrate from the second layer, wherein:

the substrate comprises a first III-V alloy,

the second layer comprises second III-V alloy,

the first layer comprises a material that includes at least two of a Group 1A element, a Group 2A element, a Group 6A element, or a halogen, and

there is no intervening layer between the first layer and the second layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first III-V alloy comprises at least two of indium, gallium, aluminum, arsenic, phosphorus, antimony, bismuth, or nitrogen.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second III-V alloy comprises at least two of indium, gallium, aluminum, arsenic, phosphorous, or bismuth.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the material comprises an alkali halide.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the alkali halide comprises at least one of a Group 1A element or a Group 2A element and at least one halogen.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkali halide material comprises at least one of NaCl, LiBr, CaF 2 , BaCl 2 , NaF, or NaCl x F y .

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the material comprises at least one of a Group 6A element and at least one of Group 1A element or a Group 2A element.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the material comprises at least one of MgO, CaO, or BeSe.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing of the second layer is performed using a hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) system.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing of the second layer is performed using a vacuum depositing system.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the vacuum depositing system comprises a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to depositing the second layer, treating the surface of the first layer using an electron beam.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein:

the depositing of the second layer is performed in a first chamber of the vacuum depositing system, and

the treating is performed in a second chamber of the vacuum depositing system.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the treating is performed for a first time period between greater than zero seconds and less than or equal to 10 minutes.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the electron beam has a power between 0.1 kV and 100 kV.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the electron beam is provided using a reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) system.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing of the second layer is performed, while maintaining the first layer at a first temperature between 90° C. and 700° C.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the depositing of the first layer is performed while maintaining the substrate at a second temperature between 20° C. and 600° C.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the removing is performed by contacting the first layer with a compound in a state comprising at least one of a liquid or a vapor.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the compound comprises at least one of water or an organic compound.

21. A method comprising:

using an electron beam, treating a surface of a first layer comprising an alkali halide material; and

depositing onto the treated surface a second layer comprising a III-V alloy, wherein:

the treating and depositing are performed in a single chamber of a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system.

22. A device comprising, in order:

a substrate;

a first layer; and

a second layer, wherein:

the substrate comprises a first III-V alloy,

the second layer comprises second III-V alloy,

the first layer comprises a material that includes at least one of a Group 1A element, a Group 2A element, a Group 6A element, or a halogen, and

there is no intervening layer between the first layer and the second layer.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the depositing and the treating are performed in a single chamber of the MBE system.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein:

the depositing is performed in a first chamber of the MBE system, and

the treating is performed in a second chamber of the MBE system.

25. The method of claim 21 , wherein the treating is halted before the depositing.

26. The method of claim 21 , wherein the treating is performed for a first time period between greater than zero seconds and less than or equal to 10 minutes.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the first time period is between 0.1 seconds and 5 minutes.

28. The method of claim 21 , wherein the electron beam has a power between 0.1 kV and 100 kV.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the power is between 0.1 kV and 20 kV.

30. The method of claim 21 , wherein the electron beam is provided using a reflection high energy electron diffraction system.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 16, 2025
From: ALLIANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, LLC
To: ALLIANCE FOR ENERGY INNOVATION, LLC
Reel/Frame 073993/0276 →
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Aug 1, 2023
From: NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Reel/Frame 064448/0798 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 20, 2022
From: MAY, BRELON JAMES; YOUNG, DAVID LEVI; PTAK, AARON JOSEPH
To: ALLIANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, LLC
Reel/Frame 062159/0212 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63291689 · Dec 20, 2021
Related Publication 20230197436A1 · Jun 22, 2023
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