AlN cap grown on GaN/REO/silicon substrate structure

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 single crystal 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 to reduce or engineer strain in a final single crystal GaN layer; and

a cap layer of single crystal AlN positioned on the surface of the final single crystal GaN layer.

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 single crystal rare earth oxide adjacent the single crystal silicon substrate having a crystal lattice spacing substantially matching a double lattice spacing of silicon and a second single crystal 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.

4. The III-N material grown on a silicon substrate as claimed in claim 1 further including a layer of single crystal III-N material grown on the cap layer and including 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 on the surface of the rare earth oxide layer;

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

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

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

growing or depositing a cap layer of single crystal AlN on the surface of the final GaN 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 having a crystal lattice spacing substantially matching a crystal lattice spacing of the first layer of single crystal GaN.

10. The 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.

11. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the step of growing the AlN cap layer on the surface of the final GaN layer further includes growing or depositing an LED structure on the AlN cap layer.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the step of growing the AlN cap layer on the final GaN layer includes growing at least one layer including one of i-GaN, n-GaN, active layers, electron blocking layers, or p-GaN.

13. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the step of growing or depositing the cap layer of AlN, includes growing or depositing an HEMT structure on the AlN cap layer.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the step of growing the HEMT structure on the final layer of GaN material includes growing at least one layer including one of i-GaN, AlN, AlGaN, or GaN.

15. A method of growing III-N 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 single crystal GaN on the surface of the rare earth oxide layer;

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

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

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

epitaxially growing or depositing a cap layer of single crystal AlN on the surface of the final single crystal GaN layer, the single crystal AlN cap layer further including growing or depositing one of an LED structure and an HEMT structure.