Development of On-Demand Non-Polar and Semi-Polar Bulk Gallium Nitride Materials for Next Generation Electronic and Optoelectronic Devices

GaN-based electronic and optoelectronic devices have demonstrated superior properties for applications involving visible and ultraviolet light emitting diodes (LEDs), laser diodes, and high-power electronic devices. Despite the significant improvement in the performance of these devices, they still suffer from strong built-in electrostatic field due to spontaneous and piezoelectric polarizations, and high defect density and biaxial strain due to the heteroepitaxial growth on foreign substrates, both being undesirable in the operation of devices. In response, Sensor Electronic Technology, Inc. has defined a novel approach for producing free-standing low-defect density non-polar a-plane GaN substrates suitable for the growth of the next generation of devices. Thick a-plane GaN boules will be grown by a combination of growth processes, including selective area lateral epitaxy (SALE) and HVPE, which will lead to defect densities below 107 cm-2. SALE will provide low-defect smooth templates for subsequent thick boule growth by modified HVPE. SALE templates will help in preventing cracking and bowing of the wafers.