Advanced Manufacturing Process for Growth of Gallium Nitride Crystals

Gallium nitride substrates are now being produced by several manufacturers, however significant market penetration is being limited by high prices and low quantities. This Phase II program is aimed at addressing both of these issues by developing a growth process for the production of 1cm thick boules at a growth rate of 1mm per hour. The Phase I program met and exceeded the goals of demonstrating high rate growth, in excess of 500um/hr, of 2" diameter 5mm thick GaN boules. The Phase II will continue optimization of the bulk growth process and will assemble a crystal growth reactor designed for high rate transport. Computer modeling will be used to optimize temperature profile, gas flows, and crystal growth qualities. 50mm single crystal GaN substrates produced by Kyma Technologies will be used as the seed material to ensure thermal and lattice matching. The combination of this innovative crystal growth technique and the use of GaN seeded growth, has the possibility of reducing the dislocation density to below 10^4 per cm^2 in GaN substrates. The main emphasis of the Phase II effort will be on obtaining high quality semi-insulating GaN crystals. At the end of the Phase II effort Kyma will deliver epi-ready GaN wafers ready for device production line.