LATERAL EPITAXIAL OVERGROWTH OF GALIUM ARSENIDE DIELECTRICS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE ELECTRONIC DEVICES

THE PROPOSED PROJECT ADDRESSES THE NATIONAL NEED FOR IMPROVED ELECTRONIC DEVICES FORMED FROM GALIUM ARSENIDE. THE SPECIFIC INNOVATION COMPRISE THE FORMATION OF HOMO-EPITAXIAL GALIUM ARSENIDE ON INSULATORS BY THE LATERAL OVERGROWTH PROCESS, AND THE FABRICATION OF DEVICES FROM SUCH LAYERS. THE USE OF AN INSULATOR BENEATH AN ACTIVE LAY WILL YIELD IMPROVED PERFORMANCE, AS WELL AS ENHANCE RESISTANCE TO RADIATION. THE PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS DERIVE FROM THE DECOUPLING OF ADJACENT MONOLITHIC DEVICES AS WELL AS A DEGREE OF DECOUPLING FROM THE SUBSTRATE WAFER. IN PHASE I, KOPIN WILL INVESTIGATE THEFEASIBILITY OF THE NECCESSARY LATERAL GROWTH, AND WILL FOR METAL SEMICONDUCTOR FIELD TRANSISTORS TO EVALUATETHE MATERIAL AND TO PROVE THE FEASIBILITY OF APPLYING ORGANO-METALIC CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION TO DEVICE FABRICATION ON THE LATERALLY OVERGROWN FILM PHASE II WILL COMPRISE RESEARCH TO ATTAIN DEVICE PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT, AS WELL AS RESEARCH ON THE APPLICATION OF THE TECHNIQUE TO BOTH HETEROJUNCTION BIPOLAR TRANSISTORS AND OPTOELECTRONIC STRUCTURES, IN WHICH THE INSULATOR CAN BE USED FOR OPTICAL COUPLING. PHASE III, COMMERCIALIZATION, WILL INVOLVE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WAFER AND DEVICE PRODUCT.