GROWTH OF III-V TERNARY CRYSTALS BY LIQUID PHASE ELECTROEPITAXY

DEVICE RESEARCHERS HAVE LONG BEEN HAMPERED BY THE QUALITY AND TYPES OF MATERIALS AVAILABLE FOR THEIR WORK. ELABORATE SOLUTIONS INCLUDING "STRAINED" LAYERS, COMPLEX DOPING, AND THIN LAYER EPITAXY HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED TO TRY AND COMPENSATE FOR POOR SUBSTRATE MATERIALS. MRA HAS SPONSORED 4 YEARS OF RESEARCH AT M.I.T. DEVELOPING THE GROWTH OF VERY HIGH QUALITY CRYSTALS USING LIQUID PHASE ELECTROEPITAXY (LPEE). MRA HAS GROWN BULK GAAS CRYSTALS WHICH APPROACH 25MM IN DIAMETER, 5MM IN THICKNESS AND DEMONSTRATE A PURITY, STRUCTURAL PERFECTION, HOMOGENEITY, AND LUMINESCENCE EFFICIENCY FAR SUPERIOR TO MELT GROWN MATERIAL. MRA PROPOSES AN ATTEMPT TO GROW HIGHLY EFFICIENT (IN TERMS OF LUMINESCENCE INTENSITY) AND COMPOSITIONALLY UNIFORM, EPITAXIAL QUALITY III-V TERNARY BULK CRYSTALS BY LPEE. THESE CRYSTALS, ANTICIPATED TO REACH 25MM IN DIAMETER, 5MM IN THICKNESS, ARE NOT ACHIEVABLE BY ANY OTHER GROWTH TECHNIQUE. IF SUCCESSFUL, A NEW CLASS OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY SUBSTRATE MATERIALS WILL BECOME AVAILABLE. THESE MATERIALS WILL BE MOST PROMISING FOR OPTOELECTRONIC AND MICROWAVE DEVICES. PHASE I WILL STUDY WHICH TERNARYS AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS ARE IN GREATEST DEMAND BY DEVICE RESEARCHERS AND THEREFORE SHOULD BE ATTEMPTED FIRST. IT WILL ALSO PINPOINT THE NECESSARY RESOURCES. PHASE II WILL BE THE RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION OF THE CRYSTAL LEADING TO PHASE III WHICH WILL BE THE COMMERCIAL DEPLOYMENT OF IT.