GALLIUM NITRIDE WAFER SUBSTRATE FOR SOLID STATE LIGHTING DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS

Anthony Lochtefeld

Patent

Atlas literature

Patent

US 10,347,794

GALLIUM NITRIDE WAFER SUBSTRATE FOR SOLID STATE LIGHTING DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS

Anthony Lochtefeld

Claims

Claims define the patent's legal scope. Independent claims stand alone; dependent claims (nested) narrow them. Click a claim to expand its dependents.

9 independent · 17 dependent

1
IndependentAlNSiGaNSi₃N₄solid state lighting device substrate (claim 1 embodiment)
A solid state lighting device substrate, comprising: a support substrate comprising a polycrystalline material surrounded by an encapsulation layer comprising silicon nitride and having a widthwise dimension of at least six inches; a layer of polycrystalline silicon carried by the support substrate, wherein the layer of polycrystalline silicon includes more grains having (111) crystalline orientation than grains having crystalline orientations other than (111) crystalline orientation, and wherein the layer of polycrystalline silicon includes at least one grain having a crystalline orientation other than (111) crystalline orientation; and a layer of gallium nitride carried by the layer of polycrystalline silicon and having a thickness of at least 10 microns, wherein the layer of gallium nitride has a ﬁrst major surface and an opposite second major surface, wherein the opposite second major surface of the layer of gallium nitride is farther from the support substrate than the ﬁrst major surface of the layer of gallium nitride, and wherein the layer of gallium nitride has a (0001) crystal orientation at its second major surface;. Currently amended
1. 2
  Dependent← claim 1solid state lighting device substrate (claim 1 embodiment)
  The solid state lighting device substrate of claim 1 wherein the solid state lighting device substrate does not carry a light-emitting structure. Previously presented
2. 3
  Dependent← claim 1GaNsolid state lighting device substrate (claim 1 embodiment)
  The solid state lighting device substrate of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the layer of gallium nitride is at least 50 microns. Previously presented
3. 4
  Dependent← claim 1GaNsolid state lighting device substrate (claim 1 embodiment)
  The solid state lighting device substrate of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the layer of gallium nitride is at least 300 microns. Previously presented
4. 5
  Dependent← claim 1solid state lighting device substrate (claim 1 embodiment)
  The solid state lighting device substrate of claim 1 wherein the widthwise dimension of the support substrate is about eight inches. Previously presented
5. 6
  Dependent← claim 1solid state lighting device substrate (claim 1 embodiment)
  The solid state lighting device substrate of claim 1 wherein the widthwise dimension of the support substrate is about twelve inches. Previously presented
6. 7
  Dependent← claim 1AlNsolid state lighting device substrate (claim 1 embodiment)
  The solid state lighting device substrate of claim 1 wherein the support substrate comprises polycrystalline aluminum nitride. Previously presented
7. 18
  Dependent← claim 1buffer materialsolid state lighting device substrate (claim 1 embodiment)
  The solid state lighting device substrate of claim 1, further comprising a buﬀer material between the layer of polycrystalline silicon and the layer of gallium nitride. Previously presented
8. 32
  Dependent← claim 1Sisolid state lighting device substrate (claim 1 embodiment)
  The solid state lighting device substrate of claim 1 wherein the layer of polycrystalline silicon is obtained by preferentially etching polycrystalline silicon to remove more grains having crystalline orientations other than (111) crystalline orientation than grains having (111) crystalline orientation, followed by an epitaxial regrowth process to increase sizes of grains having (111) crystalline orientation. Previously presented
8
Independent
- 17.. Canceled
17
Independent
Canceled
20
Independent
. Canceled
21
IndependentAlNSiGaNSi₃N₄solid state lighting device substrate (claim 21 embodiment)
A solid state lighting device substrate, comprising: a support substrate comprising polycrystalline aluminum nitride surrounded by an encapsulation layer comprising silicon nitride; a layer of polycrystalline silicon carried by the support substrate, wherein the layer of polycrystalline silicon includes more grains having (111) crystalline orientation than grains having crystalline orientations other than (111) crystalline orientation, and wherein the layer of polycrystalline silicon includes at least one grain having a crystalline orientation other than (111) crystalline orientation; and a layer of gallium nitride carried by the layer of polycrystalline silicon. Currently amended
1. 22
  Dependent← claim 21solid state lighting device substrate (claim 21 embodiment)
  The solid state lighting device substrate of claim 21 wherein the support substrate has a widthwise dimension of at least six inches. Previously presented
2. 23
  Dependent← claim 21solid state lighting device substrate (claim 21 embodiment)
  The solid state lighting device substrate of claim 21 wherein the support substrate has a widthwise dimension of about eight inches. Previously presented
3. 24
  Dependent← claim 21solid state lighting device substrate (claim 21 embodiment)
  The solid state lighting device substrate of claim 21 wherein the support substrate has a widthwise dimension of about twelve inches. Previously presented
4. 25
  Dependent← claim 21GaNsolid state lighting device substrate (claim 21 embodiment)
  The solid state lighting device substrate of claim 21 wherein the layer of gallium nitride has a thickness of at least 10 microns. Previously presented
5. 28
  Dependent← claim 21buffer materialsolid state lighting device substrate (claim 21 embodiment)
  The solid state lighting device substrate of claim 21, further comprising a buﬀer material between the layer of polycrystalline silicon and the layer of gallium nitride. Previously presented
6. 31
  Dependent← claim 21GaNsolid state lighting device substrate (claim 21 embodiment)
  The solid state lighting device substrate of claim 21 wherein: the layer of gallium nitride has a ﬁrst major surface and an opposite second major surface; the opposite second major surface of the layer of gallium nitride is farther from the support substrate than the ﬁrst major surface of the layer of gallium nitride; and the layer of gallium nitride has predominantly (0001) crystal orientation at its second major surface. Previously presented
7. 33
  Dependent← claim 21Sisolid state lighting device substrate (claim 21 embodiment)
  The solid state lighting device substrate of claim 21 wherein the layer of polycrystalline silicon is obtained by preferentially etching polycrystalline silicon to remove more grains having crystalline orientations other than (111) crystalline orientation than grains having (111) crystallin c ori c ntation, followed by an epitaxial regrowth process to increase sizes of grains having (111) crystalline orientation. Previously presented
26
Independent
- 27.. Canceled
27
Independent
Canceled
30
Independent
. Canceled
34
Independent
Canceled

Device structures

Layer stacks claimed or described, ordered top of device to substrate.

solid state lighting device substrate (claim 1 embodiment)

GaNgallium nitride layer

Sipolycrystalline silicon intermediate layer

Si₃N₄encapsulation layer

AlNsupport substrate

solid state lighting device substrate (claim 21 embodiment)

GaNgallium nitride layer

Materials

Materials described outside the worked examples.

polycrystalline aluminum nitride

AlN

Support Substrate

polycrystalline silicon with (111) orientation

Process steps

Additional fabrication and treatment steps described in the patent.

Pecvd Deposition

Step 1

Process details

description:Amorphous and/or at least partially crystal-oriented silicon deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) on seed material on support substrate

Materials:Si

Reported properties

Performance values and ranges asserted in the specification or claims.

Property	Value	Material
Thickness	≥ 10 µm	—
Thickness

Why these are connected

Related documents with shared materials, methods, properties, or citations.

GALLIUM NITRIDE WAFER SUBSTRATE FOR SOLID STATE LIGHTING DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS | Matter42 Literature