SELF-STANDING GaN SUBSTRATE, GaN CRYSTAL, METHOD FOR PRODUCING GaN SINGLE CRYSTAL, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

Satoru Nagao; Yusuke Tsukada; Kazunori Kamada; Shuichi Kubo; Hirotaka Ikeda; Kenji Fujito; Hideo Fujisawa; Yutaka Mikawa; Tae Mochizuki

Patent

Atlas literature

Patent

US 12,107,129 B2

SELF-STANDING GaN SUBSTRATE, GaN CRYSTAL, METHOD FOR PRODUCING GaN SINGLE CRYSTAL, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

Satoru Nagao, Yusuke Tsukada, Kazunori Kamada, Shuichi Kubo et al.

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Tokyo (JP)·Oct. 1, 2024·US

Drawings

Patent drawings and their descriptions. Click a drawing to enlarge it.

FIG. 1

FIG. 1 shows a GaN crystal whose sizes in an a-axis direction, an c-axis direc- tion, and an m-axis direction are respectively 20 mm, 10 mm, and 3.4 mm. A …

FIG. 2

performance graph

FIG. 2 is a graph showing a result of measurements of an a-axis length on a principal surface of a self-standing M-plane GaN substrate according to an …

FIG. 3

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a longest intersection line between the principal surface and an A-plane in a disk-shaped M-plane GaN substrate.

FIG. 4

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a disk-shaped M-plane GaN substrate having an defect increasing zone on a prin- 65 cipal surface thereof. The defect increasing …

FIG. 5

FIG. 5. The vapor phase growth apparatus shown in

FIG. 6

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram exemplifying the primary 45 substrate on which a growth mask is formed. The primary substrate 1001 has a rectangular nitrogen …

FIG. 7

FIG. 7. Crystal growth is carried out in a cylindrical growth vessel 20 that is loaded into a cylindrical autoclave 1. The growth vessel 20 is internally …

FIG. 8

FIG. 8, the secondary GaN crystal 1003 is growing in a wall shape one by one above each opening of the growth mask 1002. The height direction of the walls is a …

FIG. 9

FIG. 9 is formed as a whole. A GaN crystal that grows from an end portion 1001b in an a-axis direction of the primary substrate extends in the [000-1] …

FIG. 10

FIG. 10B. Since the stable faces 2002b and 2002c are both inclined with respect to the [000-1] direction that is a growth direction of the GaN crystal 2002, as …

FIG. 11

apparatus side view

FIG. 11A is a perspective view illustrating a self-standing M-plane GaN substrate whose principal surface is rectan- gular and two sides among four sides …

FIG. 12

FIG. 12A. As shown in

FIG. 13

FIG. 13 shows an example of a proﬁle of a susceptor temperature adoptable in the two-step growth method 5 described above. In this example, a …

FIG. 14

FIG. 14 is a diagram schematically showing an arrange- ment of an X-ray source, a test piece, and a detector in transmission X-ray topography by Lang’s method. …

FIG. 15

performance graph

FIG. 15 is a graph showing a result of measurements of an a-axis length on a principal surface of an M-plane GaN substrate taken every 250 µm on a straight …

FIG. 16

performance graph

FIG. 16 is a graph showing a result of measurements of a c-axis length on a principal surface of an M-plane GaN substrate taken every 250 µm on a straight line …

FIG. 17

performance graph

FIG. 17. As shown in

FIG. 18

FIG. 18. This striped pattern does not represent a distortion of the crystal. Instead, 25 since there is periodicity in the a-axis direction, it is under- …

FIG. 19

performance graph

FIG. 19 is a graph showing a result of measurements of an a-axis length on a principal surface of an M-plane GaN substrate taken every 250 µm on a straight …

FIG. 20

performance graph

FIG. 20 is a graph showing a result of measurements of a c-axis length on a principal surface of an M-plane GaN substrate taken every 250 µm on a straight line …

FIG. 21

FIG. 21 shows a reﬂection X-ray topographic image obtained using (203) diffraction of a portion (a portion not including a crystal grown above a boundary …

FIG. 22

performance graph

FIG. 22 is a graph showing a result of measurements of an a-axis length on a principal surface of an M-plane GaN substrate taken every 250 µm on a straight …

FIG. 23

performance graph

FIG. 23 is a graph showing a result of measurements of a c-axis length on a principal surface of an M-plane GaN substrate taken every 250 µm on a straight line …

FIG. 24

FIG. 24A. Although the substrate is shown to be cracked in the external view photograph, this was due to inappropriate handling. The substrate had a thickness …

FIG. 25

performance graph

FIG. 25 is a graph showing a result of measurements of an a-axis length on a principal surface of an M-plane GaN substrate taken every 250 µm on a straight …

FIG. 26

performance graph

FIG. 26 is a graph showing a result of measurements of a c-axis length on a principal surface of an M-plane GaN substrate taken every 250 µm on a straight line …

FIG. 27

FIGS. 27B-27D. An X-ray topography apparatus (product name: XRT 60 micron) by Rigaku Corporation was used for X-ray topog- raphy. MoKα was used as an X-ray …

FIG. 28

FIG. 28A shows an external view photograph of the fabricated substrate. The size of the principal surface was 35 mm (total length) in an a-axis direction and …

FIG. 29

FIG. 29, measurements were respectively performed on ﬁve straight lines A to E arranged at 5 mm intervals in an a-axis direction. Measurement results on the …

FIG. 30

performance graph

FIG. 30 is a graph showing a result of measurements of 15 an a-axis length on a principal surface of an M-plane GaN substrate taken every 250 µm on a straight …

FIG. 31

performance graph

FIG. 31 is a graph showing a result of measurements of an a-axis length on a principal surface of an M-plane GaN 20 substrate taken every 250 µm on a straight …

FIG. 32

performance graph

FIG. 32 is a graph showing a result of measurements of an a-axis length on a principal surface of an M-plane GaN substrate taken every 250 µm on a straight …

FIG. 33

performance graph

FIG. 33 is a graph showing a result of measurements of an a-axis length on a principal surface of an M-plane GaN substrate taken every 250 µm on a straight …

FIG. 34

FIG. 35

performance graph

FIG. 35 is a graph showing a result of measurements of an a-axis length on a principal surface of an M-plane GaN 35 substrate taken every 250 µm on a straight …

FIG. 36

performance graph

FIG. 36 is a graph showing a result of measurements of an a-axis length on a principal surface of an M-plane GaN substrate taken every 250 µm on a straight …

FIG. 37

performance graph

FIG. 37 is a graph showing a result of measurements of a c-axis length on a principal surface of an M-plane GaN substrate taken every 250 µm on a straight line …

FIG. 38

performance graph

FIG. 38 is a graph showing a result of measurements of an a-axis length on a principal surface of a GaN (30-3-1) substrate taken every 250 µm on an …

FIG. 39

performance graph

FIG. 39 is a graph showing a result of measurements of 50 a c-axis length on a principal surface of a GaN (30-3-1) substrate taken every 250 µm on an …

FIG. 40

performance graph

FIG. 40 is a graph showing a result of measurements of an a-axis length on a principal surface of a GaN (20-21) 55 substrate taken every 250 µm on an …

FIG. 41

performance graph

FIG. 41 is a graph showing a result of measurements of a c-axis length on a principal surface of a GaN (20-21) substrate taken every 250 µm on an intersection …

Claims

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

2 independent · 19 dependent

1
IndependentGaNself-standing GaN substrate (nonpolar/semipolar)
A self-standing GaN substrate with an angle between the normal of the principal surface and an m-axis of 0 degrees or more and 20 degrees or less, having a defect increasing zone extending in a direction intersecting an A-plane on the principal surface, wherein: the size of the projected image in a c-axis direction when the principal surface is vertically projected on an M-plane is 10 mm or more; when a region excluding a portion at a distance of 2 mm or less from a substrate end surface, of the principal surface, is assumed to be an effective region, an X-ray rocking curve full-width at half-maximum of a (300) plane on a longest intersection line formable by the principal surface and the A-plane in the effective region is less than 100 arcsec in a portion excluding the defect increasing zone; and a variation width of the X-ray rocking curve full-width at half-maximum of a (300) plane on the longest intersection line is less than 20 arcsee in a portion excluding the defect increasing zone.
1. 2
  Dependent← claim 1GaNself-standing GaN substrate (nonpolar/semipolar)
  The self-standing GaN substrate of claim 1, wherein a spot where the X-ray rocking curve full-width at half-maximum of the (300) plane exhibits a prominently high value is comprised in a portion where the longest intersec-tion line traverses the defect increasing zone.
2. 4
  Dependent← claim 1GaNself-standing GaN substrate (nonpolar/semipolar)
  The self-standing GaN substrate of claim 1, wherein the size of the projected image in an a-axis direction when the principal surface is vertically projected on an M-plane is 30 mm or more.
3. 6
  Dependent← claim 1GaNself-standing GaN substrate (nonpolar/semipolar)
  The self-standing GaN substrate of claim 1, wherein the self-standing GaN substrate comprises a GaN crystal grown by an HVPE method.
4. 7
  Dependent← claim 1GaNself-standing GaN substrate (nonpolar/semipolar)
  The self-standing GaN substrate of claim 1, wherein an absorption coefficient at a wavelength of 450 nm is 2 cm 1 or less.
5. 8
  Dependent← claim 1GaNself-standing GaN substrate (nonpolar/semipolar)
  The self-standing GaN substrate of claim 1, wherein the self-standing GaN substrate contains ﬂuorine.
6. 9
  Dependent← claim 1GaNself-standing GaN substrate (nonpolar/semipolar)
  The self-standing GaN substrate of claim 1, wherein alkali metal concentration is lower than 1×1015 cm⁻³.
7. 10
  Dependent← claim 1GaNself-standing GaN substrate (nonpolar/semipolar)
  The self-standing GaN substrate of claim 1, wherein the self-standing GaN substrate contains a stacking fault.
8. 11
  Dependent← claim 1GaN
  A crystal comprising GaN, processing of which enables fabrication of the self-standing GaN substrate of claim 1.
9. 12
  Dependent← claim 1GaN
  A manufacturing method of a GaN single crystal, the manufacturing method comprising: preparing the self-standing GaN substrate of claim 1; and epitaxially growing GaN on the self-standing GaN substrate.
10. 13
  Dependent← claim 1GaN
  A manufacturing method of a GaN single crystal, the manufacturing method comprising: growing a ﬁrst GaN crystal using the self-standing GaN substrate of claim 1 as a seed; and subsequently growing a second GaN crystal using a part of or all of the ﬁrst GaN crystal as a seed.
11. 15
  Dependent← claim 1GaNnitride semiconductorsemiconductor device with nitride epitaxial layers on GaN substrate
  A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device, the manufacturing method comprising: preparing the self-standing GaN substrate of claim 1; and forming a device structure by epitaxially growing one or more types of nitride semiconductors on the self-standing GaN substrate.
12. 16
  Dependent← claim 1GaNGaN layer-bonded substrate
  A manufacturing method of a GaN layer-bonded substrate, the manufacturing method comprising: implanting ions in a vicinity of the principal surface of the self-standing GaN substrate of claim 1; bonding the principal surface side of the self-standing GaN substrate to a hetero-composition substrate; and B₂ forming a GaN layer bonded to the hetero-composition substrate by separating the self-standing GaN substrate at the ion-implanted region as a boundary.
13. 17
  Dependent← claim 1GaNGaN layer-bonded substrate
  A GaN layer-bonded substrate with a structure in which a GaN layer separated from the self-standing GaN substrate of claim 1 is bonded to a hetero-composition substrate.
3
IndependentGaNself-standing GaN substrate (nonpolar/semipolar)
A self-standing GaN substrate with an angle between the normal of the principal surface and an m-axis of 0 degrees or more and 20 degrees or less, wherein: the size of the projected image in a c-axis direction when the principal surface is vertically projected on an M-plane is 10 mm or more; when a region excluding a portion at a distance of 2 mm or less from a substrate end surface, of the principal surface, is assumed to be an effective region, an X-ray rocking curve full-width at half-maximum of a (300) plane on a longest intersection line formable by the principal surface and an A-plane in the effective region is less than 100 aresec; and a variation width of the X-ray rocking curve full-width at half-maximum of a (300) plane on the longest intersection line is less than 20 arcsec.
1. 18
  Dependent← claim 3GaN
  A manufacturing method of a GaN single crystal, the manufacturing method comprising: preparing the self-standing GaN substrate of claim 3; and epitaxially growing GaN on the self-standing GaN substrate.
2. 19
  Dependent← claim 3GaN
  A manufacturing method of a GaN single crystal, the manufacturing method comprising: growing a ﬁrst GaN crystal using the self-standing GaN substrate of claim 3 as a seed; and subsequently growing a second GaN crystal using a part of or all of the ﬁrst GaN crystal as a seed.
3. 21
  Dependent← claim 3GaNnitride semiconductorsemiconductor device with nitride epitaxial layers on GaN substrate
  A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device, the manufacturing method comprising: preparing the self-standing GaN substrate of claim 3; and forming a device structure by epitaxially growing one or more types of nitride semiconductors on the self-standing GaN substrate. ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗

Device structures

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

self-standing GaN substrate (nonpolar/semipolar)

GaNsubstrate

semiconductor device with nitride epitaxial layers on GaN substrate

nitride semiconductorepitaxial device layer

GaNsubstrate

GaN layer-bonded substrate

GaNbonded GaN layer

hetero

Materials

Materials described outside the worked examples.

GaN

Substrate Crystal

nitride semiconductor

Epitaxial Layer

Characterization

Measurements and analyses referenced in the patent, with their drawing references.

device performance measurement

Device Performance Measurement

FIG. 2 is a graph showing a result of measurements of an a-axis length on a principal surface of a self-standing M-plane GaN substrate according to an …

Figure references

FIG. 2

GaN

Reported properties

Performance values and ranges asserted in the specification or claims.

Property	Value	Material
XRC FWHM of (300) plane on longest intersection line (excluding defect increasing zone)	≤ 100 arcsec	GaN
Variation width of XRC FWHM of (300) plane on longest intersection line (excluding defect increasing zone)

Cited prior art

Patents and literature cited by this patent (applicant and examiner references).

Cited patents · 44

US 7,033,436 B27,033,436 B2 4/2006 Biwa et al.
US 9,829,778 B29,829,778 B2 11/2017 Raring et al.
CN 101522962 ACN 101522962 A 9/2009
CN 102011191 ACN 102011191 A 4/2011
US 10,066,319 B210,066,319 B2 9/2018 Tsukada et al.
US 10,475,887 B210,475,887 B2 * 11/2019 Nagao..................... C30B 7/105examiner

Why these are connected

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

SELF-STANDING GaN SUBSTRATE, GaN CRYSTAL, METHOD FOR PRODUCING GaN SINGLE CRYSTAL, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE | Matter42 Literature

Cited non-patent literature · 3

English Translation of International Search Raport issued Oct. 28, 2014 in PCT/JP2014/070919, ﬁled Aug. 7, 2014.
Self-Separated Freestanding GaN Using a N H 4 Cl Interlayer. English Translation of International Search Report issued Mar. 3, 2015 in PCT/JP2014/082859, ﬁled Dec. 11, 2014. Hyun-Jae lee et al. “Self-Separated Freestanding GaN Using a N H 4 Cl Interlayer”, Applied Physics Letters, vol. 91, 192108, 2007, 4 pages. Po Shan Hsu et al. “Stress Relaxation and Critical Thickness for Misﬁt Dislocation Formation in (100) and (30) InGaN/GaN Heteroepitaxy”, Applied Physics Letters, vol. 100, 171917, 2012, 5 pages. English translation of International Preliminary Report on Patent- ability and Written Opinion issued Feb. 18, 2016 in PCT/JP2014/070919. Notiﬁcation of Transmittal of Translation of the International Pre- liminary Report on Patentability ﬁled in PCT/JP2014/082859, dated Jul. 28, 2016, and Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority. Oﬁce Action mailed Dec. 12, 2017 in related U.S. Appl. No. 15/210,150. Extended European Search Report issued Jun. 14, 2016 in Patent Application No. 14834101.9.
Review of Polarity Determination and Control of GaN. Chinese Office Action issued on Aug. 1, 2018 in Patent Application No. 201480073300.0 (with English translation), 25 pages. Office Action issued Jul. 4, 2017 in Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-168566 (with unedited computer generated English transla- tion). Combined Chinese Office Action and Search Report issued Dec. 4, 2017 in Chinese Patent Application No. 201480073300.0 (with unedited computer generated English translation), 29 pages. Combined Office Action and Search Report issued Dec. 14, 2017 in Taiwanese Patent Application No. 103127186 (with English lan- guage translation), 7 pages. Extended European Search Report issued Mar. 29, 2018 in Patent Application No. 17194202.2, 8 pages. Combined Office Action and Search Report issued Apr. 12, 2018 in Taiwanese Patent Application No. 103143621 (with English lan- guage translation of Office Action and English translation of cat- egories of cited documents), 10 pages. Sumiya, et al., “Review of Polarity Determination and Control of GaN”, MRS Internet J. Nitride Semicond. Res. 9, 1 (2004) The Material sResearch Society (Year, 2004). Office Action issued Oct. 16, 2018 in Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-557739, 6 pages (with unedited computer generated English translation). Japanese Office Action issued Dec. 18, 2018 in Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-056344 (with unedited computer generated English translation), 8 pages. Office Action Issued Mar. 5, 2019, in Taiwanese Patent Application No. 107130360 ﬁled Aug. 7, 2014 (with English translation). Pimputkar, et al., Surface Morphology study of basic ammonothermal GaN grown on non-polar GaN seed crystals of varying surface orientations from m-plane to a-plane, Journal of Crystal Growth, 368, pp. 67-71 (2013); Jan. 23, 2013 (year:2013). Bliss, et al., Ammonothermal GaN: Morphology and properties, Journal of Crystal Growth 312, pp. 1069-1073 (2010); Dec. 11, 2009 (Year: 2009). Office Action mailed Oct. 2, 2019 in U.S. Appl. No. 16/034,953, 16 pages. European Office Action Issued on Jun. 26, 2020 in Patent Applica- tion No. 17 194 202.2, 8 pages. Combined Taiwanese Office Action and Search Report issued Sep. 1, 2020 in Patent Application No. 108140117 (with English lan- guage translation), 14 pages. Taiwanese Office Action issued Jun. 22, 2021 in Taiwanese Patent Application No. 108140117 (with unedited computer generated English translation), 6 pages. European Search Report issued Sep. 6, 2021 in European Patent Application No. 17 194 202.2, 5 pages.

Cited non-patent literature · 3

English Translation of International Search Raport issued Oct. 28, 2014 in PCT/JP2014/070919, ﬁled Aug. 7, 2014.
Self-Separated Freestanding GaN Using a N H 4 Cl Interlayer. English Translation of International Search Report issued Mar. 3, 2015 in PCT/JP2014/082859, ﬁled Dec. 11, 2014. Hyun-Jae lee et al. “Self-Separated Freestanding GaN Using a N H 4 Cl Interlayer”, Applied Physics Letters, vol. 91, 192108, 2007, 4 pages. Po Shan Hsu et al. “Stress Relaxation and Critical Thickness for Misﬁt Dislocation Formation in (100) and (30) InGaN/GaN Heteroepitaxy”, Applied Physics Letters, vol. 100, 171917, 2012, 5 pages. English translation of International Preliminary Report on Patent- ability and Written Opinion issued Feb. 18, 2016 in PCT/JP2014/070919. Notiﬁcation of Transmittal of Translation of the International Pre- liminary Report on Patentability ﬁled in PCT/JP2014/082859, dated Jul. 28, 2016, and Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority. Oﬁce Action mailed Dec. 12, 2017 in related U.S. Appl. No. 15/210,150. Extended European Search Report issued Jun. 14, 2016 in Patent Application No. 14834101.9.
Review of Polarity Determination and Control of GaN. Chinese Office Action issued on Aug. 1, 2018 in Patent Application No. 201480073300.0 (with English translation), 25 pages. Office Action issued Jul. 4, 2017 in Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-168566 (with unedited computer generated English transla- tion). Combined Chinese Office Action and Search Report issued Dec. 4, 2017 in Chinese Patent Application No. 201480073300.0 (with unedited computer generated English translation), 29 pages. Combined Office Action and Search Report issued Dec. 14, 2017 in Taiwanese Patent Application No. 103127186 (with English lan- guage translation), 7 pages. Extended European Search Report issued Mar. 29, 2018 in Patent Application No. 17194202.2, 8 pages. Combined Office Action and Search Report issued Apr. 12, 2018 in Taiwanese Patent Application No. 103143621 (with English lan- guage translation of Office Action and English translation of cat- egories of cited documents), 10 pages. Sumiya, et al., “Review of Polarity Determination and Control of GaN”, MRS Internet J. Nitride Semicond. Res. 9, 1 (2004) The Material sResearch Society (Year, 2004). Office Action issued Oct. 16, 2018 in Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-557739, 6 pages (with unedited computer generated English translation). Japanese Office Action issued Dec. 18, 2018 in Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-056344 (with unedited computer generated English translation), 8 pages. Office Action Issued Mar. 5, 2019, in Taiwanese Patent Application No. 107130360 ﬁled Aug. 7, 2014 (with English translation). Pimputkar, et al., Surface Morphology study of basic ammonothermal GaN grown on non-polar GaN seed crystals of varying surface orientations from m-plane to a-plane, Journal of Crystal Growth, 368, pp. 67-71 (2013); Jan. 23, 2013 (year:2013). Bliss, et al., Ammonothermal GaN: Morphology and properties, Journal of Crystal Growth 312, pp. 1069-1073 (2010); Dec. 11, 2009 (Year: 2009). Office Action mailed Oct. 2, 2019 in U.S. Appl. No. 16/034,953, 16 pages. European Office Action Issued on Jun. 26, 2020 in Patent Applica- tion No. 17 194 202.2, 8 pages. Combined Taiwanese Office Action and Search Report issued Sep. 1, 2020 in Patent Application No. 108140117 (with English lan- guage translation), 14 pages. Taiwanese Office Action issued Jun. 22, 2021 in Taiwanese Patent Application No. 108140117 (with unedited computer generated English translation), 6 pages. European Search Report issued Sep. 6, 2021 in European Patent Application No. 17 194 202.2, 5 pages.

Cited non-patent literature · 3

English Translation of International Search Raport issued Oct. 28, 2014 in PCT/JP2014/070919, ﬁled Aug. 7, 2014.
Self-Separated Freestanding GaN Using a N H 4 Cl Interlayer. English Translation of International Search Report issued Mar. 3, 2015 in PCT/JP2014/082859, ﬁled Dec. 11, 2014. Hyun-Jae lee et al. “Self-Separated Freestanding GaN Using a N H 4 Cl Interlayer”, Applied Physics Letters, vol. 91, 192108, 2007, 4 pages. Po Shan Hsu et al. “Stress Relaxation and Critical Thickness for Misﬁt Dislocation Formation in (100) and (30) InGaN/GaN Heteroepitaxy”, Applied Physics Letters, vol. 100, 171917, 2012, 5 pages. English translation of International Preliminary Report on Patent- ability and Written Opinion issued Feb. 18, 2016 in PCT/JP2014/070919. Notiﬁcation of Transmittal of Translation of the International Pre- liminary Report on Patentability ﬁled in PCT/JP2014/082859, dated Jul. 28, 2016, and Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority. Oﬁce Action mailed Dec. 12, 2017 in related U.S. Appl. No. 15/210,150. Extended European Search Report issued Jun. 14, 2016 in Patent Application No. 14834101.9.
Review of Polarity Determination and Control of GaN. Chinese Office Action issued on Aug. 1, 2018 in Patent Application No. 201480073300.0 (with English translation), 25 pages. Office Action issued Jul. 4, 2017 in Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-168566 (with unedited computer generated English transla- tion). Combined Chinese Office Action and Search Report issued Dec. 4, 2017 in Chinese Patent Application No. 201480073300.0 (with unedited computer generated English translation), 29 pages. Combined Office Action and Search Report issued Dec. 14, 2017 in Taiwanese Patent Application No. 103127186 (with English lan- guage translation), 7 pages. Extended European Search Report issued Mar. 29, 2018 in Patent Application No. 17194202.2, 8 pages. Combined Office Action and Search Report issued Apr. 12, 2018 in Taiwanese Patent Application No. 103143621 (with English lan- guage translation of Office Action and English translation of cat- egories of cited documents), 10 pages. Sumiya, et al., “Review of Polarity Determination and Control of GaN”, MRS Internet J. Nitride Semicond. Res. 9, 1 (2004) The Material sResearch Society (Year, 2004). Office Action issued Oct. 16, 2018 in Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-557739, 6 pages (with unedited computer generated English translation). Japanese Office Action issued Dec. 18, 2018 in Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-056344 (with unedited computer generated English translation), 8 pages. Office Action Issued Mar. 5, 2019, in Taiwanese Patent Application No. 107130360 ﬁled Aug. 7, 2014 (with English translation). Pimputkar, et al., Surface Morphology study of basic ammonothermal GaN grown on non-polar GaN seed crystals of varying surface orientations from m-plane to a-plane, Journal of Crystal Growth, 368, pp. 67-71 (2013); Jan. 23, 2013 (year:2013). Bliss, et al., Ammonothermal GaN: Morphology and properties, Journal of Crystal Growth 312, pp. 1069-1073 (2010); Dec. 11, 2009 (Year: 2009). Office Action mailed Oct. 2, 2019 in U.S. Appl. No. 16/034,953, 16 pages. European Office Action Issued on Jun. 26, 2020 in Patent Applica- tion No. 17 194 202.2, 8 pages. Combined Taiwanese Office Action and Search Report issued Sep. 1, 2020 in Patent Application No. 108140117 (with English lan- guage translation), 14 pages. Taiwanese Office Action issued Jun. 22, 2021 in Taiwanese Patent Application No. 108140117 (with unedited computer generated English translation), 6 pages. European Search Report issued Sep. 6, 2021 in European Patent Application No. 17 194 202.2, 5 pages.

Cited non-patent literature · 3

English Translation of International Search Raport issued Oct. 28, 2014 in PCT/JP2014/070919, ﬁled Aug. 7, 2014.
Self-Separated Freestanding GaN Using a N H 4 Cl Interlayer. English Translation of International Search Report issued Mar. 3, 2015 in PCT/JP2014/082859, ﬁled Dec. 11, 2014. Hyun-Jae lee et al. “Self-Separated Freestanding GaN Using a N H 4 Cl Interlayer”, Applied Physics Letters, vol. 91, 192108, 2007, 4 pages. Po Shan Hsu et al. “Stress Relaxation and Critical Thickness for Misﬁt Dislocation Formation in (100) and (30) InGaN/GaN Heteroepitaxy”, Applied Physics Letters, vol. 100, 171917, 2012, 5 pages. English translation of International Preliminary Report on Patent- ability and Written Opinion issued Feb. 18, 2016 in PCT/JP2014/070919. Notiﬁcation of Transmittal of Translation of the International Pre- liminary Report on Patentability ﬁled in PCT/JP2014/082859, dated Jul. 28, 2016, and Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority. Oﬁce Action mailed Dec. 12, 2017 in related U.S. Appl. No. 15/210,150. Extended European Search Report issued Jun. 14, 2016 in Patent Application No. 14834101.9.
Review of Polarity Determination and Control of GaN. Chinese Office Action issued on Aug. 1, 2018 in Patent Application No. 201480073300.0 (with English translation), 25 pages. Office Action issued Jul. 4, 2017 in Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-168566 (with unedited computer generated English transla- tion). Combined Chinese Office Action and Search Report issued Dec. 4, 2017 in Chinese Patent Application No. 201480073300.0 (with unedited computer generated English translation), 29 pages. Combined Office Action and Search Report issued Dec. 14, 2017 in Taiwanese Patent Application No. 103127186 (with English lan- guage translation), 7 pages. Extended European Search Report issued Mar. 29, 2018 in Patent Application No. 17194202.2, 8 pages. Combined Office Action and Search Report issued Apr. 12, 2018 in Taiwanese Patent Application No. 103143621 (with English lan- guage translation of Office Action and English translation of cat- egories of cited documents), 10 pages. Sumiya, et al., “Review of Polarity Determination and Control of GaN”, MRS Internet J. Nitride Semicond. Res. 9, 1 (2004) The Material sResearch Society (Year, 2004). Office Action issued Oct. 16, 2018 in Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-557739, 6 pages (with unedited computer generated English translation). Japanese Office Action issued Dec. 18, 2018 in Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-056344 (with unedited computer generated English translation), 8 pages. Office Action Issued Mar. 5, 2019, in Taiwanese Patent Application No. 107130360 ﬁled Aug. 7, 2014 (with English translation). Pimputkar, et al., Surface Morphology study of basic ammonothermal GaN grown on non-polar GaN seed crystals of varying surface orientations from m-plane to a-plane, Journal of Crystal Growth, 368, pp. 67-71 (2013); Jan. 23, 2013 (year:2013). Bliss, et al., Ammonothermal GaN: Morphology and properties, Journal of Crystal Growth 312, pp. 1069-1073 (2010); Dec. 11, 2009 (Year: 2009). Office Action mailed Oct. 2, 2019 in U.S. Appl. No. 16/034,953, 16 pages. European Office Action Issued on Jun. 26, 2020 in Patent Applica- tion No. 17 194 202.2, 8 pages. Combined Taiwanese Office Action and Search Report issued Sep. 1, 2020 in Patent Application No. 108140117 (with English lan- guage translation), 14 pages. Taiwanese Office Action issued Jun. 22, 2021 in Taiwanese Patent Application No. 108140117 (with unedited computer generated English translation), 6 pages. European Search Report issued Sep. 6, 2021 in European Patent Application No. 17 194 202.2, 5 pages.