SBIR Phase II: A Novel Approach for Production of Freestanding GaN Wafers for III-Nitride Light Emitters and Detectors

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目将展示一种生产大直径独立式GaN晶片和衬底的新技术。 尽管在过去十年中进行了研究努力，但可负担得起的GaN晶片和大直径衬底尚未广泛商业化，这阻碍了高性能GaN基器件的商业化。该第二阶段项目将展示一种独特的方法，以有效的方式生长GaN厚膜和制造具有低位错密度和低晶片弯曲/翘曲的独立GaN晶片和衬底。第二阶段的研究包括GaN厚膜的晶体生长，GaN晶片和衬底的制造，以及GaN晶片的广泛表征。如果第二阶段项目成功，高质量的大直径独立GaN衬底将以合理的价格广泛商业化，这将使高性能GaN基光发射器和紫外光探测器的批量生产和商业化成为可能。 该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是在GaN基发光二极管（LED），激光器和紫外线（UV）光探测器领域。GaN基蓝光和绿色高亮度LED由于其巨大的节能潜力、长寿命、紧凑性和高能效而在固态照明应用中具有很大的前景。固态照明将大大改善国家？能源可持续发展在不久的将来。 此外，独立GaN衬底还需要用于制造各种其他高性能半导体器件，例如用于数据存储/显示的蓝色激光二极管、用于水/空气净化的UV LED、用于无线通信的高功率RF器件、用于利用可再生能源的高功率开关器件（例如，风、太阳）和UV检测器，用于检测/分析用于国土安全应用的化学和生物制剂。最后，该项目将有助于在节能和可再生能源行业创造就业机会，并将提高美国公司在这些行业的竞争力。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to demonstrate a novel technique for producing large-diameter freestanding GaN wafers and substrates. Despite the research efforts in the last decade, affordable GaN wafers and substrates of large diameters have not been widely available commercially, which hinders commercialization of high performance GaN-based devices. This Phase II project will demonstrate a unique approach to growth of GaN thick films and fabrication of freestanding GaN wafers and substrates with low densities of dislocations and low wafer bow/warp in an efficient manner. This Phase II research includes crystal growth of GaN thick films, fabrication of GaN wafers and substrates, and extensive characterization of GaN wafers. If this Phase II project is successful, high-quality freestanding GaN substrates of large diameters will become widely available commercially at an affordable price, which will enable volume production and commercialization of high-performance GaN-based light emitters and ultraviolet light detectors. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is in the areas of GaN-based light emitting diodes (LEDs), lasers, and ultraviolet (UV) light detectors. GaN-based blue and green high brightness LEDs hold a great promise for solid-state lighting applications because of their tremendous energy savings potential, long lifetime, compactness, and high energy efficiency. Solid-sate lighting will dramatically improve the nation?s energy sustainability in the near future. In addition, freestanding GaN substrates are also needed for fabrication of variety of other high-performance semiconductor devices, such as blue laser diodes for data storage/displays, UV LEDs for water/air purification, high-power RF devices for wireless communication, high-power switching devices for harnessing renewable energies (e.g. wind, solar), and UV detectors for detection/analysis of chemical and biological agents for homeland security applications. Finally, this project will help create jobs in business sectors of energy conservation and renewable energies, and will increase competitiveness of US companies in these business sectors.