METHOD FOR GROWING A GROUP (III) METAL NITRIDE FILM

摘要

A process for growing a group (III) metal nitride film by remote plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition are described. The process comprises contacting at least a portion of the inner surface of a containment tube with a nitrogen plasma at a pressure of from 10 m Torr to 100 Torr (1.3 Pa to 13,000 Pa) and for a period of 1 hour to 100 hours, the contacting at least a portion of the inner surface of the containment tube with a nitrogen plasma causing at least a portion of the silica in the containment tube to react with nitrogen ions in the nitrogen plasma, whereby at least a portion of the silica is converted into a species that does not release oxygen atoms, heating an object selected from the group consisting of a substrate and a substrate comprising a buffer layer in a growth chamber to a temperature in the range of from 400°C to 750°C, producing active neutral nitrogen species in a nitrogen plasma remotely located from the growth chamber and transferring the active neutral nitrogen species to the growth chamber. A reaction mixture is formed in the growth chamber, the reaction mixture containing a species of a group (III) metal that is capable of reacting with the nitrogen species so as to form a group (III) metal nitride film and a film of group (III) metal nitride is formed on the heated object under conditions whereby the film is suitable for device purposes. Also described is a group (III) metal nitride film which exhibits an oxygen concentration below 1.6 atomic%.