METHOD OF ZINC OXIDE FILM GROWN ON THE EPITAXIAL LATERAL OVERGROWTH GALLIUM NITRIDE TEMPLATE

Abstract

A growth method is proposed for high quality zinc oxide comprising the following steps: (1) growing a gallium nitride layer on a sapphire substrate around a temperature of 1000.degree. C.; (2) patterning a SiO.sub.2 mask into stripes oriented in the gallium nitride <1 100> or <11 20> direction; (3) growing epitaxial lateral overgrowth of (ELO) gallium nitride layers by controlling the facet planes via choosing the growth temperature and the reactor; (4) depositing zinc oxide films on facets ELO gallium nitride templates by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Zinc oxide crystal of high quality with a reduced number of crystal defects can be grown on a gallium nitride template. This method can be used to fabricate zinc oxide films with low dislocation density lower than 10.sup.4/cm.sup.-2, which will find important applications in future electronic and optoelectronic devices.