Patent ID: 9263266
Filing Date: 2016-02-16
CPC Classification: C30B,H01L

Claim Text:
1. A method for forming a bulk crystal structure, the method comprising: providing a substrate within a growth reactor; growing a GaN nucleation layer over the substrate under nucleation layer growth conditions that produce a pitted nucleation layer surface; introducing a first doping impurity into the growth reactor during at least a portion of the growth of the GaN nucleation layer, at least some of the first doping impurity being incorporated within the GaN nucleation layer; growing a GaN transitional layer over the GaN nucleation layer under transitional layer growth conditions that (i) are different from the nucleation layer growth conditions and (ii) produce a transitional layer surface having a lesser percentage of pits than the pitted nucleation layer surface; and growing a GaN bulk layer over the transitional layer, the GaN bulk layer having a surface that is substantially free of pits.