Patent ID: 6635110
Filing Date: 2003-10-21
Classification: C30B,H01L

Abstract:
A method for reducing dislocation density in a semiconductor material formed as an epitaxial layer upon a dissimilar substrate material, the method comprising:heating the epitaxial layer and the substrate at a heating temperature that is less than about a characteristic temperature of melting of the epitaxial layer but greater than about a temperature above which the epitaxial layer is characterized by plasticity, for a first time duration; cooling the epitaxial layer and the substrate at a cooling temperature that is lower than about the heating temperature and that is selected to maximize thermally-induced glide of dislocations and to minimize glide limitation by a glide energy barrier characteristic of the epitaxial layer, for a second time duration; and carrying out the heating and cooling a selected number of cycles to reduce the dislocation density of the epitaxial layer.