Use of ultrahigh purity ammonia prevents oxygen contamination of GaN during growth, making it possible to grow the GaN at temperatures as high as 825 degrees C, at which point single crystal wafers are deposited on /0001/-oriented sapphire surfaces

Clough, R.

Richman, D.

Tietjen, J.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

October 1970
	 Brief 70-10473 
NASA TECH BRIEF 
NASA Tech Briefs announce new technology derived from the U.S. space program. They are issued to encourage commercial 
application. Tech Briefs are available on a subscription basis from the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical 
Information, Springfield, Virginia 22151. Requests for individual copies or questions relating to the Tech Brief program may 
be directed to the Technology Utilization Division, NASA, Code UT, Washington, D.C. 20546. 
Growth of Single-Crystal Gallium Nitride 
A method of preparing single crystals of gallium 
nitride (GaN) has been developed, using (0001)-or-
iented sapphire substrates, and strictly excluding 
oxygen contamination. 
Oxygen contamination of GaN during growth has 
been overcome by using ultrahigh purity ammonia. 
This makes it possible to grow the GaN at tempera-
tures as high as 825°C, at which point single crystal 
wafers are deposited on the (0001)-oriented sapphire 
surfaces. Wafers have been grown as large as one 
centimeter in diameter by several microns thick. They 
are the first single crystals of this material large enough 
to allow good electrical and optical characterization. 
Single crystals of GaN may be made into electro-
luminescent diodes, useful throughout the entire visi-
ble spectrum, if the material can be made highly con-
ductive p-type. Work on acceptor doping of GaN is 
continuing. 
Notes: 
1. Information on a related project involving indium-
gallium phosphide electroluminescent diodes is 
contained in NASA Tech Brief 70-10474.
2. The following documentation may be obtained 
from: 
Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific 
and Technical Information 
Springfield, Virginia 22151 
Single document price $3.00 
(or microfiche $0.65) 
Reference: 
NA SA-CR-86 192 (N69-33262), Vapor-Phase 
Growth Technique and System for Several 
Ill-V Compound Semiconductors 
NASA-CR-1 10194 (N70-28838), Interim 
Scientific Report No.3 
Patent status: 
Inquiries about obtaining rights for the commercial 
use of this invention may be made to NASA, Code 
GP, Washington, D.C. 20546. 
Source: J. Tietjen, R. Clough, and 
D. Richman of
RCA Labs.
under contract to

Electronics Research Center
(ERC- 1030 1) 
Category 0 1,03 
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National 	 Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States	 information contained in this document, or warrants that such use 
Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States 	 will be free from privately owned rights.
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Growth of single-crystal gallium nitride

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