Ballistic missile defense applications of the future will require ever more powerful electronic devices, capable of operation at high frequencies and power and able to withstand high temperatures. Gallium nitride is one of the most promising materials for such applications. Although a number of devices such as light emitting diodes and junction field effect transistors have been fabricated using GaN, material quality remains a stumbling block to full utilization of its potential. SKION proposes to provide a breakthrough in GaN deposition using its patented metal ion beam technology. This process precisely controls the energy of the deposited species, enabling the production of thin films with precise crystalline phase control and high film quality at lower deposition temperatures than possible with the current state-of-the-art. In this Phase I program SKION will develop and demonstrate a novel Ga+ ion source based on a modification of its well-demonstrated and commercialized Cs+ ion beam technology. This new source will be used to deposit high-quality GaN thin films on silicon substrates. For this effort SKION will team with Arizona State University. The ASU group was the first to demonstrate that the Ga and N direct ion beam method is superior to thermal techniques. To combine ASU's experience in ion beam deposition of wide bandgap semiconductors with SKION's process and equipment expertise will ensure successful process development for heteroepitaxial GaN on Si. Program objectives include development of the new high area Ga+ ion source and demonstration of epitaxial GaN growth on 4" silicon wafers. This program is addressed to the expressed BMDO need for improved electronic materials, including exploitation of the unusual electronic properties of GaN.
Keywords: Epitaxial Films; Led; Direct Ion Beam Deposition; Optoelectronics; Wide Bandgap; Display
