Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxial Growth of III–V Nitrides

This chapter discusses hydride vapor phase epitaxial growth of III–V nitrides. There is a recent resurgence of interest in wide-bandgap semiconductors, such as silicon carbide (SiC), II–VI compounds, and III–V nitrides. This is because of the theoretical limits of most well-developed semiconductors (e.g., silicon and gallium arsenide) for both electrical and optical devices, as well as the need for short-wavelength light emitters for performance enhancements in emerging technologies such as optical storage and full-color displays. The III–V nitrides (indium nitride, gallium nitride, aluminum nitride, and their solid solutions) are unique as they have large, direct bandgaps and are extremely structurally stable materials. The chapter compares these large, direct bandgaps with the indirect-bandgap polytypes of SiC and direct-bandgap II–VI materials. Hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) and its closely related technique—halide vapor phase epitaxy—have played an important role in the development of semiconductor material systems, such as the arsenides, phosphides, and nitrides.