A compound semiconductor layer stack includes: a first layer 11 being formed on a base 14 and including an island-shaped Al.sub.x1In.sub.y1Ga.sub.(1-x1-y1)N; a second layer 12 being formed on the first layer 11 and including Al.sub.x2In.sub.y2Ga.sub.(1-x2-y2)N; and a third layer 13 being formed on an entire surface including a top of the second layer 12, the third layer 13 including Al.sub.x3Ga.sub.(1-x3)N (provided that the following hold true: 0≤x1<1; 0≤x2<1; 0≤x3<1; 0≤y1<1; and 0<y2<1), and the third layer 13 has a top surface 13A that is flat.

A method for removing devices from a substrate using a supporting plate. One or more bars comprised of semiconductor layers are formed on a substrate, and one or more device structures are formed on the bars. At least one supporting plate is bonded to the bars, and stress is applied to the supporting plate to remove the bars from the substrate. The supporting plate is used to divide the bars into one or more device units after the bars are removed from the substrate, wherein the device units are packaged and arranged into one or more modules. The supporting plate may also be used to make a cleavage facet for one or more of the device structures after the bars are removed from the substrate.

The present disclosure provides a method and structure for producing large area gallium and nitrogen engineered substrate members configured for the epitaxial growth of layer structures suitable for the fabrication of high performance semiconductor devices. In a specific embodiment the engineered substrates are used to manufacture gallium and nitrogen containing devices based on an epitaxial transfer process wherein as-grown epitaxial layers are transferred from the engineered substrate to a carrier wafer for processing. In a preferred embodiment, the gallium and nitrogen containing devices are laser diode devices operating in the 390 nm to 425 nm range, the 425 nm to 485 nm range, the 485 nm to 550 nm range, or greater than 550 nm.

Epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) III-nitride layers are grown on or above an opening area of a growth restrict mask deposited on a substrate, wherein the growth of the ELO III-nitride layers and/or a subsequent regrowth layer form one or more voids. III-nitride device layers are grown on or above the ELO III-nitride layers and/or regrowth layer. Stress is applied to a breaking point at the substrate, with the voids assisting the application of stress, so that a bar of devices comprised of the III-nitride device layers, the ELO III-nitride layers and the regrowth layer is removed from the substrate. The voids release stress from the growth restrict mask, which helps prevent cracks. Decomposition of the growth restrict mask is avoided to prevent compensation of p-type layers.

An epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) layer is grown on an opening area of a substrate, wherein the ELO layer is higher than a surface 5 of a trench in the substrate. The trench is apt to form a symmetric shape of the ELO layer, which renders it suitable for flip-chip bonding The shape of the ELO layer has a depressed surface region at a back side of a bar formed by the ELO layer. A cleaving point is located higher than the bottom of the ELO layer, so that a force can be efficiently applied to 10 the cleaving point for removing the bar.

The present disclosure provides a method and structure for producing large area gallium and nitrogen engineered substrate members configured for the epitaxial growth of layer structures suitable for the fabrication of high performance semiconductor devices. In a specific embodiment the engineered substrates are used to manufacture gallium and nitrogen containing devices based on an epitaxial transfer process wherein as-grown epitaxial layers are transferred from the engineered substrate to a carrier wafer for processing. In a preferred embodiment, the gallium and nitrogen containing devices are laser diode devices operating in the 390 nm to 425 nm range, the 425 nm to 485 nm range, the 485 nm to 550 nm range, or greater than 550 nm.

A gallium and nitrogen containing laser diode device. The device has a gallium and nitrogen containing substrate material comprising a surface region. The surface region is configured on either a non-polar crystal orientation or a semi-polar crystal orientation. The device has a recessed region formed within a second region of the substrate material, the second region being between a first region and a third region. The recessed region is configured to block a plurality of defects from migrating from the first region to the third region. The device has an epitaxially formed gallium and nitrogen containing region formed overlying the third region. The epitaxially formed gallium and nitrogen containing region is substantially free from defects migrating from the first region and an active region formed overlying the third region.

Disclosed is a method for producing a radiation-emitting semiconductor chip including the steps:—providing a semiconductor layer sequence having an active region which is designed for generating electromagnetic radiation,—producing a first recess in the semiconductor layer sequence, which fully penetrates the active region,—producing a first structure in the first recess, wherein—at least a lateral surface of the first structure facing the active region extends obliquely to at least a first lateral surface of the semiconductor layer sequence, and—the first structure is spaced apart in lateral directions from the active region. Also disclosed is a radiation-emitting semiconductor chip.

A wafer includes a buried substrate; a first layer of silicon (100) disposed on the buried substrate that includes silicon sidewalls (111) at an angle to the buried substrate and that form a bottom of each of multiple U-shaped grooves; a second layer of patterned oxide disposed on the silicon (100) that provides vertical sidewalls of each U-shaped groove formed within the first and second layers; a third layer of a buffer covering the first layer and partially covering the second layer partway up the vertical sidewalls; and multiple gallium nitride (GaN)-based structures disposed within the multiple U-shaped grooves, the multiple GaN-based structures each including cubic gallium nitride (c-GaN) formed at merged growth fronts of hexagonal gallium nitride (h-GaN) that extend from the silicon sidewalls (111).

A method of removing a substrate, comprising: forming a growth restrict mask with a plurality of striped opening areas directly or indirectly upon a GaN-based substrate; and growing a plurality of semiconductor layers upon the GaN-based substrate using the growth restrict mask, such that the growth extends in a direction parallel to the striped opening areas of the growth restrict mask, and growth is stopped before the semiconductor layers coalesce, thereby resulting in island-like semiconductor layers. A device is processed for each of the island-like semiconductor layers. Etching is performed until at least a part of the growth restrict mask is exposed. The devices are then bonded to a support substrate. The GaN-based substrate is removed from the devices by a wet etching technique that at least partially dissolves the growth restrict mask. The GaN substrate that is removed then can be recycled.