Activation annealing of Si-implanted GaN up to 1500°C using a novel RTP technique

A novel rapid thermal processing (RTP) unit called Zapper™ has recently been developed by MHI Inc. and the University of Florida for high temperature thermal processing of semiconductors. This Zapper™ unit is capable of reaching much higher temperatures (> 1500°C) than conventional tungsten-halogen lamp RTP equipment and achieving high ramp-up and ramp-down rates. Implant activation annealing studies of Si⁺-implanted GaN thin films (with and without an AlN encapsulation layer) have been conducted using the Zapper™ unit at temperatures up to 1500°C. The measurements of electrical properties of such annealed samples have led to the conclusion that high annealing temperatures and AlN encapsulation are needed for the optimum activation efficiency of Si⁺ implants in GaN. It has clearly been demonstrated that the Zapper™ unit has tremendous potential for RTP annealing of semiconductor materials, especially for wide bandgap compound semiconductors that require very high processing temperatures.