Patents by Inventor Dirk Ehrentraut

Dirk Ehrentraut has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240247406
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure include a free-standing crystal, comprising a group III metal and nitrogen. The free-standing crystal may comprise: a wurtzite crystal structure; a growth direction, the growth direction being selected from one of [0 0 0 ±1], {1 0 ?1 0}, {1 0 ?1 ±1}, or {1 0 ?1 ±2}. A first surface having a dislocation density between 1 cm?2 and 107 cm?2, the dislocations having an orientation within 30 degrees of the growth direction, and an average impurity concentration of H greater than 1017 cm?3. The free-standing crystal having at least four sets of bands, wherein each set of bands includes a first sub-band and a second sub-band, the first sub-band having a concentration of at least one impurity selected from H, O, Li, Na, K, F, Cl, Br, and I; and each of the at least four sets of bands have portions that are substantially parallel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2024
    Publication date: July 25, 2024
    Inventors: Drew W. CARDWELL, Dirk EHRENTRAUT, Mark P. D'EVELYN, Rajeev Tirumala PAKALAPATI
  • Publication number: 20240183074
    Abstract: A gallium-containing nitride crystals comprising: a top surface having a crystallographic orientation within 5 degrees of a plane selected from a (0001) +c-plane and a (000-1) ?c-plane; a substantially wurtzite structure; n-type electronic properties; an impurity concentration of hydrogen >5×1017 cm?3; an impurity concentration of oxygen between 2×1017 cm?3 and 1×1020 cm?3; an [H]/[O] ratio of at least 0.3; an impurity concentration of at least one of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Ca, F, and Cl >1×1016 cm?3; a compensation ratio between 1.0 and 4.0; an absorbance per unit thickness of at least 0.01 cm?1 at wavenumbers of 3175 cm?1, 3164 cm?1, and 3150 cm?1; and wherein, at wavenumbers between 3200 cm?1 and 3400 cm?1 and between 3075 cm?1 and 3125 cm?1, said gallium-containing nitride crystal is essentially free of infrared absorption peaks having an absorbance per unit thickness >10% of the absorbance per unit thickness at 3175 cm?1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2024
    Publication date: June 6, 2024
    Inventors: Wenkan JIANG, Dirk EHRENTRAUT, Mark P. D'EVELYN
  • Publication number: 20240133076
    Abstract: A gallium-containing nitride crystals are disclosed, comprising: a top surface having a crystallographic orientation within about 5 degrees of a plane selected from a (0001) +c-plane and a (000-1) ?c-plane; a substantially wurtzite structure; n-type electronic properties; an impurity concentration of hydrogen greater than about 5×1017 cm?3; an impurity concentration of oxygen between about 2×1017 cm?3 and about 1×1020 cm?3; an [H]/[O] ratio of at least 0.3; an impurity concentration of at least one of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Ca, F, and Cl greater than about 1×1016 cm?3; a compensation ratio between about 1.0 and about 4.0; an absorbance per unit thickness of at least 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Wenkan JIANG, Dirk EHRENTRAUT, Mark P. D'EVELYN
  • Patent number: 11898269
    Abstract: A gallium-containing nitride crystals are disclosed, comprising: a top surface having a crystallographic orientation within about 5 degrees of a plane selected from a (0001)+c-plane and a (000-1)?c-plane; a substantially wurtzite structure; n-type electronic properties; an impurity concentration of hydrogen greater than about 5×1017 cm?3, an impurity concentration of oxygen between about 2×1017 cm?3 and about 1×1020 cm?3, an [H]/[O] ratio of at least 0.3; an impurity concentration of at least one of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Ca, F, and Cl greater than about 1×1016 cm?3, a compensation ratio between about 1.0 and about 4.0; an absorbance per unit thickness of at least 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: SLT Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wenkan Jiang, Dirk Ehrentraut, Mark P. D'Evelyn
  • Publication number: 20230340695
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include techniques related to techniques for processing materials for manufacture of group-III metal nitride and gallium based substrates. More specifically, embodiments of the disclosure include techniques for growing large area substrates using a combination of processing techniques. Merely by way of example, the disclosure can be applied to growing crystals of GaN, AlN, InN, InGaN, AlGaN, and AlInGaN, and others for manufacture of bulk or patterned substrates. Such bulk or patterned substrates can be used for a variety of applications including optoelectronic and electronic devices, lasers, light emitting diodes, solar cells, photo electrochemical water splitting and hydrogen generation, photodetectors, integrated circuits, and transistors, and others.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Dirk EHRENTRAUT, Mark P. D'EVELYN, Drew W. CARDWELL
  • Publication number: 20230317444
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include techniques related to techniques for processing materials for manufacture of group-III metal nitride and gallium based substrates. More specifically, embodiments of the disclosure include techniques for growing large area substrates using a combination of processing techniques. Merely by way of example, the disclosure can be applied to growing crystals of GaN, AlN, InN, InGaN, AlGaN, and AlInGaN, and others for manufacture of bulk or patterned substrates. Such bulk or patterned substrates can be used for a variety of applications including optoelectronic and electronic devices, lasers, light emitting diodes, solar cells, photo electrochemical water splitting and hydrogen generation, photodetectors, integrated circuits, and transistors, and others.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Applicant: SLT Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wenkan JIANG, Mark P. D'EVELYN, Derrick S. KAMBER, Dirk EHRENTRAUT, Jonathan D. COOK, James WENGER
  • Patent number: 11721549
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include techniques related to techniques for processing materials for manufacture of group-III metal nitride and gallium based substrates. More specifically, embodiments of the disclosure include techniques for growing large area substrates using a combination of processing techniques. Merely by way of example, the disclosure can be applied to growing crystals of GaN, AlN, InN, InGaN, AlGaN, and AlInGaN, and others for manufacture of bulk or patterned substrates. Such bulk or patterned substrates can be used for a variety of applications including optoelectronic and electronic devices, lasers, light emitting diodes, solar cells, photo electrochemical water splitting and hydrogen generation, photodetectors, integrated circuits, and transistors, and others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: SLT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Mark P. D'Evelyn, Wenkan Jiang, Drew W. Cardwell, Dirk Ehrentraut
  • Patent number: 11705322
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include techniques related to techniques for processing materials for manufacture of group-III metal nitride and gallium based substrates. More specifically, embodiments of the disclosure include techniques for growing large area substrates using a combination of processing techniques. Merely by way of example, the disclosure can be applied to growing crystals of GaN, AlN, InN, InGaN, AlGaN, and AlInGaN, and others for manufacture of bulk or patterned substrates. Such bulk or patterned substrates can be used for a variety of applications including optoelectronic and electronic devices, lasers, light emitting diodes, solar cells, photo electrochemical water splitting and hydrogen generation, photodetectors, integrated circuits, and transistors, and others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: SLT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Wenkan Jiang, Mark P. D'Evelyn, Derrick S. Kamber, Dirk Ehrentraut, Jonathan D. Cook, James Wenger
  • Publication number: 20210249252
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include techniques related to techniques for processing materials for manufacture of group-III metal nitride and gallium based substrates. More specifically, embodiments of the disclosure include techniques for growing large area substrates using a combination of processing techniques. Merely by way of example, the disclosure can be applied to growing crystals of GaN, AlN, InN, InGaN, AlGaN, and AlInGaN, and others for manufacture of bulk or patterned substrates. Such bulk or patterned substrates can be used for a variety of applications including optoelectronic and electronic devices, lasers, light emitting diodes, solar cells, photo electrochemical water splitting and hydrogen generation, photodetectors, integrated circuits, and transistors, and others.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: Wenkan JIANG, Mark P. D'EVELYN, Derrick S. KAMBER, Dirk EHRENTRAUT, Jonathan D. COOK, James WENGER
  • Publication number: 20210249266
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include techniques related to techniques for processing materials for manufacture of group-III metal nitride and gallium based substrates. More specifically, embodiments of the disclosure include techniques for growing large area substrates using a combination of processing techniques. Merely by way of example, the disclosure can be applied to growing crystals of GaN, AlN, InN, InGaN, AlGaN, and AlInGaN, and others for manufacture of bulk or patterned substrates. Such bulk or patterned substrates can be used for a variety of applications including optoelectronic and electronic devices, lasers, light emitting diodes, solar cells, photo electrochemical water splitting and hydrogen generation, photodetectors, integrated circuits, and transistors, and others.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: Mark P. D'Evelyn, Wenkan Jiang, Drew W. Cardwell, Dirk Ehrentraut
  • Publication number: 20200263321
    Abstract: A gallium-containing nitride crystals are disclosed, comprising: a top surface having a crystallographic orientation within about 5 degrees of a plane selected from a (0001) +c-plane and a (000-1) ?c-plane; a substantially wurtzite structure; n-type electronic properties; an impurity concentration of hydrogen greater than about 5×1017 cm?3, an impurity concentration of oxygen between about 2×1017 cm?3 and about 1×1020 cm?3, an [H]/[O] ratio of at least 0.3; an impurity concentration of at least one of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Ca, F, and Cl greater than about 1×1016 cm?3, a compensation ratio between about 1.0 and about 4.0; an absorbance per unit thickness of at least 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventors: Wenkan JIANG, Dirk EHRENTRAUT, Mark P. D'EVELYN
  • Patent number: 10648102
    Abstract: Gallium-containing nitride crystals are disclosed, comprising: a top surface having a crystallographic orientation within about 5 degrees of a plane selected from a (0001) +c-plane and a (000-1) ?c-plane; a substantially wurtzite structure; n-type electronic properties; an impurity concentration of hydrogen greater than about 5×1017 cm?3; an impurity concentration of oxygen between about 2×1017 cm?3 and about 1×1020 cm?3; an [H]/[O] ratio of at least 0.3; an impurity concentration of at least one of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Ca, F, and CI greater than about 1×1016 cm?3; a compensation ratio between about 1.0 and about 4.0; an absorbance per unit thickness of at least 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: SLT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Wenkan Jiang, Dirk Ehrentraut, Mark P. D'Evelyn
  • Patent number: 10604865
    Abstract: Methods for large-scale manufacturing of semipolar gallium nitride boules are disclosed. The disclosed methods comprise suspending large-area single crystal seed plates in a rack, placing the rack in a large diameter autoclave or internally-heated high pressure apparatus along with ammonia and a mineralizer, and growing crystals ammonothermally. A bi-faceted growth morphology may be maintained to facilitate fabrication of large area semipolar wafers without growing thick boules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: SLT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Mark P. D'Evelyn, Dirk Ehrentraut, Derrick S. Kamber, Bradley C. Downey
  • Patent number: 10301745
    Abstract: An ultralow defect gallium-containing nitride crystal and methods of making ultralow defect gallium-containing nitride crystals are disclosed. The crystals are useful as substrates for light emitting diodes, laser diodes, transistors, photodetectors, solar cells, and photoelectrochemical water splitting for hydrogen generators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: SLT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Mark P. D'Evelyn, Dirk Ehrentraut, Wenkan Jiang, Bradley C. Downey
  • Publication number: 20190003078
    Abstract: Methods for large-scale manufacturing of semipolar gallium nitride boules are disclosed. The disclosed methods comprise suspending large-area single crystal seed plates in a rack, placing the rack in a large diameter autoclave or internally-heated high pressure apparatus along with ammonia and a mineralizer, and growing crystals ammonothermally. A bi-faceted growth morphology may be maintained to facilitate fabrication of large area semipolar wafers without growing thick boules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Mark P. D'EVELYN, Dirk EHRENTRAUT, Derrick S. KAMBER, Bradley C. DOWNEY
  • Patent number: 10145026
    Abstract: Methods for large-scale manufacturing of semipolar gallium nitride boules are disclosed. The disclosed methods comprise suspending large-area single crystal seed plates in a rack, placing the rack in a large diameter autoclave or internally-heated high pressure apparatus along with ammonia and a mineralizer, and growing crystals ammonothermally. A bi-faceted growth morphology may be maintained to facilitate fabrication of large area semipolar wafers without growing thick boules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: SLT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Mark P. D'Evelyn, Dirk Ehrentraut, Derrick S. Kamber, Bradley C. Downey
  • Patent number: 10036099
    Abstract: Large-scale manufacturing of gallium nitride boules using m-plane or wedge-shaped seed crystals can be accomplished using ammonothermal growth methods. Large-area single crystal seed plates are suspended in a rack, placed in a large diameter autoclave or internally-heated high pressure apparatus along with ammonia and a mineralizer, and crystals are grown ammonothermally. The orientation of the m-plane or wedge-shaped seed crystals are chosen to provide efficient utilization of the seed plates and of the volume inside the autoclave or high pressure apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: SLT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Mark P. D'Evelyn, Dirk Ehrentraut, Derrick S. Kamber, Bradley C. Downey
  • Publication number: 20180195206
    Abstract: A gallium-containing nitride crystals are disclosed, comprising: a top surface having a crystallographic orientation within about 5 degrees of a plane selected from a (0001) +c-plane and a (000-1) ?c-plane; a substantially wurtzite structure; n-type electronic properties; an impurity concentration of hydrogen greater than about 5×1017 cm?3; an impurity concentration of oxygen between about 2×1017 cm?3 and about 1×1020 cm?3; an [H]/[O] ratio of at least 0.3; an impurity concentration of at least one of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Ca, F, and Cl greater than about 1×1016 cm?3; a compensation ratio between about 1.0 and about 4.0; an absorbance per unit thickness of at least 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Inventors: Wenkan Jiang, Dirk Ehrentraut, Mark P. D'Evelyn
  • Patent number: 9589792
    Abstract: High quality ammonothermal group III metal nitride crystals having a pattern of locally-approximately-linear arrays of threading dislocations, methods of manufacturing high quality ammonothermal group III metal nitride crystals, and methods of using such crystals are disclosed. The crystals are useful for seed bulk crystal growth and as substrates for light emitting diodes, laser diodes, transistors, photodetectors, solar cells, and for photoelectrochemical water splitting for hydrogen generation devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Soraa, Inc.
    Inventors: Wenkan Jiang, Mark P. D'Evelyn, Derrick S. Kamber, Dirk Ehrentraut, Michael Krames
  • Publication number: 20170029978
    Abstract: An ultralow defect gallium-containing nitride crystal and methods of making ultralow defect gallium-containing nitride crystals are disclosed. The crystals are useful as substrates for light emitting diodes, laser diodes, transistors, photodetectors, solar cells, and photoelectrochemical water splitting for hydrogen generators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Inventors: MARK P. D'EVELYN, DIRK EHRENTRAUT, WENKAN JIANG, BRADLEY C. DOWNEY