Patents by Inventor Stefan Degroote

Stefan Degroote 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: 20110108850
    Abstract: An integrated semiconductor substrate structure is disclosed. In one aspect, the structure includes a substrate, a GaN-heterostructure and a semiconductor substrate layer. The GaN heterostructure is present in a first device area for definition of GaN-based devices, and is covered at least partially with a protection layer. The semiconductor substrate layer is present in a second device area for definition of CMOS devices. At least one of the GaN heterostructure and the semiconductor substrate layer is provided in at least one trench in the substrate, so that the GaN heterostructure and the semiconductor substrate layer are laterally juxtaposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicant: IMEC
    Inventors: Kai CHENG, Stefan Degroote
  • Publication number: 20110101370
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the device is disclosed. In one aspect, the device includes a semiconductor substrate and a GaN-type layer stack on top of the semiconductor substrate. The GaN-type layer stack has at least one buffer layer, a first active layer and a second active layer. Active device regions are definable at an interface of the first and second active layer. The semiconductor substrate is present on an insulating layer and is patterned to define trenches according to a predefined pattern, which includes at least one trench underlying the active device region. The trenches extend from the insulating layer into at least one buffer layer of the GaN-type layer stack and are overgrown within the at least one buffer layer, so as to obtain that the first and the second active layer are continuous at least within the active device regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: IMEC
    Inventors: Kai Cheng, Stefan Degroote
  • Publication number: 20110089520
    Abstract: The present invention relates a method for forming a monocrystalline GeN layer (4) on a substrate (1) comprising at least a Ge surface (3). The method comprises, while heating the substrate (1) to a temperature between 550° C. and 940° C., exposing the substrate (1) to a nitrogen gas flow. The present invention furthermore provides a structure comprising a monocrystalline GeN layer (4) on a substrate (1). The monocrystalline GeN formed by the method according to embodiments of the invention allows passivation of surface states present at the Ge surface (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2007
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Inventors: Ruben Lieten, Stefan Degroote, Gustaaf Borghs
  • Publication number: 20110005455
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a method for growing a layer of a mono-crystalline material on a substrate comprising loading a substrate having an exposed area made of a first mono-crystalline material in a process chamber, supplying a beam of neutral species of a second material towards the substrate in the presence of a diffusion limiting gas, such that the pressure in the process chamber is between 1×10?6 torr and 1×10?4 torr, so that the neutral species of the second material are adsorbed on the exposed area, thereby growing a mono-crystalline layer of said second material overlying and in contact with the first mono-crystalline material wherein said diffusion limiting gas is a non-reactive gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2010
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: IMEC
    Inventors: Ruben Lieten, Stefan Degroote
  • Publication number: 20100173127
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for providing a crystalline germanium layer on a crystalline base substrate having a crystalline surface. The method comprises cleaning the base substrate for removing contaminants and/or native oxides from the surface, providing an amorphous germanium layer on the surface of the base substrate while exposing to the base substrate to a hydrogen source such as e.g. a hydrogen plasma, a H2 flux or hydrogen originating from dissociation of GeH4 and/or to a non-reactive gas source such as N2, He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, Rn or mixtures thereof, and crystallising the amorphous germanium layer by annealing the base substrate so as to provide a crystalline germanium layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicant: IMEC
    Inventors: Ruben Lieten, Stefan Degroote
  • Patent number: 7666765
    Abstract: Semiconductor process technology and devices are provided, including a method for forming a high quality group III nitride layer on a silicon substrate and to a device obtainable therefrom. According to the method, a pre-dosing step is applied to a silicon substrate, wherein the substrate is exposed to at least 0.01 ?mol/cm2 of one or more organometallic compounds containing Al, in a flow of less than 5 ?mol/min. The preferred embodiments are equally related to the semiconductor structure obtained by the method, and to a device comprising said structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignees: IMEC, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL)
    Inventors: Kai Cheng, Maarten Leys, Stefan Degroote
  • Publication number: 20090294777
    Abstract: Semiconductor process technology and devices are provided, including a method for forming a high quality group III nitride layer on a silicon substrate and to a device obtainable therefrom. According to the method, a pre-dosing step is applied to a silicon substrate, wherein the substrate is exposed to at least 0.01 ?mol/cm2 of one or more organometallic compounds containing Al, in a flow of less than 5 ?mol/min. The preferred embodiments are equally related to the semiconductor structure obtained by the method, and to a device comprising said structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Applicants: IMEC, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
    Inventors: Kai Cheng, Maarten Leys, Stefan Degroote
  • Publication number: 20090189192
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for depositing or growing a group III-nitride layer, e.g. GaN layer (5), on a substrate (1), the substrate (1) comprising at least a Ge surface (3), preferably with hexagonal symmetry. The method comprises heating the substrate (1) to a nitridation temperature between 400° C. and 940° C. while exposing the substrate (1) to a nitrogen gas flow and subsequently depositing the group III-nitride layer, e.g. GaN layer (5), onto the Ge surface (3) at a deposition temperature between 100° C. and 940° C. By a method according to embodiments of the invention, a group III-nitride layer, e.g. GaN layer (5), with good crystal quality may be obtained. The present invention furthermore provides a group III-nitride/substrate structure formed by the method according to embodiments of the present invention and a semiconductor device comprising at least one such structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2007
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Inventors: Ruben Lieten, Stefan Degroote
  • Patent number: 7327036
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a device comprising a substrate comprising a silicon substrate having a porous top layer, a second layer on said top layer, said second layer made of a material comprising Ge, and a further layer of a Group III-nitride material on the second layer. The present invention further is related to methods of production and to intermediate or template devices highly suitable for the epitaxial growth of a high quality Group III-nitride layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Interuniversitair Microelektronica Centrum (IMEC)
    Inventors: Gustaaf Borghs, Stefan Degroote, Marianne Germain
  • Publication number: 20070238315
    Abstract: Semiconductor process technology and devices are provided, including a method for forming a high quality group III nitride layer on a silicon substrate and to a device obtainable therefrom. According to the method, a pre-dosing step is applied to a silicon substrate, wherein the substrate is exposed to at least 0.01 ?mol/cm2 of one or more organometallic compounds containing Al, in a flow of less than 5 ?mol/min. The preferred embodiments are equally related to the semiconductor structure obtained by the method, and to a device comprising said structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Publication date: October 11, 2007
    Applicant: Interuniversitair Microelektronica Centrum (IMEC)
    Inventors: Kai Cheng, Maarten Leys, Stefan Degroote
  • Publication number: 20050199883
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a device comprising a substrate comprising a silicon substrate having a porous top layer, a second layer on said top layer, said second layer made of a material comprising Ge, and a further layer of a Group III-nitride material on the second layer. The present invention further is related to methods of production and to intermediate or template devices highly suitable for the epitaxial growth of a high quality Group III-nitride layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Publication date: September 15, 2005
    Inventors: Gustaaf Borghs, Stefan Degroote, Marianne Germain