SMM Develops New Method to Produce Monocrystal Aluminium Nitride Film

Sumitomo Metal Mining (SMM) announced on Tuesday the firm developed a new method to produce monocrystal aluminium nitride cooperatively with Tohoku University. SMM and Tohoku University jointly produced monocrystal aluminium nitride film on sapphire nitride substrates by using newly developed gallium aluminium flux. The new method is expected to contribute to development of highly efficient deep UV LEDs.

The method is to put nanometer-thick nitride film on surface treated sapphire substrates, on which monocrystal aluminium nitride film is grown. Monocrystal film is generated by adding nitride to gallium aluminium flux and swirling the liquid. Monocrystal can be produced under normal pressure and at low temperature, without high pressure and high temperature.

This method realizes highly efficient deep UV LEDs by growing aluminium-gallium-nitride film on monocrystal aluminium nitride film. Highly efficient deep UV LEDs are expected to be applied to wide applications such as next generation lighting with white LEDs, photocatalyst excitation light sources to decontaminate and antibacterialize objects, DVD lasers or precision lasers.