"This invention relates to a method of preparing highly insulating GaN single crystal films in a molecular beam epitaxial growth chamber. A single crystal substrate is provided with the appropriate lattice match for the desired crystal structure of GaN. A molecular beam source of Ga and source of activated atomic and ionic nitrogen are provided within the growth chamber. The desired film is deposited by exposing the substrate to Ga and nitrogen sources in a two step growth process using a low temperature nucleation step and a high temperature growth step. The low temperature process is carried out at 100-400.degree. C. and the high temperature process is carried out at 600-900.degree. C. The preferred source of activated nitrogen is an electron cyclotron resonance microwave plasma."
This seems pretty specific, but to be honest, I hardly have any idea what they are talking about. People above bashing BU for using this patent really should show some proof that they know what they are saying because it seems like "fanboy" yelling.
That specificity is what makes me wonder about the likelihood of this being relevant. The quote above refers to manufacturing via MBE (molecular beam epitaxy). MBE is the method of choice for research labs, because it gives you maximum control, but it is not the method of choice for mass manufacturing because it doesn't scale well to large volumes.
Manufacturers would prefer to use MOCVD (metal-organic chemical vapor deposition) which can prepare in parallel a large number of wafers in a single chamber. MOCVD is not a slight variant on MBE, it is a very different type of technology.
If MOCVD CAN be used for manufacturing GaN substrate (and my five minutes of googling indicate it can) that would be the preferred route for volume manufacture.
I'd also be curious as to what the law is for the equivalent of frivolous patent suits. If you have good reason to believe that manufacturers DON'T use your patent, but rather than examining their plants to learn this, you figure, "what the heck, let's just throw out a lawsuit anyway" do you get punished by the court?
