Methods for using remote plasma chemical vapor deposition (RP-CVD) and sputtering deposition to grow layers in light emitting devices

• US 10,622,206 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2019
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lumileds LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lumileds LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wildeson, Isaac, Deb, Parijat, Nelson, Erik Charles, Kobayashi, Junko
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodela, Eduardo A
• Application Number:
  US16/274,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20190189436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02266 deposition by physical ablation of a target, e.g. sputtering, reactive sputtering, physical vapour deposition or pulsed laser deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02271 deposition by decomposition or reaction of gaseous or vapour phase compounds, i.e. chemical vapour deposition H01L21/02266 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02274 in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0228 deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE, pulsed CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02458 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0254 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02576 N-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02579 P-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02631 Physical deposition at reduced pressure, e.g. MBE, sputtering, evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66151 Tunnel diodes group 13/15 resonant tunneling diodes H01L29/66219
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66219 with a heterojunction, e.g. resonant tunneling diodes [RTD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/88 Tunnel-effect diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/882 Resonant tunneling diodes, i.e. RTD, RTBD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0025 comprising only AIIIBV compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/005 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0062 for devices with an active region comprising only III-V compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/007 comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0075 comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0095 Post-treatment of devices, e.g. annealing, recrystallisation or short-circuit elimination
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/02 : characterised by the semiconductor bodies
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/04 : with a quantum effect structure or superlattice, e.g. tunnel junction
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/06 : within the light emitting region, e.g. quantum confinement structure or tunnel barrier
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/325 : characterised by the doping materials

Abstract

Described herein are methods for using remote plasma chemical vapor deposition (RP-CVD) and sputtering deposition to grow layers for light emitting devices. A method includes growing a light emitting device structure on a growth substrate, and growing a tunnel junction on the light emitting device structure using at least one of RP-CVD and sputtering deposition. The tunnel junction includes a p++ layer in direct contact with a p-type region, where the p++ layer is grown by using at least one of RP-CVD and sputtering deposition. Another method for growing a device includes growing a p-type region over a growth substrate using at least one of RP-CVD and sputtering deposition, and growing further layers over the p-type region. Another method for growing a device includes growing a light emitting region and an n-type region using at least one of RP-CVD and sputtering deposition over a p-type region.

Claims

1. A method for growing a light emitting device comprising a n-type region, a light emitting region and a p-type region, the method comprising:

growing a light emitting device structure on a growth substrate using a metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD); and

growing at least a portion of a hydrogen-free layer of a tunnel junction on the light emitting device by using at least one of remote plasma chemical vapor deposition (RP-CVD) and sputtering deposition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the growing at least a portion of a hydrogen-free layer of a tunnel junction further comprises:

directly contacting a p++ layer with the p-type region, wherein the p++ layer is more heavily doped than the p-type region; and

contacting a n++ layer with the p++ layer, wherein the at least a portion of the layer of the tunnel junction is the p++ layer,

the light emitting device structure and tunnel junction being made of III-nitride material.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the growing the light emitting device structure further comprises;

growing the n-type region, the light emitting layer, and the p-type region by (MOCVD);

annealing the n-type region, the light emitting region, and the p-type region; and

the growing at least a portion of the layer of the tunnel junction further comprises;

after said annealing, growing the p++ layer on the p-type region.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the tunnel junction further comprises an additional layer disposed between the p++ layer and the n++ layer, and the additional layer is a different composition from either the p++ layer or the n++ layer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the growing the light emitting device structure further comprises:

growing the n-type region, the light emitting region, and a first portion of the p-type region by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD);

annealing the n-type region, the light emitting region, and the first portion of the p-type region; and

after said annealing, growing a hydrogen-free_second portion of the p-type region by the at least one of RP-CVD and sputtering deposition.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming a first metal contact in direct contact with the n-type region and a second metal contact in direct contact with the n-type contact layer.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

growing another light emitting device structure on the tunnel junction.

8. The method of claim 1, the p-type region, the light emitting region and the n-type region being made from III-nitride materials.

9. A method for growing a device, comprising:

growing a hydrogen-free III-nitride p-type region over a growth substrate by at least one of RP-CVD and sputtering deposition;

growing an III-nitride light emitting region over the III-nitride p-type region; and

growing an III-nitride n-type region over the light emitting region using metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD).

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

disposing a GaN film on a non III nitride material of the growth substrate; and

growing the GaN film by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD).

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

disposing a GaN film on a non III nitride material of the growth substrate; and

growing the GaN film by the at least one of RP-CVD and sputtering deposition.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the growing the light emitting region over the III-nitride p-type region comprises:

growing a hydrogen-free first portion of the light emitting region by the at least one of RP-CVD and sputtering deposition and;

growing a second portion of the light emitting region by MOCVD.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the growing the light emitting region over the III-nitride p-type region comprises:

growing the III-nitride light emitting region by the at least one of RP-CVD and sputtering deposition.

14. A method for growing a device, comprising:

growing a p-type region over a growth substrate;

annealing the p-type region after growing the p-type region by MOCVD;

growing, by at least one of RP-CVD and sputtering deposition, a light emitting region over the p-type region; and

growing, by at least one of RP-CVD and sputtering deposition, an n-type region over the light emitting region.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the p-type region, the light emitting region and the n-type region are made from III-nitride materials.

16. The method of claim 14, the p-type region, the light emitting region and the n-type region being made from III-nitride materials.

17. A device comprising:

a light emitting structure on a growth substrate;

a tunnel junction;

a hydrogen-free layer of the tunnel junction, the hydrogen-free layer comprising trace amounts of at least one of oxygen and carbon; and

a magnesium doped layer of the tunnel junction.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the magnesium doped layer comprises trace amounts of hydrogen.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the hydrogen-free layer and the magnesium doped layer are the same layer.