III-nitride tunnel junction with modified P-N interface

• US 10,685,835 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2016
• Issued: 06/16/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: King Abdul AZIZ City For Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Yonkee, Benjamin P., Young, Erin C., Leonard, John T., Margalith, Tal, Speck, James S., DenBaars, Steven P., Nakamura, Shuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Yushin, Nikolay K
• Application Number:
  US15/773,864
• Publication Number:
  US 20180374699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02389 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02458 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02505 consisting of more than two layers
• 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 21/02581 Transition metal or rare earth elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02584 Delta-doping
• 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 29/15 Structures with periodic or quasi periodic potential variation, e.g. multiple quantum wells, superlattices such structures applied for the control of light G02F1/017, applied in semiconductor lasers H01S5/34
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/2003 Nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/207 further characterised by the doping material H01L29/2006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/365 Planar doping, e.g. atomic-plane doping, delta-doping
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/88 Tunnel-effect diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/885 Esaki diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/03044 comprising a nitride compounds, e.g. GaN
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/035236 Superlattices; Multiple quantum well structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1856 comprising nitride compounds, e.g. GaN
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0075 comprising nitride compounds
• 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 33/32 : containing nitrogen

Abstract

A III-nitride tunnel junction with a modified p-n interface, wherein the modified p-n interface includes a delta-doped layer to reduce tunneling resistance. The delta-doped layer may be doped using donor atoms comprised of Oxygen (O), Germanium (Ge) or Silicon (Si); acceptor atoms comprised of Magnesium (Mg) or Zinc (Zn); or impurities comprised of Iron (Fe) or Carbon (C).

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a III-nitride semiconductor device, comprising:

performing a growth of a III-nitride tunnel junction with a modified p-n interface, wherein the modified p-n interface includes a delta-doped layer that is a III-nitride layer for reducing tunneling resistance as compared to the III-nitride tunnel junction without the delta-doped layer;

wherein the performing step comprises;

performing a first growth of the III-nitride tunnel junction with III-nitride p-type material using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD);

depositing the delta-doped layer in, on or above the III-nitride p-type material; and

performing a subsequent regrowth of the III-nitride tunnel junction with III-nitride n-type material on the delta-doped layer and III-nitride p-type material using a different growth technique than MOCVD.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the delta-doped layer is doped using at least one acceptor atom selected from Magnesium (Mg) and Zinc (Zn).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the delta-doped layer is doped using at least one impurity selected from Iron (Fe) and Carbon (C).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the delta-doped layer is deposited using a wet chemistry technique, a vapor phase chemistry technique, an atomic layer deposition technique, a physical vapor deposition technique, a plasma based deposition technique, a flux of dopant atoms or impurities, or an ion beam of dopant atoms or impurities.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the subsequent regrowth is performed using ammonia-assisted or plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the subsequent regrowth is performed under conditions that prevent passivation of the III-nitride p-type material.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the III-nitride n-type material is grown using a low hydrogen overpressure allowing for the III-nitride p-type material to be activated under the III-nitride n-type material as grown.

8. A III-nitride semiconductor device fabricated by the method of claim 1.

9. The device of claim 8, further comprising a light emitting device, light absorbing device, power electronic device, or other optoelectronic device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the delta-doped layer is doped using at least one donor atom selected from Oxygen (O), Germanium (Ge) and Silicon (Si).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the delta-doped layer is doped by exposing the delta-doped layer to an oxygen-containing environment.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein oxidation of the delta-doped layer is accelerated by using an ozone generator or ozone plasma.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the delta-doped layer is heated to accelerate the oxidation.

14. A III-nitride semiconductor device, comprising:

a III-nitride tunnel junction with a modified p-n interface, wherein the modified p-n interface includes a delta-doped layer that is a III-nitride layer for reducing tunneling resistance as compared to the III-nitride tunnel junction without the delta-doped layer, wherein;

a first growth of the III-nitride tunnel junction with III-nitride p-type material is performed using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD);

the delta-doped layer is deposited in, on or above the III-nitride p-type material; and

a subsequent regrowth of the III-nitride tunnel junction with III-nitride n-type material on the delta-doped layer and III-nitride p-type material is performed using a different growth technique than MOCVD.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the III-nitride tunnel junction further comprises:

III-nitride p-type material;

the delta-doped layer deposited in, on or above the III-nitride p-type material; and

III-nitride n-type material regrown on the delta-doped layer and III-nitride p-type material.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the delta-doped layer is doped using at least one donor atom selected from Oxygen (O), Germanium (Ge) and Silicon (Si).

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the delta-doped layer is doped using at least one acceptor atom selected from Magnesium (Mg) and Zinc (Zn).

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the delta-doped layer is doped using at least one impurity selected from Iron (Fe) and Carbon (C).

19. A III-nitride semiconductor device, comprising:

one or more III-nitride p-type layers grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD);

one or more delta-doped layers that are III-nitride layers deposited in, on or above the III-nitride p-type layers; and

one or more III-nitride n-type layers grown by ammonia-assisted or plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on the delta-doped layers and III-nitride p-type layers;

wherein the III-nitride p-type layers, delta-doped layers and III-nitride n-type layers form a tunnel junction, a regrowth interface between the III-nitride p-type layers and the III-nitride n-type layers serves as a p-n interface in the tunnel junction, and the delta-doped layers modify the p-n interface by reducing tunneling resistance as compared to the tunnel junction without the delta-doped layers.