Gallium nitride based semiconductor device and method of manufacturing same

• US 20060220044A1
• Filed: 04/04/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpad Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sugawara, Hideto, Hongo, Chie
• Granted Patent: US 7,714,350 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/96
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02389 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02458 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0254 Nitrides
• 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 29/2003 Nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/207 further characterised by the doping material H01L29/2006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/36 characterised by the concentration or distribution of impurities in the bulk material within semiconductor regions H01L29/06
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66318 Heterojunction transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66462 with a heterojunction interface channel or gate, e.g. HFET, HIGFET, SISFET, HJFET, HEMT
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7371 Vertical transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/025 Physical imperfections, e.g. particular concentration or distribution of impurities
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/305 characterised by the doping materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/22 having a ridge or stripe structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/32341 blue laser based on GaN or GaP

Abstract

A gallium nitride based semiconductor device comprises: a first gallium nitride based semiconductor film doped with magnesium; and a second gallium nitride based semiconductor film provided on the first gallium nitride based semiconductor film and doped with magnesium. The first gallium nitride based semiconductor film has substantially flat distributions of magnesium concentration and hydrogen atom concentration, and the magnesium concentration is higher than the hydrogen atom concentration. The second gallium nitride based semiconductor film has a first region in which the magnesium concentration decreases and the hydrogen atom concentration increases toward the surface, and the magnesium concentration in the first region is higher than the hydrogen atom concentration in the first region and higher than the magnesium concentration in the first gallium nitride based semiconductor film.

Claims

1. A gallium nitride based semiconductor device comprising:

a first gallium nitride based semiconductor film doped with magnesium; and

a second gallium nitride based semiconductor film provided on the first gallium nitride based semiconductor film and doped with magnesium,

the first gallium nitride based semiconductor film having substantially flat distributions of magnesium concentration and hydrogen atom concentration, and the magnesium concentration being higher than the hydrogen atom concentration, and

the second gallium nitride based semiconductor film having a first region in which the magnesium concentration decreases and the hydrogen atom concentration increases toward the surface, and the magnesium concentration in the first region being higher than the hydrogen atom concentration in the first region and higher than the magnesium concentration in the first gallium nitride based semiconductor film.

2. A gallium nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a light emitting layer provided below the first gallium nitride based semiconductor film; and

a p-side electrode provided on the second gallium nitride based semiconductor film, wherein

light emission occurs by injecting a current into the light emitting layer via the p-side electrode.

3. A gallium nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the second gallium nitride based semiconductor film has a second region having substantially flat distributions of magnesium concentration and hydrogen atom concentration.

4. A gallium nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the magnesium concentration in the second region is higher than the hydrogen atom concentration in the second region.

5. A gallium nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the first gallium nitride based semiconductor film is made of AlGaN, and the second gallium nitride based semiconductor film is made of GaN.

6. A gallium nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the second gallium nitride based semiconductor film has a third region which is provided between the first gallium nitride based semiconductor film and the first region, and in which the magnesium and hydrogen atom concentrations increase toward the first region.

7. A gallium nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a collector layer made of an n-type, third gallium nitride based semiconductor film provided on a substrate;

a base layer made of a p-type, fourth gallium nitride based semiconductor film provided on part of the collector layer and below the first gallium nitride based semiconductor film;

an emitter layer made of an n-type, fifth gallium nitride based semiconductor film provided on part of the base layer; and

a base electrode provided on the second gallium nitride based semiconductor film, wherein

the collector layer, the base layer, and the emitter layer constitute a heterobipolar transistor.

8. A gallium nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the magnesium concentration in the second gallium nitride based semiconductor film has a maximum of not less than 1×

10²⁰ cm<sup>−

3</sup>.

9. A gallium nitride based semiconductor device comprising:

a first gallium nitride based semiconductor film doped with magnesium; and

a second gallium nitride based semiconductor film provided on the first gallium nitride based semiconductor film and doped with magnesium,

the first gallium nitride based semiconductor film having substantially flat distributions of magnesium concentration and hydrogen atom concentration, and the magnesium concentration being higher than the hydrogen atom concentration, and

the second gallium nitride based semiconductor film having a first region in which the magnesium concentration and the hydrogen atom concentration increase toward a surface, and the magnesium concentration in the first region being higher than the hydrogen atom concentration in the first region and higher than the magnesium concentration in the first gallium nitride based semiconductor film.

10. A gallium nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the second gallium nitride based semiconductor film has a second region in which the magnesium concentration decreases and the hydrogen atom concentration increases toward the surface, and the magnesium concentration in the second region being higher than the hydrogen atom concentration in the second region and higher than the magnesium concentration in the first gallium nitride based semiconductor film.

11. A gallium nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 9, further comprising:

a light emitting layer provided below the first gallium nitride based semiconductor film; and

a p-side electrode provided on the second gallium nitride based semiconductor film, wherein

light emission occurs by injecting a current into the light emitting layer via the p-side electrode.

12. A gallium nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the first gallium nitride based semiconductor film is made of AlGaN, and the second gallium nitride based semiconductor film is made of GaN.

13. A gallium nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the light emitting layer is made of InGaN.

14. A gallium nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 9, further comprising:

a collector layer made of an n-type, third gallium nitride based semiconductor film provided on a substrate;

a base layer made of a p-type, fourth gallium nitride based semiconductor film provided on part of the collector layer and below the first gallium nitride based semiconductor film;

an emitter layer made of an n-type, fifth gallium nitride based semiconductor film provided on part of the base layer; and

a base electrode provided on the second gallium nitride based semiconductor film, wherein

the collector layer, the base layer, and the emitter layer constitute a heterobipolar transistor.

15. A gallium nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the magnesium concentration in the second gallium nitride based semiconductor film has a maximum of not less than 1×

10²⁰ cm<sup>−

3</sup>.

16. A method of manufacturing a gallium nitride based semiconductor device comprising:

growing a first gallium nitride based semiconductor film doped with magnesium by using a metal organic chemical vapor deposition method and feeding a carrier gas containing hydrogen more than nitrogen;

temporarily interrupting supply of a group III source gas after growing the first gallium nitride based semiconductor film; and

growing a second gallium nitride based semiconductor film doped with magnesium on the first gallium nitride based semiconductor film by using the metal organic chemical vapor deposition method and feeding a carrier gas containing nitrogen more than hydrogen.

17. A method of manufacturing a gallium nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein the growing the second gallium nitride based semiconductor film includes forming a first region in which the magnesium concentration and the hydrogen atom concentration increase toward a surface.

18. A method of manufacturing a gallium nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein the growing the second gallium nitride based semiconductor film further includes forming a second region in which the magnesium concentration decreases and the hydrogen atom concentration increases toward the surface.

19. A method of manufacturing a gallium nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 18, wherein the growing the second gallium nitride based semiconductor film further includes forming a third region having substantially flat distributions of magnesium concentration and hydrogen atom concentration.

20. A method of manufacturing a gallium nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein quartz is used in at least part of a reaction furnace provided in a metal organic chemical vapor deposition apparatus and fed with a growth gas.