Group III-nitride semiconductor thin film, method for fabricating the same, and group III-nitride semiconductor light emitting device

• US 20070045654A1
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., University of Tokushima
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group), University of Tokushima
• Inventors: Yoshiki, Naoi, Choi, Rak Jun, Shiro, Sakai
• Granted Patent: US 7,687,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/103
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/007 comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/04 with a quantum effect structure or superlattice, e.g. tunnel junction
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/12 with a stress relaxation structure, e.g. buffer layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/16 with a particular crystal structure or orientation, e.g. polycrystalline, amorphous or porous

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a high-quality group III-nitride semiconductor thin film and group III-nitride semiconductor light emitting device using the same. To obtain the group III-nitride semiconductor thin film, an AlInN buffer layer is formed on a (1-102)-plane (so called r-plane) sapphire substrate by use of a MOCVD apparatus under atmospheric pressure while controlling a temperature of the substrate within a range from 850 to 950 degrees Celsius, and then, GaN-based compound, such as GaN, AlGaN or the like, is epitaxially grown on the buffer layer at a high temperature. The group III-nitride semiconductor light emitting device is fabricated by using the group III-nitride semiconductor thin film as a base layer.

Claims

1. A group III-nitride semiconductor thin film comprising:

a (1-102)-plane sapphire substrate;

a buffer layer located on the sapphire substrate and made of AlInN; and

an epitaxial growth layer located on the buffer layer and made of group III-nitride.

2. The group III-nitride semiconductor thin film according to claim 1, wherein the buffer layer has a thickness of 1 nm to 20 nm.

8. The group III-nitride semiconductor thin film according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the epitaxial growth layer is made of GaN.

9. The group III-nitride semiconductor thin film according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the epitaxial growth layer is made of AlGaN.

10. A group III-nitride semiconductor light emitting device including a group III-nitride semiconductor thin film according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

3. A group III-nitride semiconductor thin film comprising:

a (1-102)-plane sapphire substrate;

a buffer layer located on the sapphire substrate and made of group III-nitride;

an intermediate layer located on the buffer layer and formed by stacking two or more multi-level layers one above another, each multi-level layer including a first metal layer and a second nitrogen layer; and

an epitaxial growth layer located on the intermediate layer and made of group III-nitride.

5. The group III-nitride semiconductor thin film according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the first layer includes at least one of Ga, Al and In.

6. The group III-nitride semiconductor thin film according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the intermediate layer is made of Ga, N and GaN.

7. The group III-nitride semiconductor thin film according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the intermediate layer is made of Al, In, Ga and N.

4. A group III-nitride semiconductor thin film comprising:

a (1-102)-plane sapphire substrate;

an intermediate layer located on the sapphire substrate and formed by stacking two or more multi-level layers one above another, each multi-level layer including a first metal layer and a second nitrogen layer; and

an epitaxial growth layer located on the intermediate layer and made of group III-nitride.

11. A method for fabricating a group III-nitride semiconductor thin film comprising:

forming a buffer layer, which is made of AlInN, on a (1-102)-plane sapphire substrate while controlling a temperature of the sapphire substrate in a range from 850 degrees Celsius to 950 degrees Celsius; and

epitaxially growing group III-nitride on the buffer layer while controlling the sapphire substrate to a temperature higher than the temperature of the sapphire substrate controlled during the formation of the buffer layer.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the formation of the buffer layer and the epitaxial growth of group III-nitride are performed at atmospheric pressure.

13. A method for fabricating a group III-nitride semiconductor thin film comprising:

forming a buffer layer, which is made of group III-nitride, on a (1-102)-plane sapphire substrate while controlling the sapphire substrate to a first temperature;

forming an intermediate layer on the buffer layer, the intermediate layer including two or more multi-level layers obtained by repeatedly forming the multi-level layer including a first metal layer and a second nitrogen layer; and

epitaxially growing group III-nitride on the intermediate layer while controlling the sapphire substrate to a second temperature higher than the first temperature.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the intermediate layer is made of Ga, N and GaN.

16. The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the intermediate layer is made of Al, In, Ga and N.

14. A method for fabricating a group III-nitride semiconductor thin film comprising:

forming an intermediate layer on a (1-102)-plane sapphire substrate, the intermediate layer including two or more multi-level layers obtained by repeatedly forming the multi-level layer including a first metal layer and a second nitrogen layer; and

epitaxially growing group III-nitride on the intermediate layer.