Free-Standing Substrate, Method for Producing the Same and Semiconductor Light-Emitting Device

• US 20090008652A1
• Filed: 03/20/2006
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company Limited
• Inventors: Nishikawa, Naohiro, Tsuchida, Yoshihiko, Ueda, Kazumasa
• Application Number:
  US11/908,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20090008652A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/79
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/30 Deposition of compounds, mixtures or solid solutions, e.g. borides, carbides, nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/183 being provided with a buffer layer, e.g. a lattice matching layer
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/403 AIII-nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0237 Materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02488 Insulating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02513 Microstructure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0254 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02573 Conductivity type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02639 Preparation of substrate for selective deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02642 Mask materials other than SiO2 or SiN
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02647 Lateral overgrowth
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/007 comprising nitride compounds

Abstract

The present invention provides a free-standing substrate, a method for producing the same and a semiconductor light-emitting device. The free-standing substrate comprises a semiconductor layer and inorganic particles, wherein the inorganic particles are included in the semiconductor layer. The method for producing a free-standing substrate comprises the steps of: (a) placing inorganic particles on a substrate, (b) growing a semiconductor layer thereon, and (c) separating the semiconductor layer from the substrate, in that order. The semiconductor light-emitting device comprises the free-standing substrate, a conductive layer, a light-emitting device, and electrodes.

Claims

1. A free-standing substrate comprising a semiconductor layer and inorganic particles, wherein the inorganic particles are included in the semiconductor layer.

2. The free-standing substrate according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer includes a metallic nitride at a portion where the inorganic particles are not present.

3. The free-standing substrate according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic particles are made of at least one selected from the group consisting of oxide, nitride, carbide, boride, sulfide, selenide, and metal.

4. The free-standing substrate according to claim 3, wherein the inorganic particles are made of oxide.

5. The free-standing substrate according to claim 4, wherein the oxide is at least one selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, zirconia, titania, ceria, magnesia, zinc oxide, tin oxide, and yttrium aluminum garnet.

6. The free-standing substrate according to claim 5, wherein the oxide is silica.

7. The free-standing substrate according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic particles include a mask material for the growth of the semiconductor layer.

8. The free-standing substrate according to claim 7, wherein the surfaces of the inorganic particles are covered with the mask material.

9. The free-standing substrate according to claim 7, wherein the mask material is at least one selected from the group consisting of silica, zirconia, titania, silicon nitride, boron nitride, W, Mo, Cr, Co, Si, Au, Zr, Ta, Ti, Nb, Pt, V, Hf, and Pd.

10. The free-standing substrate according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic particles have the shape of sphere, plate or needle, or no definite shape.

11. The free-standing substrate according to claim 10, wherein the inorganic particles have the shape of sphere.

12. The free-standing substrate according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic particles have an average particle diameter of not less than 5 nm and not more than 50 μ

m.

27. A semiconductor light-emitting device comprising the free-standing substrate according to claim 1, a conductive layer, a light-emitting device, and electrodes.

13. A method for producing a free-standing substrate comprising the steps of:

(a) placing inorganic particles on a substrate,

(b) growing a semiconductor layer thereon, and

(c) separating the semiconductor layer from the substrate, in that order.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the substrate is made of at least one selected from the group consisting of sapphire, SiC, Si, MgAl₂O₄, LiTaO₃, ZrB₂, and CrB₂.

16. The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the inorganic particles are made of at least one selected from the group consisting of oxide, nitride, carbide, boride, sulfide, selenide, and metal.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the inorganic particles are made of oxide.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the oxide is at least one selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, zirconia, titania, ceria, magnesia, zinc oxide, tin oxide, and yttrium aluminum garnet.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the oxide is silica.

20. The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the inorganic particles have the shape of sphere, plate or needle, or no definite shape.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the inorganic particles have the shape of sphere.

22. The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the inorganic particles have an average particle diameter of not less than 5 nm and not more than 50 μ

m.

23. The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the semiconductor layer is made of group III-V nitride represented bythe formula In_xGa_yAl_zN (0≦

x≦

1, 0≦

y≦

1, 0≦

z≦

1, and x+y+z=1).

24. The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the step (a) comprises sub-step (a1) of placing the inorganic particles thereon and sub-step (a2) of placing another type of inorganic particles thereon.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the inorganic particles used at the sub-step (a1) are made of titania.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the organic particles used at the sub-step (a2) are made of silica.

14. A method for producing a free-standing substrate comprising the steps of:

(s1) growing a buffer layer on a substrate,

(a) placing inorganic particles on the buffer layer,

(b) growing a semiconductor layer thereon; and

(c) separating the semiconductor layer from the substrate, in that order.