PROCESS FOR FABRICATING III-NITRIDE BASED NANOPYRAMID LEDS DIRECTLY ON A METALIZED SILICON SUBSTRATE

• US 20110079766A1
• Filed: 10/01/2010
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation (The Trustees of Purdue University (d/b/a Purdue University))
• Original Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation (The Trustees of Purdue University (d/b/a Purdue University))
• Inventors: Sands, Timothy David, Wildeson, Isaac Harshman
• Application Number:
  US12/896,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20110079766A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/13
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/007 comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/18 within the light emitting region
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen

Abstract

A nanopyramid LED and method for forming. The nanopyramid LED includes a silicon substrate, a III-nitride layer deposited thereon, a metal layer deposited thereon; and a nanopyramid LED grown in ohmic contact with the metal layer. The nanopyramid LED can be seeded on the III-nitride layer or metal layer. The metal layer can be a reflecting surface for the nanopyramid LED. The method for forming nanopyramid LEDs includes obtaining a silicon substrate, depositing a III-nitride layer thereon, depositing a metal layer thereon, depositing a dielectric growth layer thereon, etching a dielectric growth template in the growth layer, and growing III-nitride nanopyramid LEDs through the dielectric growth template in ohmic contact with the metal layer. The etching can be performed by focused ion beam etching. The etching can stop in the metal layer or III-nitride layer, so that the nanopyramid LEDs can seed off the metal layer or III-nitride layer, respectively.

Claims

1. A nanopyramid light-emitting diode comprising:

a silicon substrate;

a III-nitride layer deposited on the silicon substrate;

a metal layer deposited on the III-nitride layer; and

a III-nitride nanopyramid light-emitting diode grown in ohmic contact with the metal layer.

2. The nanopyramid light-emitting diode of claim 1, wherein the III-nitride nanopyramid light-emitting diode is seeded on the underlying III-nitride layer.

3. The nanopyramid light-emitting diode of claim 1, wherein the III-nitride nanopyramid light-emitting diode is seeded on the underlying metal layer.

4. The nanopyramid light-emitting diode of claim 1, wherein the metal layer is a reflecting surface.

5. The nanopyramid light-emitting diode of claim 1, wherein the metal layer is zirconium nitride.

6. The nanopyramid light-emitting diode of claim 5, wherein the III-nitride layer is aluminum nitride.

7. The nanopyramid light-emitting diode of claim 1, wherein the III-nitride layer is aluminum nitride.

8. The nanopyramid light-emitting diode of claim 1, wherein the metal layer is composed of zirconium nitride or halfnium nitride.

9. The nanopyramid light-emitting diode of claim 1, wherein the III-nitride layer is composed of aluminum nitride or aluminum-gallium nitride.

10. The nanopyramid light-emitting diode of claim 1, wherein the III-nitride nanopyramid light-emitting diode is a gallium nitride/indium-gallium nitride/gallium nitride nanopyramid.

11. A method for forming a nanopyramid light-emitting diode, the method comprising:

obtaining a silicon substrate;

depositing a III-nitride layer on the silicon substrate;

depositing a metal layer on the III-nitride layer;

depositing a dielectric growth layer on the metal layer;

etching a dielectric growth template in the dielectric growth layer;

growing III-nitride nanopyramid light emitting diodes through the dielectric growth template in ohmic contact with the metal layer.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising stripping the oxide layer from the silicon substrate prior to depositing a III-nitride layer on the silicon substrate:

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the III-nitride layer is composed of aluminum nitride or aluminum-gallium nitride.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the metal layer is composed of zirconium nitride or halfnium nitride.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the dielectric growth layer is roughly 100 nm of silicon nitride.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the etching of the dielectric growth template in the dielectric growth layer is performed by focused ion beam etching.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

depositing a Au/Pd layer on the dielectric growth layer prior to etching; and

cleaning after etching to remove the Au/Pd layer.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the etching is done to the dielectric growth layer, stopping in the metal layer, and the III-nitride nanopyramid light emitting diodes seed off the metal layer.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the etching is done to the dielectric growth layer and the metal layer, stopping in the III-nitride layer, and the III-nitride nanopyramid light emitting diodes seed off the III-nitride layer.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the III-nitride nanopyramid light-emitting diodes are gallium nitride/indium-gallium nitride/gallium nitride nanopyramids.