Epitaxial substrate for high-intensity led, and method of manufacturing same

• US 4,902,356 A
• Filed: 01/19/1989
• Issued: 02/20/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Kasei Corp. (Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Kasei Corp. (Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corp.), Mitsubishi Monsanto Chemical Company (Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Noguchi, Masahiro, Shimoyama, Kenji, Gotoh, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hearn, Brian E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bunch, William
• Application Number:
  US07/299,094
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• Field of Search: 148/DIG. 15, 148/56, 148/65, 148/72, 148/95, 148/97, 148/99, 148/101, 148/108, 148/110, 148/169, 148/33, 148/33.1, 148/33.4, 148/33.5, 156/610-615, 427/252, 427/255.1, 357/16, 357/17, 437/81, 437/86, 437/105, 437/107, 437/114, 437/117, 437/119, 437/122, 437/126, 437/127, 437/133, 437/905, 437/974
• US Class Current: 148/33.4
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02395 Arsenides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02463 Arsenides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02546 Arsenides
• 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 21/02631 Physical deposition at reduced pressure, e.g. MBE, sputtering, evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0025 comprising only AIIIBV compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0062 for devices with an active region comprising only III-V compounds
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 117/915 Separating from substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/072 Heterojunctions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/101 Liquid Phase Epitaxy, LPE
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/108 Melt back
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/11 Metal-organic CVD, ruehrwein type

Abstract

An epitaxial layer having a double-hetero structure is forming using an MOCVD process or an MBE process, and an epitaxial substrate is formed using an LPE process, thereby forming a substrate which exploits the distinguishing features of both processes. Since the MOCVD process or MBE process exhibits mixed-crystal ratio and film thickness controllability, excellent reproducibility and uniformity are obtained when forming the double-hetero structure on a compound semiconductor substrate. Since the growth process takes place under thermal non-equilibrium, the amount of impurity doping is raised to more than 10¹⁹ cm³. This is advantageous in terms of forming an electrode contact layer. With the LPE process, the material dissolved in the melt is grown epitaxially on the substrate by slow cooling, and the rate of growth is high. This process is suitable for forming the substrate after removal of the compound semiconductor substrate. By virtue of this liquid phase epitaxy, an oxide film preventing layer is removed by raising the degree of unsaturation of the melt, the epitaxial layer is grown in a short period of time, and a high-quality, highly uniform epitaxial substrate can be quickly manufactured. It is also possible to reduce cost.

Claims

1. An epitaxial substate for a high-intensity LED, comprising:

a double-hetero structure epitaxial layer formed by vapor phase epitaxy; and

an epitaxial layer formed by liquid phase epitaxy on said double-hetero structure epitaxial layer;

said double-hetero structure epitaxial layer being formed by removing a compound semiconductor substrate after said double-hetero structure epitaxial layer has been formed thereon.

2. The epitaxial substrate according to claim 1, wherein the epitaxial layer formed by liquid phase epitaxy comprises a material having a band gap less than a band gap of a cladding layer of the double-hetero epitaxial layer and greater than a band gap of double-hetero active layer.

3. The epitaxial substrate according to claim 1, wherein the double-hetero epitaxial layer is formed by an n⁺ -type contact layer, an n-type cladding layer, a p-type active layer, a p-type cladding layer and an anti-oxidation layer in the order mentioned.

4. The epitaxial substrate according to claim 3, wherein the anti-oxidation layer is a GaAs layer.

5. The epitaxial substrate according to claim 3, wherein the n⁺ -type contact layer serves as a surface for forming an electrode when the substrate is removed.

6. The epitaxial substrate according to claims 3 or 4, wherein the anit-oxidation layer is removed when epitaxial growth is performed in the liquid phase.

7. A method of manufacturing an epitaxial substrate for a high-intensity LED, comprising:

a first step of growing an epitaxial layer on a compound semiconductor substrate by vapor phase epitaxy;

a second step of forming an anti-oxidation layer on the epitaxial layer;

a third step of forming an epitaxial layer on the anit-oxidation layer; and

a fourth step of removing the compound semiconductor substrate.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the epitaxial layer formed by vapor phase epitaxy is a double-hetero structure epitaxial layer.

9. The method according to claims 7 or 8, wherein the anti-oxidation layer is a GaAs layer.