Zinc oxide films containing P-type dopant and process for preparing same

• US 6,291,085 B1
• Filed: 08/03/1998
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Curators of the University of Missouri (University of Missouri)
• Original Assignee: Curators of the University of Missouri (University of Missouri)
• Inventors: Ryu, Yungryel, White, Henry W., Zhu, Shen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lorin, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US09/128,516
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 428/432, 428/642, 148/DIG.113, 257/103, 257/104, 257/190
• US Class Current: 428/642
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/081 of aluminium, magnesium or beryllium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/086 of zinc, germanium, cadmium, indium, tin, thallium or bismuth
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/28 by wave energy or particle radiation C23C14/32 - C23C14/48 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 23/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/16 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0237 Materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02395 Arsenides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02472 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02554 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0256 Selenides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02576 N-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02579 P-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02631 Physical deposition at reduced pressure, e.g. MBE, sputtering, evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02661 In-situ cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/2225 Diffusion sources
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/2255 the applied layer comprising oxides only, e.g. P2O5, PSG, H3BO3, doped oxides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02963 characterised by the doping material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1836 comprising a growth substrate not being an AIIBVI compound
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0087 with a substrate not being a II-VI compound
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/285 characterised by the doping materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 : Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/113 : Nitrides of boron or aluminum or gallium
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12681 : Ga-, In-, Tl- or Group VA metal-base component

Abstract

A p-type zinc oxide film and a process for preparing the film is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the p-type zinc oxide film contains arsenic and is grown on a gallium arsenide substrate. The p-type zinc oxide film has a net acceptor concentration of at least about 10¹⁵ acceptors/cm³, a resistivity of no greater than about 1 ohm-cm, and a Hall mobility of between about 0.1 and about 50 cm²/Vs.

Claims

1. A ZnO film on a substrate, the ZnO film containing a p-type dopant and having a net acceptor concentration of at least about 10¹⁸ acceptors/cm³, a resistivity no greater than about 1 ohm-cm, and a Hall Mobility of between about 0.1 and about 50 cm²/Vs.

2. The film as set forth in claim 1 wherein the net acceptor concentration is between about 10¹⁸ acceptors/cm³ and about 10²¹ acceptors/cm³, the resistivity is between about 1 ohm-cm and about 10⁻

4 ohm-cm, and the Hall Mobility is between about 0.1 and about 50 cm²/Vs.

3. The film as set forth in claim 1 wherein the p-type ZnO film has a thickness of between about 0.5 and about 3 micrometers.

4. The film as set forth in claim 1 wherein the p-type dopant is arsenic.

5. The film as set forth in claim 1 wherein the substrate is GaAs.

6. The film as set forth in claim 1 wherein the p-type dopant is arsenic and the substrate is GaAs.

7. The film as set forth in claim 1 wherein the p-type dopant is selected from Group 1, 11, 5, and 15 elements.

8. The film as set forth in claim 1 wherein the film is incorporated into a p-n junction.

9. The film as set forth in claim 1 wherein the film is incorporated into a field effect transistor.

10. The film as set forth in claim 1 wherein the film is incorporated into a light emitting diode.

11. The film as set forth in claim 1 wherein the film is incorporated into a laser diode.

12. The film as set forth in claim 1 wherein the film is incorporated into a photodetector diode.

13. The film as set forth in claim 1 wherein the film is incorporated into a device as a substrate material for lattice matching to materials in the device.

14. The film as set forth in claim 2 wherein the p-type ZnO film has a thickness of between about 0.5 and about 3 micrometers.

15. The film as set forth in claim 2 wherein the p-type dopant is arsenic.

16. The film as set forth in claim 2 wherein the substrate is GaAs.

17. The film as set forth in claim 2 wherein the p-type dopant is arsenic and the substrate is GaAs.

18. The film as set forth in claim 2 wherein the p-type dopant is selected from Group 1, 11, 5, and 15 elements.

19. The film as set forth in claim 2 wherein the film is incorporated into a p-n junction.

20. The film as set forth in claim 2 wherein the film is incorporated into a field effect transistor.

21. The film as set forth in claim 2 wherein the film is incorporated into a light emitting diode.

22. The film as set forth in claim 2 wherein the film is incorporated into a laser diode.

23. The film as set forth in claim 2 wherein the film is incorporated into a photodetector diode.

24. The film as set forth in claim 2 wherein the film is incorporated into a device as a substrate material for lattice matching to materials in the device.

25. A p-type ZnO film on a GaAs substrate wherein said p-type film contains a p-type dopant which is an element which is the same as an element which is a constituent of the substrate.

26. A p-type film as set forth in claim 25 wherein said p-type film comprises ZnO, the substrate comprises GaAs, and the element which is the p-type dopant and a constituent of the substrate is arsenic.

27. A ZnO film on a substrate, the ZnO film containing a p-type dopant and having a net acceptor concentration of at least about 10¹⁸ acceptors/cm³ and a resistivity no greater than about 1 ohm-cm.

28. The film as set forth in claim 27 wherein the net acceptor concentration is between about 10¹⁸ acceptors/cm³ and about 10²¹ acceptors/cm³ and the resistivity is between about 1 ohm-cm and about 10⁻

4 ohm-cm.

29. The film as set forth in claim 27 wherein the p-type ZnO film has a thickness of between about 0.5 and about 3 micrometers.

30. The film as set forth in claim 27 wherein the p-type dopant is arsenic.