Silicon nitride film comprising amorphous silicon quantum dots embedded therein, its fabrication method and light-emitting device using the same

• US 6,544,870 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2001
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: HC SemiTek Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kwangju Institute Of Science And Technology
• Inventors: Kim, Tae Soo, Park, Nae Man, Park, Seong Ju
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Tom
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gebremariam, Samuel A
• Application Number:
  US09/836,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20020153522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 257/14
• US Class Current: 438/507
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0352 characterised by their shape or by the shapes, relative sizes or disposition of the semiconductor regions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/06 within the light emitting region, e.g. quantum confinement structure or tunnel barrier
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/346 containing porous silicon

Abstract

The present invention relates to a light-emitting device utilizing amorphous silicon quantum dot nanostructures, wherein the light-emitting device can be fabricated using the existing silicon semiconductor fabrication technology, is excellent in light-emitting efficiency, and can emit light in the visible region including short wavelength region such as green and blue.

Claims

1. Method of fabricating a silicon nitride thin film comprising a silicon nitride matrix and amorphous silicon quantum dot nanostructures embedded in the silicon nitride matrix, the method comprising the steps of:

placing a substrate within a thin film growth system; and

supplying silicon source gas and nitrogen source gas into the thin film growth system in a flow ratio of 1;

100 to 1;

5000 while maintaining the substrate at a temperature of 100 to 700°

C. in order to form the silicon nitride film on the substrate with a growth rate of 1.4 to 10 nm/min, where the amorphous silicon quantum dot nanostructures of the silicon nitride film formed can emit photoluminescent light.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the thin film formation step is performed at a pressure of 0.01 to 10 torr.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the thin film growth system utilizes a thin film forming process selected from the group consisting of CVD, MBE, ion implantation and PECVD.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the silicon source gas is diluted in 1 to 10% with an inert gas.

5. A method of fabricating a silicon nitride thin film comprising a silicon nitride matrix and amorphous silicon quantum dot nanostructures embedded in the silicon nitride matrix, the method comprising:

forming the silicon nitride film on a substrate, wherein the amorphous silicon quantum dot nanostructures of the silicon nitride film formed can emit photoluminescent light.

6. The method of fabricating a silicon nitride thin film of claim 5, wherein the forming further comprises supplying silicon source gas and nitrogen source gas to form the silicon nitride film.

7. A method of fabricating a silicon nitride thin film comprising a silicon nitride matrix and amorphous silicon quantum dot nanostructures embedded in the silicon nitride matrix, the method comprising the steps of:

placing a substrate within a thin film growth system; and

supplying silicon source gas and nitrogen source gas into the thin film growth system in a flow ratio of 1;

100 to 1;

2000 while maintaining the substrate at a temperature of 100 to 300°

C. in order to form the silicon nitride film on the substrate with a growth rate of 1.4 to 3.2 nm/min, wherein the amorphous silicon quantum dot nanostructures of the silicon nitride film formed can emit photoluminescent light.