Ultraviolet light emitting diode

• US 6,734,033 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2003
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Emerson, David Todd, Abare, Amber Christine, Bergmann, Michael John
• Primary Examiner(s): Zarabian, Amir
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUERRERO, MARIA F
• Application Number:
  US10/458,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20030209705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 336 Days
• Field of Search: 438/46, 438/47, 438/48, 438/29, 438/602, 438/603, 438/604, 438/605, 438/606, 438/607, 438/930, 257/14, 257/189
• US Class Current: 438/29
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/007 comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/04 with a quantum effect structure or superlattice, e.g. tunnel junction
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/12 with a stress relaxation structure, e.g. buffer layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/93 Ternary or quaternary semiconductor comprised of elements from three different groups, e.g. I-III-V

Abstract

A light emitting diode is disclosed. The diode includes a silicon carbide substrate having a first conductivity type, a first gallium nitride layer above the SiC substrate having the same conductivity type as the substrate, a superlattice on the GaN layer formed of a plurality of repeating sets of alternating layers selected from among GaN, InGaN, and AlInGaN, a second GaN layer on the superlattice having the same conductivity type as the first GaN layer, a multiple quantum well on the second GaN layer, a third GaN layer on the multiple quantum well, a contact structure on the third GaN layer having the opposite conductivity type from the substrate and the first GaN layer, an ohmic contact to the SiC substrate, and an ohmic contact to the contact structure.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating an LED, the method comprising:

growing a first GaN layer on a SiC substrate having the same conductivity type as said substrate;

growing a superlattice on said first GaN layer comprising a plurality of repeating sets (“

periods”

) of alternating layers selected from the group consisting of GaN, In_xGa<sub>1−

x</sub>N, where 0<

x<

1, and Al_xIn_yGa<sub>1−

x−

y</sub>N, where x+y<

1;

growing a second GaN layer on said superlattice having the same conductivity as said first GaN layer;

growing a Group III nitride multiple quantum well on said superlattice;

growing a third GaN layer on said multiple quantum well;

growing a contact structure on said third GaN layer having the opposite conductivity type from said SiC substrate and said first GaN layer;

forming an ohmic contact to said SiC substrate; and

forming an ohmic contact to said contact structure.

2. A method of fabricating an LED according to claim 1 wherein layers formed of Group III nitrides are grown using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD).

3. A method of fabricating an LED according to claim 1 comprising:

growing the first GaN layer on the surface of the buffer layer, but not on the Si₃N₄ portions, to a thickness of about 30,000 Angstroms at temperature of about 1,090°

C. such that the lateral growth rate of the first GaN layer is greater than its vertical growth rate;

thereafter reducing the temperature to about 1,030°

C. for a period of time as the GaN layer grows and thereafter to about 790°

C. for a period of time; and

thereafter gradually reducing the temperature in the final phase of the growth of the GaN layer to about 770°

C. in order to prepare for the growth of the In_xGa<sub>1−

x</sub>N multiple quantum well.

4. A method of fabricating an LED according to claim 1 wherein the step of fabricating the superlattice comprises:

growing alternating layers of In_xGa<sub>1−

x</sub>N that are about 15 Angstroms thick and GaN that are about 30 Angstroms thick; and

doping both of the alternating layers with silicon to produce an n-type conductivity.

5. A method of fabricating an LED according to claim 1 comprising growing undoped layers of In_xGa₁₋

xN and GaN.

6. A method of fabricating an LED according to claim 1 comprising forming between two and fifty periods of the alternating layers of the superlattice.

7. A method of fabricating an LED according to claim 1 comprising:

forming the second GaN layer with a first portion having a thickness of about 250 Angstroms at a temperature of about 820°

C.; and

doping the second GaN layer with silicon.

8. A method of fabricating an LED according to claim 1 comprising:

forming the second GaN layer with a second, narrower portion at a temperature of about 820°

C. and without doping to thereby separate the undoped In_xGa<sub>1−

x</sub>N layer in said multiple quantum well from the doped portion of the second GaN layer.

9. A method of fabricating an LED according to claim 1 comprising fabricating a plurality of GaN dots with Al_xGa₁₋

xN caps on said SiC substrate, where 0<

x<

1.

10. A method of fabricating an LED according to claim 1 comprising growing an Al_xGa₁₋

xN buffer layer on the SiC substrate to a thickness of about 3,000 Angstroms at a temperature of about 1,000°

C. and thereafter growing the first GaN layer on the Al_xGa<sub>1−

x</sub>N buffer layer.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of fabricating the multiple quantum well comprises:

growing an undoped layer of In_xGa<sub>1−

x</sub>N to a thickness of about 25 Angstroms at a first temperature of about 770°

C.;

growing an undoped layer of GaN on the undoped layer of In_xGa<sub>1−

x</sub>N to a thickness of about 25 Angstroms at a temperature of about 770°

C.;

growing another layer of GaN at a temperature of about 820°

C., and doping the layer with silicon to help improve the conductivity of the GaN;

growing another undoped layer of GaN at a temperature of about 770°

C.;

extending the undoped GaN layer by growing it at a second temperature higher than about 770°

C., the second temperature being high enough to promote higher quality growth of the GaN, but low enough to avoid degrading the nearby, non-adjacent In_xGa<sub>1−

x</sub>N well; and

growing a final portion of the undoped layer of GaN to a thickness of about 35 Angstroms at a temperature of about 840°

C.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of fabricating the contact structure comprises:

growing a first undoped Al_xGa<sub>1−

x</sub>N layer at a temperature of about 890°

C. to a thickness of about 30 Angstroms;

growing a magnesium doped layer of Al_xGa<sub>1−

x</sub>N with p-type conductivity at a temperature of about 890°

C. to a thickness of about 85 Angstroms; and

growing a GaN contact layer doped with magnesium to have a p-type conductivity at a temperature of about 980°

C. to a thickness of about 1800 Angstroms.

13. A method of fabricating an LED according to claim 9 wherein x is between about 0.05 and 0.15.

14. A method of fabricating an LED according to claim 9 wherein x is about 0.10.

15. A method of fabricating an LED according to claim 10 further comprising growing a discontinuous layer of Si₃N₄ on the buffer layer over a temperature range of 200-1000°

C. for the purpose of encouraging epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) of the first GaN layer.

16. A method of fabricating an LED according to claim 15 comprising growing the discontinuous layer of Si₃N₄ on the buffer layer at a temperature of about 700°

C.

17. A method of fabricating an LED according to claim 11 comprising repeating the steps of fabricating the multiple quantum well at least three times in order to fabricate three quantum wells.

18. A method of fabricating an LED according to claim 11 comprising repeating the steps of fabricating the multiple quantum well at least five times in order to fabricate five quantum wells.

19. A method of fabricating an LED according to claim 11 comprising repeating the steps of fabricating the multiple quantum well at least seven times in order to fabricate seven quantum wells.

20. A method of fabricating an LED according to claim 11 wherein fabricating the multiple quantum well comprises growing a final well of In_xGa₁₋

xN at a temperature of about 770°

C. to a thickness of about 25 Angstroms and growing a final layer of undoped GaN at a temperature of about 770°

C. to a thickness of about 25 Angstroms.

21. A method of fabricating an LED according to claim 11 comprising growing the third GaN layer on the multiple quantum well at a temperature of about 820°

to a thickness of about 80 Angstroms.

22. A method of fabricating an LED according to claim 21 comprising doping the third GaN layer with magnesium to produce p-type conductivity.

23. A method of fabricating an LED according to claim 21 comprising doping said third GaN layer with silicon to produce n-type conductivity.

24. A method of fabricating an LED according to claim 12 wherein the p-type layers of the contact structure are fabricated using materials selected from the group of Al_xGa₁₋

xN, In_xGa<sub>1−

x</sub>N and GaN, where 0<

x<

1, as substitutes for the doped layer of Al_xGa<sub>1−

x</sub>N and the doped layer of GaN.