Method of preparing nitrogen containing semiconductor material

• US 6,787,385 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2003
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alliance For Sustainable Energy LLC
• Original Assignee: Midwest Research Institute
• Inventors: Kurtz, Sarah R., Barber, Greg D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mulpuri, Savitri
• Application Number:
  US10/344,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20030155584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 438/48-99, 438/479, 438/483, 136/243-265
• US Class Current: 438/57
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/40 AIIIBV compounds wherein A is B, Al, Ga, In or Tl and B is N, P, As, Sb or Bi
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/403 AIII-nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/406 Gallium nitride
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0237 Materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02395 Arsenides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02538 Group 13/15 materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0254 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02546 Arsenides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02573 Conductivity type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1844 comprising ternary or quaternary compounds, e.g. Ga Al As, In Ga As P
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/544 Solar cells from Group III-V materials

Abstract

A method of combining group III elements with group V elements that incorporates at least nitrogen from a nitrogen halide for use in semiconductors and in particular semiconductors in photovoltaic cells.

Claims

1. A method for producing an epilayer of a group III element, nitrogen, and a group V element other than nitrogen, the method comprising:

providing a substrate and forming an epilayer on said substrate, said epilayer comprising a group III element, nitrogen and a group V element other than nitrogen, wherein metal organic chemical vapor deposition is used to deposit at least one of said group II and group V elements and wherein said nitrogen is from a nitrogen halide source, wherein the final nitrogen concentration of the epilayer is from about 0.1% to about 3%.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the nitrogen halide comprises NF₃, N₂F₄, NH₂Cl, NHCl₂, NCl₃, or mixtures thereof.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the nitrogen halide is NF₃.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises GaAs, lnP, GaP, or mixtures thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises GaAs.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising controlling the conductive properties and carrier concentration in the epilayer by adding a dopant, wherein the dopant comprises silicon, carbon, tellurium, beryllium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, or mixtures thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the epilayer comprises GaAsN, GaInAsN, GaAsNSb, GaPN, GaAsPN or mixtures thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the metal organic chemical vapor deposition is performed at a temperature of about 500°

C. to about 700°

C.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the metal organic chemical vapor deposition is performed at a temperature of about 550°

C. to about 650°

C.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the metal organic chemical vapor deposition is performed with a nitrogen halide gas used at a pressure of from 0.01 to 2 torr.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the metal organic chemical vapor deposition is performed with a nitrogen halide gas used at a pressure of from 0.01 to 1 torr.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the nitrogen halide is mixed with a carrier.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the carrier is an inert gas.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the group III element of the III-V alloy comprises gallium.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising incorporating the nitrogen containing epilayer into a solar cell.

16. A nitride-based semiconductor for a solar cell comprising:

a substrate; and

an epilayer comprising a group III element, nitrogen, and a group V element other than nitrogen, wherein metal organic chemical vapor deposition is used to deposit at least one of said group III and group V elements and wherein said nitrogen is from a nitrogen halide source, wherein the nitrogen concentration of the epilayer is from about 0.1% to about 3%.

17. A The solar cell of claim 16 wherein the nitrogen halide comprises NF₃, N₂F₄, NH₂Cl, NHCl₂, NCl₃, or mixtures thereof.

18. The solar cell of claim 17 wherein the nitrogen halide comprises NF₃.

19. The solar cell of claim 16 wherein the substrate comprises GaAs, InP, GaP, or mixtures thereof.

20. The solar cell of claim 16 further comprising controlling the conductive properties and carrier concentration in the epilayer by adding a dopant, wherein the dopant comprises silicon, carbon, tellurium, beryllium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, or mixtures thereof.

21. The solar cell of claim 16 wherein the epilayer of III-V alloy comprises GaAsN, GaInAsN, GaAsNSb, and mixtures thereof.

22. The solar cell of claim 16 wherein the group III element of the epilayer comprises gallium.

23. The solar cell of claim 16 wherein the group III element of the epilayer comprises indium.