Selective growth method, and semiconductor light emitting device and fabrication method thereof

• US 6,858,081 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2003
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Okuyama, Hiroyuki, Biwa, Goshi
• Primary Examiner(s): HITESHEW, FELISA CARLA
• Application Number:
  US10/345,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20030140846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 117/89, 117/94, 117/102, 117/104
• US Class Current: 117/89
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• 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 21/0242 Crystalline insulating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02433 Crystal orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02458 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02502 consisting of two layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02513 Microstructure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0254 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02576 N-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02579 P-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02587 Structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02609 Crystal orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02639 Preparation of substrate for selective deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/24 of the light emitting region, e.g. non-planar junction

Abstract

In a selective growth method, growth interruption is performed at the time of selective growth of a crystal layer on a substrate. Even if the thickness distribution of the crystal layer becomes non-uniform at the time of growth of the crystal layer, the non-uniformity of the thickness distribution of the crystal layer can be corrected by inserting the growth interruption. As a result of growth interruption, an etching rate at a thick portion becomes higher than that at a thin portion, to eliminate the difference in thickness between the thick portion and the thin portion, thereby solving the problem associated with degradation of characteristics due to a variation in thickness of the crystal layer, for example, an active layer. The selective growth method is applied to fabrication of a semiconductor light emitting device including an active layer as a crystal layer formed on a crystal layer having a three-dimensional shape by selective growth.

Claims

1. A selective growth method comprising a step of:

performing growth interruption at the time of selective growth of a crystal layer over a substrate.

2. A selective growth method according to claim 1, wherein said growth interruption is performed before and after growth of said crystal layer.

3. A selective growth method according to claim 1, wherein said crystal layer is made from a material having a single composition, and said growth interruption is performed during growth of said crystal layer.

4. A selective growth method according to claim 1, wherein said crystal layer has a multi-layer structure.

5. A selective growth method according to claim 4, wherein said crystal layer has multiple quantum wells and multiple corresponding barrier layers.

6. A selective growth method according to claim 5, wherein said growth interruption is performed between each of said multiple quantum wells and the multiple corresponding barrier layers.

7. A selective growth method according to claim 5, wherein said growth interruption is performed during growth of each of said multiple quantum wells.

8. A selective growth method according to claim 5, wherein said growth interruption is performed during growth of each of said multiple corresponding barrier layers.

9. A selective growth method according to claim 1, wherein a mask having an opening is formed on said substrate, and said crystal layer is formed by selective growth over said opening.

10. A selective growth method according to claim 1, wherein said crystal layer is made from a gallium nitride based compound semiconductor.

11. A selective growth method according to claim 1, wherein said crystal layer is grown on an underlying layer having a three-dimensional shape.

12. A selective growth method according to claim 1, wherein said crystal layer extends within a plane parallel to a plane tilted from a principal plane of said substrate.

13. A selective growth method according to claim 12, wherein said tilt plane is a S-plane or a plane equivalent thereto.

14. A method of fabricating a semiconductor light emitting device including a cladding layer, a guide layer, and an active layer, which are sequentially formed by selective growth, said method comprising the step of:

performing growth interruption at the time of selective growth of said active layer.

15. A method of fabricating a semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 14, wherein said growth interruption is performed before and after growth of said active layer.

16. A method of fabricating a semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 14, wherein said active layer is made from a material having a single composition, and said growth interruption is performed during growth of said active layer.

17. A method of fabricating a semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 14, wherein said active layer has a multi-layer structure.

18. A method of fabricating a semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 17, wherein said active layer has multiple quantum wells and multiple corresponding barrier layers.

19. A method of fabricating a semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 18, wherein said growth interruption is performed between each of said multiple quantum wells and the corresponding barrier layer.

20. A method of fabricating a semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 18, said growth interruption is performed during growth of each of said multiple quantum wells.

21. A method of fabricating a semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 18, wherein said growth interruption is performed during growth of each of said multiple corresponding barrier layers.

22. A method of fabricating a semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 14, wherein a mask having an opening is formed over said substrate, and a crystal layer is formed as an underlying layer by selective growth over said opening, and said active layer is grown over said underlying layer.

23. A method of fabricating a semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 14, wherein said active layer is made from a gallium nitride based compound semiconductor.

24. A method of fabricating a semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 14, wherein said active layer extends within a plane parallel to a plane tilted from a principal plane of said substrate.

25. A method of fabricating a semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 24, wherein said tilt plane is a S-plane or a plane equivalent thereto.