Method for manufacturing gallium nitride compound semiconductor and light emitting element

• US 6,861,270 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2002
• Issued: 03/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nitride Semiconductors Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nitride Semiconductors Co., Ltd., Shiro Sakai
• Inventors: Sakai, Shiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Jerome
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, JOSEPH H
• Application Number:
  US10/092,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20030094618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 438/22, 438/752, 257/103, 257/79, 257/613, 257/615, 257/63, 257/76, 257/55, 257/190
• US Class Current: 438/22
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/06 within the light emitting region, e.g. quantum confinement structure or tunnel barrier
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/08 with a plurality of light emitting regions, e.g. laterally discontinuous light emitting layer or photoluminescent region integrated within the semiconductor body H01L27/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a GaN compound semiconductor which can improve light emitting efficiency even when dislocations are present. An n type AlGaN layer, a undoped AlGaN layer, and a p type AlGaN layer are laminated on a substrate to obtain a double hetero structure. When the undoped AlGaN layer is formed, droplets of Ga or Al are formed on the n type AlGaN layer. The compositional ratio of Ga and Al in the undoped AlGaN layer varies due to the presence of the droplets, creating a spatial fluctuation in the band gap. Because of the spatial fluctuation in the band gap, the percentage of luminous recombinations of electrons and holes is increased.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a gallium nitride based semiconductor, comprising the steps of:

(a) forming a first gallium nitride based semiconductor on a substrate, the first gallium nitride based semiconductor having a first surface;

(b) forming on less than a total area of the first surface a composition material of the first gallium nitride based semiconductor; and

(c) forming a second gallium nitride based semiconductor on the first gallium nitride based semiconductor on which the composition material is formed;

wherein a spatial fluctuation is created in the band gap by variation in the compositional ratio in the second gallium nitride based semiconductor created by the composition material, and the second gallium nitride based semiconductor is a light emitting layer.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first gallium nitride based semiconductor and the second gallium nitride based semiconductor are AlGaN;

and the composition material is one selected from Ga and Al.

3. A method for manufacturing a gallium nitride based semiconductor, comprising the steps of:

(a) forming a base layer on a substrate, the base layer constructed by forming a layer on less than a total area of a surface of the base layer for varying the diffusion lengths of composition materials of a gallium nitride based semiconductor; and

(b) forming the gallium nitride based semiconductor on the base layer;

wherein

a spatial fluctuation is created in the band gap by creating a variation in the compositional ratio in the gallium nitride based semiconductor by varying the diffusion lengths of the composition materials, and the gallium nitride based semiconductor is a light emitting layer.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the gallium nitride based semiconductor is AlGaN and the layer for varying the diffusion lengths of the composition materials is formed from SiN.

5. A method for manufacturing a gallium nitride based semiconductor comprising the steps of:

(a) forming, on a substrate, a base layer having a lattice mismatch layer formed on less than a total area of a surface of the base layer; and

(b) forming the gallium nitride based semiconductor on the base layer;

wherein

a spatial fluctuation is created in the band gap of the gallium nitride based semiconductor by the lattice mismatch, and the gallium nitride based semiconductor is a light emitting layer.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the lattice mismatch is formed by discretely forming at least one of AlN, InN, AlInGaN, Si, AlGaN, and MgN.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the gallium nitride based semiconductor has a superlattice structure of AlGaN and GaN.

8. A light emitting element comprising a gallium nitride based semiconductor, the light emitting element comprising:

a substrate;

a first gallium nitride based semiconductor layer formed on the substrate, the first gallium nitride based semiconductor layer having a first surface;

a composition material of the first gallium nitride based semiconductor formed on less than a total area of the first surface; and

a second gallium nitride based semiconductor layer having a varied compositional ratio and formed on the first gallium nitride based semiconductor layer onto which the composition material is formed, and the second gallium nitride based semiconductor is a light emitting layer.

9. A light emitting element according to claim 8, wherein the first gallium nitride based semiconductor and the second gallium nitride based semiconductor are AlGaN;

and the composition is one selected from Ga and Al.

10. A light emitting element comprising a gallium nitride based semiconductor, the light emitting element comprising:

a substrate;

a base layer formed on the substrate and constructed by forming a layer on less than a total area of a surface of the base layer for varying the diffusion lengths of the composition materials of the gallium nitride based semiconductor; and

gallium nitride based semiconductor layer having a varied compositional ratio and formed on the base layer, and the gallium nitride based semiconductor is a light emitting layer.

11. A light emitting element according to claim 10, wherein the layer for changing the diffusion length of the composition materials is SiN and the gallium nitride based semiconductor is AlGaN.

12. A light emitting element using a gallium nitride based semiconductor, the light emitting element comprising:

a substrate;

a base layer formed on the substrate and having a lattice mismatch formed on less than a total area of a surface of the base layer; and

a gallium nitride based semiconductor layer formed on the base layer and having a spatial fluctuation in the band gap, and the gallium nitride based semiconductor is a light emitting layer.

13. A light emitting element according to claim 12, wherein the gallium nitride based semiconductor layer has a superlattice structure.