Method for deposition of magnesium doped (Al, In, Ga, B)N layers

• US 7,709,284 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2007
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Sato, Hitoshi, Iza, Michael, DenBaars, Steven P., Nakamura, Shuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Picardat; Kevin M
• Application Number:
  US11/840,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20080042121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 438/45, 438/46, 438/47, 257/76, 257/94, 257/98
• US Class Current: 438/46
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0242 Crystalline insulating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02458 Nitrides
• 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 21/02609 Crystal orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/007 comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/06 within the light emitting region, e.g. quantum confinement structure or tunnel barrier

Abstract

A method for growing an improved quality device by depositing a low temperature (LT) magnesium (Mg) doped nitride semiconductor thin film. The low temperature Mg doped nitride semiconductor thin film may have a thickness greater than 50 nm. A multi quantum well (MQW) active layer may be grown at a growth temperature and the LT Mg doped nitride semiconductor thin film may deposited on the MQW active layer at a substrate temperature no greater than 150° C. above the growth temperature.

Claims

1. A method for growing an improved quality device, comprising:

(a) depositing one or more Indium (In) containing nitride-based quantum well layers at a growth temperature; and

(b) depositing a nitride semiconductor film on the quantum well layers at a growth substrate temperature no greater than 150°

C. above the growth temperature of the Indium containing nitride-based quantum well layers, wherein the growth substrate temperature reduces thermal damage to the quantum well layers and the nitride semiconductor film has a thickness greater than 50 nm.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the nitride semiconductor film is doped with Magnesium (Mg).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the nitride semiconductor film comprises one or more layers of intentionally doped or unintentionally doped materials.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the nitride semiconductor film comprises multiple layers having varying or graded compositions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the nitride semiconductor film comprises a heterostructure comprising layers of dissimilar (Al,Ga,In,B)N composition.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the nitride semiconductor film comprises GaN, AlN, InN, AlGaN, InGaN or AlInN.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the nitride semiconductor film is grown in any crystallographic nitride direction, such as on a conventional c-plane oriented nitride semiconductor crystal, or on a nonpolar plane, or on any semipolar plane.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the growth substrate temperature is substantially equal to the growth temperature.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the growth substrate temperature is no greater than 50°

C. above the growth temperature of the Indium containing nitride-based quantum well layers.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the nitride semiconductor film and the Indium containing nitride-based quantum well layers are grown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE), metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), or molecular beam epitaxy (MBE).

11. A device having enhanced output power fabricated using the method of claim 1.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing steps (a) and (b) in sequence, wherein the quantum wells are multi quantum wells grown at the growth temperature.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the nitride semiconductor film comprises GaN.

14. A light emitting diode (LED), comprising:

(a) one or more Indium (In) containing nitride-based quantum well layers;

(b) an n-type layer deposited on one side of the Indium containing nitride-based quantum well layers for injecting n-type carriers into the Indium containing nitride-based quantum well layers; and

(c) a nitride semiconductor layer, containing Magnesium (Mg), deposited on the Indium containing nitride-based quantum well layers for acting as a p-type layer, wherein the nitride semiconductor layer has a thickness of at least 50 nm and the nitride semiconductor layer is deposited at a growth substrate temperature no greater than 150°

C. above a growth temperature of the Indium containing nitride-based quantum well layers to reduce thermal damage to the quantum well layers.

15. The LED of claim 14, wherein the nitride semiconductor layer comprises GaN, AlN, InN, AlGaN, InGaN or AlInN.

16. The LED of claim 14, wherein the nitride semiconductor layer comprises GaN.

17. The LED of claim 14, wherein the nitride semiconductor layer comprises multiple layers having varying or graded compositions.

18. The LED of claim 14, wherein the nitride semiconductor layer comprises a heterostructure comprising layers of dissimilar (Al,Ga,In,B)N composition.

19. The LED of claim 14, wherein the nitride semiconductor layer is grown on a nonpolar plane or on any semipolar plane.

20. The LED of claim 14, wherein the quantum wells are multi quantum wells grown at the growth temperature and the nitride semiconductor layer is grown directly on, and in contact with, an (Al,In,Ga,B)N layer.