Method for manufacturing group III nitride semiconductor, method for manufacturing group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device, group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device, and lamp

• US 8,097,482 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2008
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Showa Denko KK (Resonac Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Hanawa, Kenzo, Sasaki, Yasumasa, Miki, Hisayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Chambliss, Alonzo
• Application Number:
  US12/438,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20100244086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 438/46
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02458 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0254 Nitrides
• 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 21/02631 Physical deposition at reduced pressure, e.g. MBE, sputtering, evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32245 the item being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32257 the layer connector connecting to a bonding area disposed in a recess of the surface of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45144 Gold (Au) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48257 connecting the wire to a die pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49107 on the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1305 Bipolar Junction Transistor [BJT]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/007 comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0075 comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/025 : Physical imperfections, e.g. particular concentration or distribution of impurities

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a Group III nitride semiconductor of the present invention, comprising a sputtering step for disposing a substrate and a target in a chamber and forming a Mg-doped Group III nitride semiconductor on the substrate by a reactive sputtering method, wherein the sputtering step includes respective substeps of: a film formation step for forming a semiconductor thin film while doping with Mg; and a plasma treatment step for applying an inert gas plasma treatment to the semiconductor thin film that has been formed in the film formation step, and the Group III nitride semiconductor is formed by laminating the semiconductor thin film through alternate repetitions of the film formation step and the plasma treatment step.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a Group III nitride semiconductor, comprising

a sputtering step for disposing a substrate and a target in a chamber and forming a Mg-doped Group III nitride semiconductor on said substrate by a reactive sputtering method, wherein

said sputtering step includes respective substeps of:

a film formation step for forming a semiconductor thin film while doping with Mg; and

a plasma treatment step for applying an inert gas plasma treatment to the semiconductor thin film that has been formed in the film formation step, and

the Group III nitride semiconductor is formed by laminating said semiconductor thin film through alternate repetitions of said film formation step and said plasma treatment step.

2. The method for manufacturing a Group III nitride semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein

said Mg-doped semiconductor thin film is formed with a thickness within a range of 1 to 100 nm in said film formation step, and

the Group III nitride semiconductor is formed by laminating said semiconductor thin film through alternate repetitions of the film formation step within the above range of film thickness and said plasma treatment step in said sputtering step.

3. The method for manufacturing a Group III nitride semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein said film formation step is performed while circulating a hydrogen-containing gas and/or a nitrogen-containing gas in said chamber.

4. The method for manufacturing a Group III nitride semiconductor according to claim 3, wherein said nitrogen-containing gas is an ammonia gas.

5. The method for manufacturing a Group III nitride semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein a temperature of said substrate is set within a range of 300°

C to 1200°

C in said film formation step.

6. The method for manufacturing a Group III nitride semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein a power for generating an inert gas plasma in said chamber is within a range of 10 to 5000 W in said plasma treatment step.

7. The method for manufacturing a Group III nitride semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein a duration for said inert gas plasma treatment is within a range of 1 to 600 seconds in said plasma treatment step.

8. The method for manufacturing a Group III nitride semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein any one type or more selected from He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe is used as the inert gas to be circulated in said chamber in said plasma treatment step.

9. The method for manufacturing a Group III nitride semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein a temperature of said substrate is set within a range of room temperature to 800°

C in said plasma treatment step.

10. The method for manufacturing a Group III nitride semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein said plasma treatment step is performed under a pressure within a range of 1×

10<sup>−

5</sup> to 10 Pa in said chamber.

11. The method for manufacturing a Group III nitride semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor thin film is laminated within a range of 1 to 1000 times of alternate repetitions of said film formation step and said plasma treatment step, in said sputtering step.

12. The method for manufacturing a Group III nitride semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein an interval within a range of 1 to 300 seconds is provided between said film formation step and said plasma treatment step to be alternately repeated in said sputtering step.

13. The method for manufacturing a Group III nitride semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein an adjustment step for changing at least any one treatment condition of said film formation step or said plasma treatment step is provided between said film formation step and said plasma treatment step to be alternately repeated in said sputtering step.

14. The method for manufacturing a Group III nitride semiconductor according to claim 13, wherein said adjustment step is for changing at least any one treatment condition amongst a treatment duration or a substrate temperature in said film formation step, or a power, a treatment duration, a substrate temperature, or a pressure in the chamber in said plasma treatment step.

15. The method for manufacturing a Group III nitride semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein a step for forming a ground layer comprised of a Group III nitride semiconductor on said substrate is provided at least prior to said sputtering step.

16. A method for manufacturing a Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device which comprises a semiconductor layer having an n-type semiconductor layer, a light-emitting layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer respectively comprised of Group III nitride semiconductors and sequentially laminated, in which at least a part of said p-type semiconductor layer is doped with Mg,

the method comprising:

forming at least a part of said p-type semiconductor layer by the method for manufacturing a Group III nitride semiconductor according to claim 1.

17. A Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device comprising:

a semiconductor layer having an n-type semiconductor layer, a light-emitting layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer respectively comprised of Group III nitride semiconductors and sequentially laminated, in which at least a part of said p-type semiconductor layer is doped with Mg, wherein

at least a part of said p-type semiconductor layer is formed by the method for manufacturing a Group III nitride semiconductor according to claim 1.

18. The Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 17, wherein a thickness of said p-type semiconductor layer is set within a range of 0.05 to 1 μ

m.

19. The Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 17, wherein a Mg dopant concentration in said p-type semiconductor layer is set within a range of 1×

10¹⁹ to 5×

10²⁰/cm³.

20. The Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 17, wherein a hydrogen concentration in said p-type semiconductor layer is set at 1×

10¹⁶/cm³ or lower.

21. A lamp including a frame and comprising the Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 17 bonded to said frame.