Fabrication of nonpolar indium gallium nitride thin films, heterostructures, and devices by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

• US 8,882,935 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2013
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Science And Technology Agency, Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Japan Science And Technology Agency, Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Chakraborty, Arpan, Haskell, Benjamin A., Keller, Stacia, Speck, James S., DenBaars, Steven P., Nakamura, Shuji, Mishra, Umesh K.
• Primary Examiner(s): FOURSON III, GEORGE R
• Application Number:
  US13/909,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20130264540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 257/94, 257/96, 257/97, 257/103, 257/E33.003, 257/E33.025, 257/E33.027, 257/E33.028, 257/E33.043, 438/47, 438/481, 148/33.4
• US Class Current: 148/33.4
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/403 AIII-nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0237 Materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02389 Nitrides
• 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 21/0254 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02609 Crystal orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0075 comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/06 within the light emitting region, e.g. quantum confinement structure or tunnel barrier
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2304/04 MOCVD or MOVPE
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2304/12 Pendeo epitaxial lateral overgrowth [ELOG], e.g. for growing GaN based blue laser diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0213 Sapphire, quartz or diamond based substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/32025 non-polar orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/34333 with a well layer based on Ga(In)N or Ga(In)P, e.g. blue laser

Abstract

A method for the fabrication of nonpolar indium gallium nitride (InGaN) films as well as nonpolar InGaN-containing device structures using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOVCD). The method is used to fabricate nonpolar InGaN/GaN violet and near-ultraviolet light emitting diodes and laser diodes.

Claims

1. A p-n junction device structure, comprising at least:

nonpolar III-nitride layers, comprising at least one or more nonpolar oriented Indium-containing III-nitride layers, wherein a material quality of the nonpolar III-nitride layers enables the p-n junction device structure to function in response to direct current density between 43 amps per centimeter square and 222 Amps per centimeter square.

2. The device structure of claim 1, further comprising the nonpolar III-nitride layers grown on a nonpolar surface of a III-nitride substrate or template.

3. The device structure of claim 2, wherein the III-nitride substrate or template has a threading dislocation density of less than 1×

10⁹ cm<sup>−

2</sup> and a stacking fault density of less than 1×

10⁴ cm<sup>−

1</sup>.

4. The device structure of claim 2, wherein the III-nitride template or substrate has a threading dislocation density of less than 5×

10⁶ cm<sup>−

2</sup> and a stacking fault density of less than 3×

10³ cm<sup>−

1</sup>.

5. The device structure of claim 2, wherein the III-nitride template or substrate is a GaN substrate or template.

6. The device structure of claim 2, wherein the III-nitride template or substrate is a GaN bulk substrate.

7. The device structure of claim 1, further comprising:

a capping layer on the nonpolar Indium-containing III-nitride layers; and

one or more nonpolar Aluminum-containing or Gallium-containing III-nitride layers on the capping layer.

8. The device structure of claim 1, wherein the p-n junction device structure'"'"'s resistance does not increase when the direct current density through the p-n junction device structure is increased from 11 amps per centimeter square to 111 amps per centimeter square.

9. The device structure of claim 1, wherein the Indium containing III-nitride layers are InGaN layers and the device functions in response to the direct current density between 43 Amps per centimeter square and 278 amps per centimeter square.

10. The device structure of claim 1, wherein the device structure is a light emmiting diode (LED) or laser diode (LD) structure with an emission wavelength between 360 nm and 600 nm.

11. The device structure of claim 10, wherein the LED or LD structure emits light with a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of at least 0.4%.

12. The device structure of claim 10, wherein the LED or LD structure is capable of emitting 1.5 milliwatts of light output power.

13. The device structure of claim 10, wherein a peak emission of the LED device structure has a linewidth of less than 25 nanometers at a direct current density of 43-111 Amps per centimeter square (A/cm²).

14. The device structure of claim 10 having a peak emission at a violet emission wavelength.

18. The device structure of claim 1, wherein the device is fabricated using a process comprising:

(a) providing a Gallium substrate or template;

(b) growing the one or more nonpolar Indium-containing III-nitride layers on or above the substrate or template;

(c) growing a capping layer on the nonpolar Indium-containing III-nitride layers; and

(d) growing one or more nonpolar Aluminum-containing and/or Gallium-containing III-nitride layers on the capping layer,

wherein the fabricating, including growth conditions and carrier gas used during steps (a)-(d), fabricates the material quality.

19. The device structure of claim 2, wherein the III-nitride template or substrate is an AlGaN substrate.

20. The device structure of claim 2, wherein the III-nitride substrate or template is an aluminum nitride substrate or template.

21. The device structure of claim 1, wherein:

the nonpolar oriented Indium-containing III-nitride layers comprise an a-plane InGaN quantum well structure between an n-type layer and one or more p-type layers,

the n-type layer comprises a Gallium-containing III-nitride layer,

the p-type layers comprise one or more III-nitride layers comprising Aluminum and/or Gallium, and

the nonpolar oriented Indium-containing III-nitride layers, the n-type layer, and the one or more p-type layers are grown on or above a Gallium Nitride substrate or template.

15. An optoelectronic device structure, comprising:

a light emitting device structure grown on a nonpolar surface of a III-nitride template or substrate, wherein;

the light emitting device structure'"'"'s active region comprises one or more nonpolar Indium-containing III-nitride layers, and

the light-emitting device structure has an External Quantum Efficiency (EQE) droop of between 0 and 20% percent at a direct current density between 33.33 Amps per centimeter square and 111 Amps per centimeter square (A/cm²), as compared to a maximum EQE.

22. The device structure of claim 15, wherein:

the substrate or template comprises a Gallium Nitride substrate or template;

the nonpolar oriented Indium-containing III-nitride layers comprise an a-plane InGaN quantum well structure between an n-type layer and one or more p-type layers,

the n-type layer comprises a Gallium-containing III-nitride layer, and

the p-type layers comprise one or more III-nitride layers comprising Aluminum and/or Gallium.

23. The device structure of claim 15, wherein the EQE droop is between 0-16.6 percent at a direct current density between 33.33-102 Amps per centimeter square (A/cm²), as compared to a maximum EQE.

16. A transistor device structure, comprising:

one or more nonpolar Indium-containing III-nitride layers overlying a grown non-polar surface of a III-nitride template or substrate with a threading dislocation density of less than 1×

10⁹ cm <sup>−

2</sup> and a stacking fault density of less than 1×

10⁴ cm <sup>−

1</sup>.

17. The device structure of claim 16, wherein the III-nitride template or substrate has a threading dislocation density of less than 5×

10⁶ cm<sup>−

2</sup> and a stacking fault density of less than 3×

10³ cm<sup>−

1</sup>.