Methods of fabricating optoelectronic devices using layers detached from semiconductor donors and devices made thereby

• US 9,269,854 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2011
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VerLASE Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: VerLASE Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Jain, Ajaykumar R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Geyer, Scott B
• Application Number:
  US13/816,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20130143336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,800 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02521 Materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02568 Chalcogenide semiconducting materials not being oxides, e.g. ternary compounds
• 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0041 characterised by field-effect operation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/005 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0093 Wafer bonding; Removal of the growth substrate
• 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: H10K 50/115 comprising active inorganic nanostructures, e.g. luminescent quantum dots
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/125 specially adapted for multicolour light emission, e.g. for emitting white light

Abstract

Methods of making optoelectronic devices containing functional elements made from layers liberated from natural and/or fabricated lamellar semiconductor donors. In one embodiment, a donor is provided, a layer is detached from the donor, and the layer is incorporated into an optoelectronic device as a functional element thereof. The thickness of the detached layer is tuned as needed to suit the functionality of the functional element. Examples of functional elements that can be made using detached layers include p-n junctions, Schotkey junctions, PIN junctions, and confinement layers, among others. Examples of optoelectronic devices that can incorporate detached layers include LEDs, laser diodes, MOSFET transistors, and MISFET transistors, among others.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating an optoelectronic device, comprising:

providing a semiconductor donor having a detachable layer;

liberating the detachable layer from the donor; and

incorporating the detachable layer into the optoelectronic device as an electrically functional element of the optoelectronic device;

wherein;

said providing the semiconductor donor includes providing an inherently lamellar material, said inherently lamellar material including at least one van der Waals cleavage plane; and

said liberating includes liberating at least one lamella from the semiconductor donor along said at least one van der Waals cleavage plane.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said providing an inherently lamellar material includes providing a material comprising gallium and selenium.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said inherently lamellar material includes a lamellar material having a bulk band gap greater than or equal to 1.8 eV and less than or equal to 2.5 eV.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said inherently lamellar material includes a lamellar material having a bulk band gap greater than or equal to 2.5 eV and less than or equal to 4.5 eV.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said providing the semiconductor donor includes providing a semiconductor donor having at least one fabricated lamella.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said providing the semiconductor donor having at least one fabricated lamella includes providing a semiconductor donor having a deposited lamella deposited on a substrate, and said liberating includes detaching the deposited lamella from the substrate.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein said providing the semiconductor donor having at least one fabricated lamella includes providing a semiconductor donor having a plurality of fabricated lamellae defined by planes of weakness resulting from intercalation.

8. A method according to claim 5, wherein said providing the semiconductor donor having at least one fabricated lamella includes providing a semiconductor donor having a plurality of semiconductor-paper layers.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the detachable layer has a thickness and the method further comprises tuning the thickness of the detachable layer as a function of desired characteristics of the electrically functional element of the optoelectronic device.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said tuning the thickness is performed in conjunction with said liberating.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the optoelectronic device has a p-n junction and said incorporating the detachable layer includes incorporating the detachable layer into one side of the p-n junction.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the optoelectronic device has a p-n junction and said incorporating the detachable layer includes incorporating the detachable layer into an n-side of the p-n junction and further includes incorporating a second detachable layer into a p-side of the p-n junction.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the optoelectronic device has a quantum confinement layer and said incorporating the detachable layer includes incorporating the detached layer into the quantum confinement layer.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein said providing the semiconductor donor includes providing a crystalline semiconductor donor having a plurality of lamellae, and said liberating the detachable layer from the donor includes liberating a subset of the plurality of lamellae from the crystalline semiconductor donor.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein said liberating the subset of the plurality of lamellae includes liberating multiple lamellae from the crystalline semiconductor donor.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein said detachable layer has a first doping type and the method further comprises depositing a first semiconductor layer on a first surface of the detachable layer, wherein the first semiconductor layer has a second doping type opposite the first doping type, thereby forming a p-n junction.

17. A method according to claim 1, further comprising sandwiching the detachable layer between two semiconductor layers, wherein the two semiconductor layers have opposite doping types, and each has a band gap greater than the band gap of the detachable layer.

18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising providing the detachable layer with a thickness less than approximately 100 nm so that the detachable layer functions as a quantum confinement layer within the optoelectronic device.

19. A method according to claim 17, further comprising providing the detachable layer with a thickness greater than approximately 100 nm so that the detachable layer functions as an electroluminescent layer within the optoelectronic device.

20. A method according to claim 17, further comprising providing the detachable layer with a non-uniform thickness, thereby causing the optoelectronic device to emit a plurality of light wavelengths when subjected to a voltage.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein said non-uniform thickness is curvilinear.

22. A method according to claim 20, wherein said non-uniform thickness is planar.

23. A method according to claim 17, further comprising, before said depositing, adding quantum dots to a surface of the detachable layer.

24. A method according to claim 1, further comprising modifying the band gap of the detachable layer using an intercalant.

25. A method according to claim 1, further comprising modifying the band gap of the detachable layer by exfoliation.

26. A method according to claim 1, wherein said liberating is accomplished using an intercalant.

27. A method of fabricating an optoelectronic device having an electrically functional element, the method comprising:

providing a donor having a crystalline semiconductor layer, wherein the donor includes at least one van der Waals cleavage plane to allow the crystalline semiconductor layer to be liberated therefrom;

liberating the crystalline semiconductor layer from the donor along the at least one van der Waals cleavage plane;

incorporating the crystalline semiconductor layer into the optoelectronic device as the optoelectrically functional element; and

providing the optoelectrically functional element with a predetermined thickness based on the optoelectrical function of the optoelectrically functional element.

28. A method according to claim 27, wherein:

said providing the donor includes depositing the crystalline semiconductor layer onto a reusable crystalline substrate; and

said liberating includes separating the crystalline semiconductor layer from said crystalline substrate along the at least one van der Waals cleavage plane.

29. A method according to claim 27, wherein:

said providing the donor includes providing a donor comprising a plurality of crystalline semiconductor lamellae defined by a plurality of van der Waals cleavage planes; and

said liberating includes separating a subset of said plurality of crystalline semiconductor lamellae along at least one van der Waals cleavage plane of the plurality of van der Waals cleavage planes.

30. A method according to claim 27, wherein said providing the donor includes fabricating the donor to include a plurality of crystalline semiconductor lamella defined by a plurality of van der Waals cleavage planes.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein said fabricating includes assembling a plurality of crystalline paper layers.

32. A method according to claim 30, wherein said fabricating includes intercalating a precursor to the donor so as to create planes of weakness that define a plurality of crystalline semiconducting lamellae.

33. A method according to claim 27, wherein said providing the at least one optoelectrically functional element with a predetermined thickness is performed as part of said liberating.

34. A method according to claim 27, wherein said providing the at least one optoelectrically functional element with a predetermined thickness includes, after said liberating, adjusting the thickness of the crystalline semiconductor layer.

35. A method according to claim 34, wherein said adjusting the thickness includes removing material from the crystalline semiconductor layer.

36. A method according to claim 34, wherein said adjusting the thickness includes adding material on the crystalline semiconductor layer.