Semiconductor relay

• US 10,818,815 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2019
• Issued: 10/27/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shibata, Daisuke, Tamura, Satoshi, Ujita, Shinji, Hirashita, Nanako, Ogawa, Masahiro, Kajitani, Ryo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chambliss, Alonzo
• Application Number:
  US16/460,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20190326465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02579 P-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48145 the bodies being stacked
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/48 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/24 including, apart from doping materials or other impurities, only semiconductor materials not provided for in groups H01L29/16, H01L29/18, H01L29/20, H01L29/22 including organic materials H10K99/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10344 Aluminium gallium nitride [AlGaN]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13091 Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/09 Devices sensitive to infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation H01L31/101 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/12 structurally associated with, e.g. formed in or on a common substrate with, one or more electric light sources, e.g. electroluminescent light sources, and electrically or optically coupled thereto semiconductor devices with at least one potential barrier or surface barrier adapted for light emission H01L33/00; amplifiers using electroluminescent element and photocell H03F17/00; electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/162 the light source being a semiconductor device with at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. a light emitting diode
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/173 formed in, or on, a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1856 comprising nitride compounds, e.g. GaN
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/382 the electrode extending partially in or entirely through the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/08142 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/785 controlling field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/10 OLED displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/60 OLEDs integrated with inorganic light-sensitive elements, e.g. with inorganic solar cells or inorganic photodiodes

Abstract

A semiconductor relay includes: a light-emitting element; and a light-receiving element facing the light-emitting element. The light-receiving element includes: a substrate; a semiconductor layer having a direct transition type, the semiconductor layer being disposed on the substrate and having a semi-insulating property; a first electrode having at least a part in contact with the semiconductor layer; and a second electrode having at least a part in contact with either one of the semiconductor layer and the substrate, in a position separated from the first electrode. The semiconductor layer is reduced in resistance by absorbing light from the light-emitting element.

Claims

1. A semiconductor relay, comprising:

a light-emitting element; and

a light-receiving element facing the light-emitting element, wherein

the light-receiving element includes

a substrate,

a nitride semiconductor layer that includes a first impurity having an acceptor type, a second impurity having a donor type, a concentration of the second impurity being lower than a concentration of the first impurity, and a direct transition type, the nitride semiconductor layer being disposed on the substrate and having a semi-insulating property,

a first electrode electrically connected to the nitride semiconductor layer, the first electrode having at least a part in contact with the nitride semiconductor layer, and

a second electrode electrically connected to the nitride semiconductor layer, the second electrode having at least a part in contact with either one of the nitride semiconductor layer and the substrate, in a position separated from the first electrode, and

the nitride semiconductor layer is reduced in resistance by absorbing light from the light-emitting element.

2. The semiconductor relay according to claim 1, wherein

the light-emitting element includes a nitride semiconductor.

3. The semiconductor relay according to claim 1, wherein

the nitride semiconductor layer comprises InAlGaN.

4. The semiconductor relay according to claim 1, wherein

the second impurity has ionization energy smaller than ionization energy of the first impurity, and

the nitride semiconductor layer has a trap level having activation energy that is larger than a sum of ionization energy of the first impurity and the ionization energy of the second impurity.

5. The semiconductor relay according to claim 4, wherein

a concentration obtained by subtracting the concentration of the second impurity from the concentration of the first impurity is 1E16 cm⁻

3 to 1E18 cm<sup>−

3</sup> inclusive.

6. The semiconductor relay according to claim 1, wherein

the nitride semiconductor layer has a light-receiving region that receives light from the light-emitting element, and

the light-receiving region has a rugged structure.

7. The semiconductor relay according to claim 1, wherein

the light-receiving element is stacked on the light-emitting element.

8. The semiconductor relay according to claim 7, wherein

the substrate comprises a nitride semiconductor.

9. The semiconductor relay according to claim 7, wherein

the light-emitting element has an active layer.

10. The semiconductor relay according to claim 9, wherein

bandgap energy of the active layer is larger than bandgap energy of the nitride semiconductor layer.

11. The semiconductor relay according to claim 9, wherein

the active layer comprises InGaN.

12. The semiconductor relay according to claim 1, wherein

the nitride semiconductor layer comprises AlGaN.

13. The semiconductor relay according to claim 1, wherein

the nitride semiconductor layer comprises InGaN.

14. A semiconductor relay, comprising:

a light-emitting element

a light-receiving element facing the light-emitting element, wherein the light-receiving element includes

a substrate,

a nitride semiconductor layer having a direct transition type, the nitride semiconductor layer being disposed on the substrate and having a semi-insulating property,

a first electrode electrically connected to the nitride semiconductor layer, the first electrode having at least a part in contact with the nitride semiconductor layer, and

a second electrode electrically connected to the nitride semiconductor layer, the second electrode having at least a part in contact with either one of the nitride semiconductor layer and the substrate, in a position separated from the first electrode, and

the nitride semiconductor layer is reduced in resistance by absorbing light from the light-emitting element and

a first p-type semiconductor layer that is disposed on the nitride semiconductor layer, wherein

the first electrode is in contact with the nitride semiconductor layer and the first p-type semiconductor layer.

15. The semiconductor relay according to claim 14, wherein

the first p-type semiconductor layer includes plural p-type semiconductor sections, and

the plural p-type semiconductor sections include a p-type semiconductor section covered with the first electrode, and a p-type semiconductor section a part of which is exposed from an end portion of the first electrode.