Method of manufacturing gallium nitride based high-electron mobility devices

• US 20060281284A1
• Filed: 06/08/2005
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Basceri, Cem, Harris, Christopher, Gehrke, Thomas, Weeks, T. Warren Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,364,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/478
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/2003 Nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7783 using III-V semiconductor material

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a heterojunction device includes forming a first layer of p-type aluminum gallium nitride; forming a second layer of undoped gallium nitride on the first layer; and forming a third layer of aluminum gallium nitride on the second layer, to provide an electron gas between the second and third layers. A heterojunction between the first and second layers injects positive charge into the second layer to compensate and/or neutralize negative charge within the electron gas.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a heterojunction device comprising:

forming a first layer of p-type Al_xGa_(1-x)N;

forming a second layer of undoped GaN on the first layer;

forming a third layer of nominally undoped Al_xGa_(1-x)N on the second layer, to provide an electron gas between the second and third layers.

2. The method of manufacturing a heterojunction device of claim 1, wherein the third layer provides negative charge to the second layer to form the electron gas, the third layer being formed as including an opening therethrough, whereby negative charge is not transferred to the second layer under the opening.

3. The method of manufacturing a heterojunction device of claim 2, further comprising forming a source electrode and a drain electrode over the third layer, and a gate electrode in the opening of the third layer intermediate the source and drain electrodes.

4. The method of manufacturing a heterojunction device of claim 2, wherein the electron gas is provided as discontinuous.

5. The method of manufacturing a heterojunction device of claim 2, further comprising forming an aluminum nitride layer between the second and third layers.

6. The method of manufacturing a heterojunction device of claim 2, further comprising forming a fourth layer of Al_yGa_(1-y)N between the second and third layers, wherein y>

x.

7. The method of manufacturing a heterojunction device of claim 1, wherein the third layer provides negative charge to the electron gas,

the third layer being formed as having a first area of first thickness, and a second area of second thickness that is less than the first thickness, wherein the first area provides more negative charge to the electron gas than the second area.

8. The method of manufacturing a heterojunction device of claim 7, wherein the first layer is formed as having a thickness and an initial p-type dopant concentration to provide positive charge to the second layer that neutralizes negative charge within the electron gas.

9. The method of manufacturing a heterojunction device of claim 8, wherein the electron gas is provided as discontinuous.

10. The method of manufacturing a heterojunction device of claim 7, further comprising forming a source contact and a drain contact over the first area of the third layer, and a gate contact over the second area of the third layer intermediate the source and drain contacts.

11. The method of manufacturing a heterojunction device of claim 1, wherein the first layer is formed on a semi-insulating substrate, and is formed as having a p-type concentration profile that is graded in a vertical direction to have a lower concentration near the second layer and a higher concentration near the semi-insulating substrate.

12. The method of manufacturing a heterojunction device of claim 11, wherein the semi-insulating substrate is silicon carbide.

13. The method of manufacturing a heterojunction device of claim 1, wherein the first layer is formed as having a thickness and an initial p-type dopant concentration to provide positive charge to the second layer that neutralizes negative charge within the electron gas.

14. The method of manufacturing a heterojunction device of claim 1, wherein the third layer provides negative charge to the electron gas,

the first layer being formed as having a thickness and an initial p-type dopant concentration to provide positive charge to the second layer that neutralizes negative charge within the electron gas.

15. The method of manufacturing a heterojunction device of claim 1, further comprising forming a GaN capping layer on the third layer.

16. The method of manufacturing a heterojunction device of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third layers are formed as including indium.

17. The method of manufacturing a heterojunction device of claim 1, wherein the first layer is formed as including carbon as a p-type dopant and aluminum as a getter of carbon.

18. The method of manufacturing a heterojunction device of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third layers are epitaxially grown.

19. A method of manufacturing a double heterojunction device comprising:

forming a first layer of intrinsic GaN having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;

forming a second layer of nominally undoped Al_xGa_(1-x)N on the first surface of the first layer, to provide an electron gas between the first and second layers, the electron gas comprised of negative charge provided by the second layer; and

forming a third layer of p-type Al_xGa_(1-x)N on the second surface of the first layer, that provides positive charge to the first layer to neutralize charge within the electron gas.

20. The method of manufacturing a double heterojunction device of claim 19, wherein the electron gas is formed as discontinuous.

21. The method of manufacturing a double heterojunction device of claim 19, wherein the third layer is formed as including carbon as a p-type dopant and aluminum as a getter of carbon.

22. The method of manufacturing a double heterojunction device of claim 19, wherein the third layer is formed on a semi-insulating substrate, and is formed as having a p-type concentration profile that is graded in a vertical direction to have a lower concentration near the first layer and a higher concentration near the semi-insulating substrate.

23. The method of manufacturing a double heterojunction device of claim 19, wherein x<

0.0015.

24. The method of manufacturing a double heterojunction device of claim 19, wherein the first, second and third layers are epitaxially grown.