Semiconductor device having group III nitride buffer layer and growth layers

• US 20070120144A1
• Filed: 01/26/2007
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1991
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trustees of Boston University
• Original Assignee: Trustees of Boston University
• Inventors: Moustakas, Theodore
• Granted Patent: US 7,663,157 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/103
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 23/002 Controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/14 Feed and outlet means for the gases; Modifying the flow of the reactive gases
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/40 AIIIBV compounds wherein A is B, Al, Ga, In or Tl and B is N, P, As, Sb or Bi
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/403 AIII-nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/406 Gallium nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 30/04 using magnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0237 Materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02381 Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0242 Crystalline insulating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02433 Crystal orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02458 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02513 Microstructure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0254 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02579 P-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02631 Physical deposition at reduced pressure, e.g. MBE, sputtering, evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/007 comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/16 with a particular crystal structure or orientation, e.g. polycrystalline, amorphous or porous
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/325 characterised by the doping materials

Abstract

An epitaxial growth system comprises a housing around an epitaxial growth chamber. A substrate support is located within the growth chamber. A gallium source introduces gallium into the growth chamber and directs the gallium towards the substrate. An activated nitrogen source introduces activated nitrogen into the growth chamber and directs the activated nitrogen towards the substrate. The activated nitrogen comprises ionic nitrogen species and atomic nitrogen species. An external magnet and/or an exit aperture control the amount of atomic nitrogen species and ionic nitrogen species reaching the substrate.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate consisting essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (111) silicon, (001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium arsenide, (100) gallium arsenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single-crystalline buffer layer on the substrate, the buffer layer comprising gallium nitride; and

a single-crystalline group III nitride growth layer on the buffer layer.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the group III nitride growth layer is a first growth layer including a first dopant material, and further comprising a second growth layer on the first growth layer, the second growth layer comprising a group III nitride and a second dopant material.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 2, wherein the first dopant material is a donor.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the group III nitride growth layer is a gallium nitride growth layer.

5. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate consisting essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (111) silicon, (001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium arsenide, (100) gallium arsenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single-crystalline buffer layer having a thickness of less than 1,000 Å

on the substrate, the buffer layer comprising gallium nitride; and

a single-crystalline group III nitride growth layer on the buffer layer.

6. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate consisting essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (111) silicon, (001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium arsenide, (100) gallium arsenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single-crystalline buffer layer having a thickness of less than about 300 Å

on the substrate, the buffer layer comprising gallium nitride; and

a single-crystalline group III nitride growth layer on the buffer layer.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 6, wherein the first conductivity type is n-type.

8. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate, said substrate consisting of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (111) silicon, (001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium arsenide, (100) gallium arsenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a recrystallized, partially amorphous buffer layer on the substrate, the buffer layer comprising gallium nitride; and

a first growth layer on the buffer layer, the first growth layer comprising a single-crystalline group III nitride and a first dopant material.

9. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate consisting essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (111) silicon, (001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium arsenide, (100) gallium arsenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single-crystalline buffer layer having a thickness of less than about 200 Å

on the substrate, the buffer layer comprising gallium nitride; and

a single-crystalline group III nitride growth layer on the buffer layer.

10. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate, said substrate consisting of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (111) silicon, (001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium arsenide, (100) gallium arsenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single-crystalline buffer layer on the substrate, the buffer layer having a first thickness and comprising gallium nitride; and

a growth layer on the buffer layer, the growth layer comprising a group III nitride and a first dopant material and having a second thickness which is at least ten times greater than the first thickness.

11. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate consisting essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (111) silicon, (001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium arsenide, (100) gallium arsenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single-crystalline buffer layer having a thickness in a range from about 100 Å

to less than 1000 Å

on the substrate, the buffer layer comprising gallium nitride; and

a single-crystalline group III nitride growth layer on the buffer layer.

12. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate consisting essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (111) silicon, (001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium arsenide, (100) gallium arsenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single-crystalline buffer layer having a thickness in a range from about 100 to about 200 Å

on the substrate, the buffer layer comprising gallium nitride; and

a single-crystalline group III nitride growth layer on the buffer layer.

13. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate consisting essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (111) silicon, (001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium arsenide, (100) gallium arsenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single-crystalline buffer layer having a thickness in a range from about 200 Å

to less than 1000 Å

on the substrate, the buffer layer comprising gallium nitride; and

a single-crystalline group III nitride growth layer on the buffer layer.

14. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate consisting essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (111) silicon, (001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium arsenide, (100) gallium arsenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single-crystalline buffer layer having a thickness in a range from about 100 Å

to about 300 Å

on the substrate, the buffer layer comprising gallium nitride; and

a single-crystalline group III nitride growth layer on the buffer layer.

15. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate consisting essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (111) silicon, (001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium arsenide, (100) gallium arsenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single-crystalline buffer layer having a thickness in a range from about 200 Å

to about 300 Å

on the substrate, the buffer layer comprising gallium nitride; and

a single-crystalline group III nitride growth layer on the buffer layer.

16. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate consisting essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (111) silicon, (001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium arsenide, (100) gallium arsenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single-crystalline buffer layer on the substrate, the buffer layer comprising gallium nitride, wherein the buffer layer is grown at a first temperature; and

a single-crystalline group III nitride growth layer on the buffer layer, wherein the growth layer is grown at a second temperature higher than the first temperature.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 16, wherein the first temperature is in the range of about 100°

C. to about 550°

C.

18. The semiconductor device of claim 17, wherein the first temperature is in the range of about 100°

C. to about 400°

C.

19. The semiconductor device of claim 16, wherein the second temperature is in the range of about 600°

C. to about 900°

C.

20. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate consisting essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (111) silicon, (001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium arsenide, (100) gallium arsenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a non-single-crystalline buffer layer on the substrate, the buffer layer comprising gallium nitride, wherein the buffer layer is grown by exposing the substrate to gallium and nitrogen at the first temperature for about 3 to about 15 minutes; and

a single-crystalline group III nitride growth layer on the buffer layer.

21. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate consisting essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (111) silicon, (001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium arsenide, (100) gallium arsenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a nucleated crystalline buffer layer on the substrate, the buffer layer comprising gallium nitride; and

a single-crystalline group III nitride growth layer on the buffer layer.

22. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate, said substrate consisting of a material selected from the group consisting of (100) silicon, (111) silicon, (001) sapphire, (11-20) sapphire, (1-102) sapphire, (111) gallium arsenide, (100) gallium arsenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide;

a recrystallized, partially amorphous buffer layer on the substrate, the buffer layer comprising gallium nitride; and

a first growth layer on the buffer layer, the first growth layer comprising a single-crystalline group III nitride.