Nitride based semiconductor device with film for preventing short circuiting

• US 7,768,030 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2008
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Epistar Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kano, Takashi, Hayashi, Nobuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Smoot; Stephen W
• Application Number:
  US12/149,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20090114941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 257/E33.025, 257/E33.033
• US Class Current: 257/99
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02164 the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31608 Deposition of SiO2 H01L21/31625, H01L21/31629 and H01L21/31633 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/007 comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2304/12 Pendeo epitaxial lateral overgrowth [ELOG], e.g. for growing GaN based blue laser diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0216 using an intermediate compound, e.g. a glue or solder
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0217 Removal of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/32341 blue laser based on GaN or GaP

Abstract

A GaN layer is grown on a sapphire substrate, an SiO₂ film is formed on the GaN layer, and a GaN semiconductor layer including an MQW active layer is then grown on the GaN layer and the SiO₂ film using epitaxial lateral overgrowth. The GaN based semiconductor layer is removed by etching except in a region on the SiO₂ film, and a p electrode is then formed on the top surface of the GaN based semiconductor layer on the SiO₂ film, to join the p electrode on the GaN based semiconductor layer to an ohmic electrode on a GaAs substrate. An n electrode is formed on the top surface of the GaN based semiconductor layer.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate;

a first electrode layer formed on said substrate;

a nitride based semiconductor layer formed on said first electrode layer and containing at least one of boron, gallium, aluminum and indium;

a second electrode layer formed on said nitride based semiconductor layer; and

a film for preventing short formed on a side surface of said nitride based semiconductor layer and said first electrode.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein

said nitride based semiconductor layer includes an active layer.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein

said nitride based semiconductor layer has a striped current injection region for injecting a current into said active layer,

said striped current injection region being formed along a <

1 100 >

direction of said nitride based semiconductor layer.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein

said semiconductor device has a pair of cavity facets,

said cavity facet having a {1 100 } plane of said nitride based semiconductor layer.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said film is composed of SiO₂.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said second electrode layer is formed on said film.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein said second electrode layer is formed on said film on said first electrode.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein an Au—

Sn film is formed on said substrate, and said first electrode layer formed on said Au—

Sn film.