Gallium nitride semiconductor structures with compositionally-graded transition layer

• US 8,344,417 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2012
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Weeks, T. Warren Jr., Piner, Edwin L., Gehrke, Thomas, Linthicum, Kevin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picardat, Kevin M
• Application Number:
  US13/359,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20120119223A1
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 257/183, 257/180, 257/191, 257/192, 257/200, 257/201, 257/190
• US Class Current: 257/183
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 23/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 23/025 characterised by the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/18 characterised by the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/183 being provided with a buffer layer, e.g. a lattice matching layer
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/06 Silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/403 AIII-nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/406 Gallium nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/68 Crystals with laminate structure, e.g. "superlattices"
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02381 Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02422 Non-crystalline insulating materials, e.g. glass, polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0243 Surface structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02433 Crystal orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0245 Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02458 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02507 Alternating layers, e.g. superlattice
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0251 Graded layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0254 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02598 monocrystalline
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/04 : characterised by their crystalline structure, e.g. polycrystalline, cubic or particular orientation of crystalline planes characterised by physical imperfections H01L29/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/045 : by their particular orientation of crystalline planes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0649 : Dielectric regions, e.g. SiO2 regions, air gaps
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/155 : Comprising only semiconductor materials H01L29/154 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/2003 : Nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/201 : including two or more compounds , e.g. alloys H01L29/2006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/205 : in different semiconductor regions , e.g. heterojunctions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/225 : in different semiconductor regions , e.g. heterojunctions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66462 : with a heterojunction interface channel or gate, e.g. HFET, HIGFET, SISFET, HJFET, HEMT
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7786 : with direct single heterostructure, i.e. with wide bandgap layer formed on top of active layer, e.g. direct single heterostructure MIS-like HEMT
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7787 : with wide bandgap charge-carrier supplying layer, e.g. direct single heterostructure MODFET
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78 : with field effect produced by an insulated gate H01L29/7725, H01L29/775, H01L29/778 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0066 : with a substrate not being a III-V compound
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/007 : comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0075 : comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/04 : with a quantum effect structure or superlattice, e.g. tunnel junction
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/06 : within the light emitting region, e.g. quantum confinement structure or tunnel barrier
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/12 : with a stress relaxation structure, e.g. buffer layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 : containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 : including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/26 : Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component, the element or component having a specified physical dimension
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 : 1 mil or less

Abstract

The invention provides semiconductor materials including a gallium nitride material layer formed on a silicon substrate and methods to form the semiconductor materials. The semiconductor materials include a transition layer formed between the silicon substrate and the gallium nitride material layer. The transition layer is compositionally-graded to lower stresses in the gallium nitride material layer which can result from differences in thermal expansion rates between the gallium nitride material and the substrate. The lowering of stresses in the gallium nitride material layer reduces the tendency of cracks to form. Thus, the invention enables the production of semiconductor materials including gallium nitride material layers having few or no cracks. The semiconductor materials may be used in a number of microelectronic and optical applications.

Claims

1. A semiconductor structure comprising:

a transition layer over a silicon substrate;

a gallium nitride material layer over said transition layer;

wherein a composition of said transition layer at a top surface thereof substantially matches a composition of said gallium nitride material layer at a bottom surface thereof.

2. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said composition is graded continuously across a thickness of said transition layer.

3. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said transition layer comprises an alloy of gallium nitride selected from the group consisting of Al_XIn_YGa_(1-X-Y)N, In_YGa_(1-Y)N, and Al_XGa_(1-X)N.

4. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein a concentration of gallium in said transition layer is graded.

5. The semiconductor structure of claim 3, wherein x decreases in a direction away from said silicon substrate.

6. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said transition layer comprises Al_XGa_(1-X)N.

7. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said transition layer comprises a superlattice including a series of alternating Al_XIn_YGa_(1-X-Y)N/Al_AIn_BGa_(1-A-B)N layers.

8. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said gallium nitride material layer comprises Al_XIn_YGa_(1-X-Y)N.

9. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said semiconductor structure comprises at least one semiconductor device.

10. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said semiconductor structure comprises at least one semiconductor FET.

11. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said gallium nitride material layer has a crack level of less than 0.005 μ

m/μ

m².

12. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said gallium nitride material layer has a crack level of less than 0.001 μ

m/μ

m².

13. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said gallium nitride material layer is substantially free of cracks.

14. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said gallium nitride material layer is monocrystalline.

15. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, further comprising an intermediate layer over said silicon substrate and under said transition layer.

16. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said silicon substrate is a (100) substrate.

17. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein said transition layer comprises a gallium nitride alloy.

18. A semiconductor FET comprising:

a transition layer comprising Al_XGa_(1-X)N over an intermediate layer, said intermediate layer being over a silicon substrate;

a gallium nitride material layer over said transition layer;

wherein a composition of said transition layer at a top surface thereof substantially matches a composition of said gallium nitride material layer at a bottom surface thereof.

19. The semiconductor FET of claim 18, wherein said gallium nitride material layer is monocrystalline.

20. The semiconductor FET of claim 18, wherein said silicon substrate is a (100) substrate.