Luminescent material, process for producing it and luminescent semiconductor device using it

Claim 2

A process for producing a luminescent material, which comprises the steps of: supplying sputtering gas to the interior of a vacuum vessel so as to maintain the pressure inside said vacuum vessel at 133.3mPa to 6 x 133.3Pa; applying voltage between a graphite target and a counter electrode which are provided in said vacuum vessel; and depositing an amorphous, carbonaceous material on a substrate disposed in said vacuum vessel, said substrate being maintained at a temperature less than or equal to 100°C.

Claim 3

A process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said voltage is high-frequency A.C. voltage or direct current voltage.

Claim 4

A process as set forth in claim 2, wherein said amorphous, carbonaceous material is an amorphous carbon.

Claim 5

A process as set forth in claim 2, wherein said sputtering gas is H 2 gas.

Claim 6

A process as set forth in claim 2, wherein said sputtering gas is a mixed gas comprising H 2 gas and argon gas.

Claim 7

A process as set forth in claim 2, wherein said sputtering gas is a mixed gas comprising H 2 gas, argon gas and doping agent.

Claim 8

A process as set forth in claim 6, wherein said doping agent is at least one of diborane, phosphine and nitrogen.

Claim 9

A process as set forth in claim 2, wherein said substrate comprises any one of silica glass, silicon, gold, aluminum and glass on which gold is evaporated.

Claim 10

A luminescent material produced by a process comprising the steps of: supplying sputtering gas to the interior of a vacuum vessel and maintaining the pressure inside said vacuum vessel at 133.3mPa to 6 x 133.3Pa; applying voltage between a graphite target and a counter electrode which are provided in said vacuum vessel; and dipositing an amorphous, carbonaceous material on a substrate disposed in said vacuum vessel, said substrate being maintained at a temperature less than or equal to 10 0 0 C .

Claim 11

A luminescent material produced by a process comprising the steps of: supplying sputtering gas to the interior of a vacuum vessel and maintaining the pressure inside said vacuum vessel at 133.3mPa to 6 x 133.3Pa; applying voltage between a graphite target and a counter electrode which are provided in said vacuum vessel; and dipositing an amorphous, carbonaceous material on a substrate disposed in said vacuum vessel, said substrate being maintained at a temperature less than or equal to 10 0 0 C .

Claim 12

A luminescent material as set forth in claim 9, wherein said voltage is high-frequency A.C. voltage or direct current voltage.

Claim 13

A luminescent material as set forth in claim 10, wherein said amorphous, carbonaceous material is an amorphous carbon.

Claim 14

A luminescent material as set forth in claim 10, wherein said sputtering gas is H 2 gas.

Claim 15

A luminescent material as set forth in claim 10, wherein said sputtering gas is a mixed gas comprising H 2 gas and argon gas.

Claim 16

A luminescent material as set forth in claim 10, wherein said sputtering gas is a mixed gas comprising H 2 gas, argon gas and doping agent.

Claim 17

A luminescent material as set forth in claim 14, wherein said doping agent is at least one of a diborane, a phosphine and nitrogen.

Claim 18

A luminescent material as set forth in claim 10, wherein said substrate comprises any one of silica glass, silicon, gold, aluminum and glass on which gold is deposited.

Claim 19

A process for producing a luminescent semiconductor device, which comprises the steps of: causing first low-pressure reaction gases, which include hydrocarbon gas, silicon hydride gas and p-type impurity gas, to perform glow-discharge in a vacuum vessel so as to form a hole-injected layer, which includes a p-type amorphous silicon carbide film, on a substrate provided in said vacuum vessel by way of plasma chemical vapor deposition; supplying low-pressure sputtering gas to the interior of said vacuum vessel, in which a carbonaceous material target is provided, to cause said sputtering gas to perform sputtering so as to form a luminescent layer, which includes an amorphous, carbonaceous material, on said substrate; and causing second low-pressure reaction gases, which include hydrocarbon gas, silicon hydride gas and n-type impurity gas, to perform glow-discharge in said vacuum vessel so as to form an electron-injected layer, which includes a n-type amorphous silicon carbide film, on said substrate by way of plasma chemical vapor depositon.

Claim 20

A process for producing a luminescent semiconductor device, which comprises the steps of: causing first low-pressure reaction gases, which include hydrocarbon gas, silicon hydride gas and p-type impurity gas, to perform glow-discharge in a vacuum vessel so as to form a hole-injected layer, which includes a p-type amorphous silicon carbide film, on a substrate provided in said vacuum vessel by way of plasma chemical vapor deposition; supplying low-pressure sputtering gas to the interior of said vacuum vessel, in which a carbonaceous material target is provided, to cause said sputtering gas to perform sputtering so as to form a luminescent layer, which includes an amorphous, carbonaceous material, on said substrate; and causing second low-pressure reaction gases, which include hydrocarbon gas, silicon hydride gas and n-type impurity gas, to perform glow-discharge in said vacuum vessel so as to form an electron-injected layer, which includes a n-type amorphous silicon carbide film, on said substrate by way of plasma chemical vapor depositon.

Claim 21

A process as set forth in claim 17, wherein said sputtering gas is hydrogen gas.

Claim 22

A process as set forth in claim 17, wherein electrical power used in each of said glow-discharge and said sputtering is high-frequency A.C. electrical power.

Claim 23

A process for as set forth in claim 18, wherein electrical power used in each of said glow-discharge and said sputtering is high-frequency A.C. electrical power.

Claim 24

A process as set forth in claim 17, wherein the pressure inside said vacuum vessel is maintained less than or equal to 66.7 Pa (0.5 Torr).

Claim 25

A process as set forth in claim 17, wherein said p-type impurity gas is B 2 H 6 gas.

Claim 26

A process as set forth in claim 17, wherein said n-type impurity gas is PH 3 gas.

Claim 27

A process as set forth in claim 22, wherein said n-type impurity gas is PH 3 gas.

Claim 28

A process as set forth in claim 24, wherein the ratio of said hydrocarbon gas to said silicon hydride gas by volume is 1 to 1.

Claim 29

A process as set forth in claim 25, wherein the ratio of said B 2 H 6 gas to the mixed gas including hydrocarbon gas and silicon hydride gas by volume is 3 to 1000.

Claim 30

A process as set forth in claim 25, wherein the ratio of said PH 3 gas to the mixed gas including hydrocarbon gas and silicon hydride gas by volume is 5.8 to 1000.

Claim 31

A process as set forth in claim 17, wherein said hydrocarbon gas is methane gas.

Claim 32

A luminescent semiconductor device comprising: a hole-injected layer, which includes a p-type amorphous silicon carbide film, produced by a process including the steps of; supplying first low-pressure reaction gases, which include hydrocarbon gas, silicon hydride gas and p-type impurity gas, to the interior of a vacuum vessel, causing said first reaction gases to perform glow-discharge in said vacuum vessel, and depositing said p-type amorphous silicon carbide by way of plasma chemical vapor deposition; a lumicescent layer, which includes an amorphous, carbonaceous material, produced by a process including the steps of; supplying low-pressure sputtering gas to the interior of said vacuum vessel, in which a carbonaceous material target is provided, causing said sputtering gas to perform sputtering, and depositing an amorphous, carbonaceous material, on said substrate; and an electron-injected layer, which includes a n-type amorphous silicon carbide film, produced by a process including the steps of; supplying second low-pressure reaction gases, which include hydrocarbon gas, silicon hydride gas and n-type impurity gas, to the interior of said vacuum vessel, causing said second reaction gases to perform glow-discharge in said vacuum vessel, and depositing said n-type amorphous silicon carbide on said substrate by way of plasma chemical vapor deposition.

Claim 33

A luminescent semiconductor device comprising: a hole-injected layer, which includes a p-type amorphous silicon carbide film, produced by a process including the steps of; supplying first low-pressure reaction gases, which include hydrocarbon gas, silicon hydride gas and p-type impurity gas, to the interior of a vacuum vessel, causing said first reaction gases to perform glow-discharge in said vacuum vessel, and depositing said p-type amorphous silicon carbide by way of plasma chemical vapor deposition; a lumicescent layer, which includes an amorphous, carbonaceous material, produced by a process including the steps of; supplying low-pressure sputtering gas to the interior of said vacuum vessel, in which a carbonaceous material target is provided, causing said sputtering gas to perform sputtering, and depositing an amorphous, carbonaceous material, on said substrate; and an electron-injected layer, which includes a n-type amorphous silicon carbide film, produced by a process including the steps of; supplying second low-pressure reaction gases, which include hydrocarbon gas, silicon hydride gas and n-type impurity gas, to the interior of said vacuum vessel, causing said second reaction gases to perform glow-discharge in said vacuum vessel, and depositing said n-type amorphous silicon carbide on said substrate by way of plasma chemical vapor deposition.

Claim 34

A luminescent semiconductor device as set forth in claim 29, wherein said sputtering gas is hydrogen gas.

Claim 35

A luminescent semiconductor device as set forth in claim 29 wherein electrical power used in each of said glow-discharge and said sputtering is high-frequency A.C. electrical power.

Claim 36

A luminescent semiconductor device as set • forth in claim 30, wherein electrical power used in each of said glow-discharge and said sputtering is high-frequency A.C. electrical power.

Claim 37

A luminescent semiconductor device as set forth in claim 29, wherein the pressure inside said vacuum vessel is maintained less than or equal to 66.7 Pa (0.5 Torr).

Claim 38

A luminescent semiconductor device as set forth in claim 29, wherein said p-type impurity gas is B 2 H 6 gas.

Claim 39

A luminescent semiconductor device as set forth in claim 29, wherein said n-type impurity gas is PH 3 gas.

Claim 40

A luminescent semiconductor device as set forth in claim 34, wherein said n-type impurity gas is PH 3 gas.

Claim 41

A luminescent semiconductor device as set forth in claim 36, wherein the ratio of said hydrocarbon gas to said silicon hydride gas by volume is 1 to 1.

Claim 42

A luminescent semiconductor device as set forth in claim 37, wherein the ratio of said B 2 H 6 gas to the mixed gas including hydrocarbon gas and silicon hydride gas by volume is 3 to 1000.

Claim 43

A luminescent semiconductor device as set forth in claim 37, wherein the ratio of said PH 3 gas to the mixed gas including hydrocarbon gas and silicon hydride gas by volume is 5.8 to 1000.

Claim 44

A luminescent semiconductor device as set forth in claim 29, wherein said hydrocarbon gas is methane gas.