EP0993048A2
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EP
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Nitride semiconductor device and its manufacturing method
Assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp
•
Filing: 1999-09-10
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2019-09-10
Abstract
Abstract A semiconductor device includes: a crystalline substrate including a primary surface and a crystal plane provided within the primary surface so as to have a surface orientation different from a surface orientation of the primary surface; a semiconductor layered structure grown over the crystalline substrate; and an active region provided at a portion in the semiconductor layer structure above the crystal plane.
Inventors
- 👤 Masahiro Ishida
- 👤 Shinji Nakamura
- 👤 Kenji Orita
- 👤 Osamu Imafuji
- 👤 Masaaki Yuri
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 12:04
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10H; H10H20/00; H10H20/01; H10H20/011; H10H20/013; H10H20/0137; H10D; H10D62/00; H10D62/40; H10D62/405; H10H20/0133; H10H20/01335; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/20; H10P14/24; H10P14/29; H10P14/2901; H10P14/2907; H10P14/2908; H10P14/2921; H10P14/2924; H10P14/2925; H10P14/2926; H10P14/32; H10P14/3202; H10P14/3214; H10P14/3216; H10P14/3242; H10P14/3244; H10P14/3248; H10P14/34; H10P14/3402; H10P14/3414; H10P14/3416; H10P14/36; H10D62/80; H10D62/85; H10D62/8503; H10H20/018
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 36
Claim 1
Independent Claim
62 words
A semiconductor device, comprising: a crystalline substrate including a primary surface
and a crystal plane provided within the primary surface so
as to have a surface orientation different from a surface
orientation of the primary surface; a semiconductor layered structure grown over the
crystalline substrate; and an active region provided at a portion in the
semiconductor layer structure above the crystal plane.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
30 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the
portion in the semiconductor layer structure at which the
active region is provided contains fewer defects as compared
to surrounding regions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the
crystal plane is a tilted surface which is tilted with
respect to the primary surface of the crystalline substrate,
and the active region is positioned above lattice defects
which extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to
the crystal plane.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a
convex-and-concave structure is provided in the primary
surface of the crystalline substrate, and the crystal plane
is part of the convex-and-concave structure.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein a
convex portion included in the convex-and-concave structure
has a forward mesa structure.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein a
convex portion included in the convex-and-concave structure
has a cross section in the shape of a triangle pointing upward
from the primary surface of the crystalline substrate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the
convex-and-concave structure has a periodic structure.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
78 words
A semiconductor device, comprising: a crystalline substrate; a first semiconductor layer provided on the
crystalline substrate; a second semiconductor layer provided on the first
semiconductor layer; and an active region provided in the second
semiconductor layer, wherein each of the crystalline substrate and the first
semiconductor layer includes a primary surface and a crystal
plane provided at least within the primary surface so as
to have a surface orientation different from a surface
orientation of the primary surface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
58 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the
crystal plane of the first semiconductor layer is a tilted
surface which is tilted with respect to the primary surface
of the first semiconductor layer, and the active region is
positioned above lattice defects extending in a direction
substantially perpendicular to the crystal plane of the
first semiconductor layer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein a
convex-and-concave structure is provided over the
crystalline substrate, and the crystal plane of the
crystalline substrate or that of the first semiconductor
layer is part of the convex-and-concave structure.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the
crystal plane of the first semiconductor layer is positioned
above the crystal plane of the crystalline substrate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein
a convex portion included in the convex-and-concave
structure has a forward mesa structure.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein
a convex portion included in the convex-and-concave
structure has a cross section in the shape of a triangle
pointing upward from the crystalline substrate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein
the convex-and-concave structure has a periodic structure.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the
active region is made of a III group nitride compound
material, and serves as a light emitting region of a light
emitting element.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the
active region is made of a III group nitride compound
material, and serves as a light emitting region of a light
emitting element.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the
active region is made of a III group nitride compound
material, and serves as a gate of a field effect transistor.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the
active region is made of a III group nitride compound
material, and serves as a gate of a field effect transistor.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
29 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the
active region is made of a III group nitride compound
material, and serves as a base of a bipolar transistor.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the
active region is made of a III group nitride compound
material, and serves as a base of a bipolar transistor.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the
active region is made of a III group nitride compound
material, and serves as a junction region of a diode.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
29 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the
active region is made of a III group nitride compound
material, and serves as a junction region of a diode.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
69 words
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device.
comprising the steps of: forming a crystal plane on a primary surface of a
substrate so that a surface orientation of the crystal plane
is different from a surface orientation of the primary
surface of the substrate; and forming a semiconductor layered structure made of
a III group nitride compound material over the crystal plane
and the primary surface of the substrate.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method according to claim 23, wherein the crystal plane
forming step includes the steps of forming a mask having
a predetermined pattern on the substrate, and selectively
etching a portion of the substrate not covered with the mask.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method according to claim 23, wherein the substrate
is made of Al x Ga 1-x N (0≤x≤1), and the semiconductor layered
structure forming step includes the step of forming an
Al y Ca 1-y N layer (0≤y≤1) at a crystal growth temperature of
about 900°C or more.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
87 words
A method according to claim 23, wherein the substrate
is made of sapphire, silicon carbide, silicon, or gallium
arsenide, and the semiconductor layered structure forming
step includes the steps of: forming over the substrate, a
first Al a Ga 1-a N layer (0≤a≤1) at a crystal growth temperature
in a range of about 400°C to about 900°C; and forming over
the first Al a Ga 1-a N layer, a second Al b Ga 1-b N layer (0≤b≤1) at
a crystal growth temperature of about 900°C or more.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method according to claim 23, wherein the
semiconductor layered structure forming step includes the
step of introducing an impurity to a predetermined portion
of the semiconductor layered structure at a concentration
of about 10 21 cm -3 or less.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to claim 23, wherein in the
semiconductor layered structure forming step, a mole supply
ratio of a V group source material to a III group source
material (a V/III ratio) is about 200 or more.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
129 words
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device,
comprising the steps of: forming a first crystal plane on a primary surface
of a substrate so that a surface orientation of the first
crystal plane is different from a surface orientation of
the primary surface of the substrate; forming a first semiconductor layer over the crystal
plane and the primary surface of the substrate; forming a second crystal plane on a primary surface
of the first semiconductor layer so that a surface
orientation of the second crystal plane is different from
a surface orientation of a primary surface of the first
semiconductor layer; and forming a second semiconductor layer made of a III
group nitride compound material over the second crystal
plane and the primary surface of the first semiconductor
layer.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method according to claim 29, wherein the second
semiconductor layer forming step includes the steps of:
forming a mask having a predetermined pattern on the first
semiconductor layer, and selectively etching a portion of
the first semiconductor layer not covered with the mask.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method according to claim 29, wherein the substrate
is made of Al x Ga 1-x N (0≤x≤1), and the second semiconductor
layer forming step includes the step of forming an Al y Ga 1-y N
layer (0≤y≤1) at a crystal growth temperature of about 900°C
or more.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
87 words
A method according to claim 29, wherein the substrate
is made of sapphire, silicon carbide, silicon, or gallium
arsenide, and the second semiconductor layer forming step
includes the steps of: forming over the substrate, a Al a Ga 1-a N
buffer layer (0≤a≤1) at a crystal growth temperature in a
range of about 400°C to about 900°C; and forming over the
Al a Ga 1-a N buffer layer, a second Al b Ga 1-b N layer (0≤b≤1) at a
crystal growth temperature of about 900°C or more.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method according to claim 29, wherein the second
semiconductor layer forming step includes the step of
introducing an impurity to the second semiconductor layer
at a concentration of about 10 21 cm -3 or less.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to claim 29, wherein in the second
semiconductor layer forming step, a mole supply ratio of
a V group source material to a III group source material
(a V/III ratio) is about 200 or more.
Claim 35
Independent Claim
75 words
A method for fabricating a semiconductor substrate,
comprising the steps of: forming a crystal plane on a primary surface of a
substrate so that a surface orientation of the crystal plane
is different from a surface orientation of the primary
surface of the substrate; forming a semiconductor layer made of a III group
nitride compound material over the crystal plane and the
primary surface of the substrate; and separating the semiconductor layer from the
substrates.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
24 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the
crystal plane provided within the primary surface of the
substrate extends along a 〈1,1,-2,0〉 direction.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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