US5789265A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of manufacturing blue light-emitting device by using BCL3 and CL2
Assignee: Toshiba Corp
•
Filing: 1997-02-12
•
Granted: 1998-08-04
•
Expires: 2017-02-12
Abstract
Abstract A method of manufacturing blue light-emitting device is disclosed wherein a laminated structure comprising a p-type In x Al y Ga 1-x-y N layer and an n-type In x Al y Ga 1-x-y N layer are etched selectively by virtue of a parallel plate type plasma etching (RIE) using etching gas including boron trichloride (BCl 3 ) and chlorine (Cl 2 ).
Inventors
- 👤 Koichi Nitta
- 👤 Sumio Ishimatsu
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 11:00
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10H; H10H20/00; H10H20/01; H10H20/011; H10H20/013; H10H20/0133; H10H20/01335; H01; H01S; H01S5/00; H01S5/30; H01S5/32; H01S5/323; H01S5/32308; H01S5/32341
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of manufacturing a blue light emitting device, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a laminated structure including a first cladding layer made of a first conductivity type gallium nitride based semiconductor, an active layer made of substantially intrinsic gallium nitride based semiconductor, and a second cladding layer made of a second conductivity type gallium nitride based semiconductor which has opposite conductivity to said first conductivity type; and (b) etching said second cladding layer and said active layer by etching gas including boron trichloride and chlorine.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of manufacturing a blue light emitting device, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a laminated structure including a first cladding layer made of a first conductivity type gallium nitride based semiconductor, an active layer made of substantially intrinsic gallium nitride based semiconductor, and a second cladding layer made of a second conductivity type gallium nitride based semiconductor which has opposite conductivity to said first conductivity type; and (b) etching said second cladding layer and said active layer by etching gas including boron trichloride and chlorine.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1, wherein boron trichloride and chlorine are included more than 20% respectively in said etching gas.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said etching is carried out by plasma discharge caused by high-frequency power.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said first cladding layer is formed of n-type In x Al y Ga 1-x-y N compound semiconductor, said active layer is formed of intrinsic In x Al y Ga 1-x-y N compound semiconductor, and said second cladding layer is formed of p-type In x Al y Ga 1-x-y N compound semiconductor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
74 words
The method of claim 1, comprising the additional step of: laminating a buffer layer formed of a first conductivity type gallium nitride based semiconductor on a sapphire substrate prior to said step of forming said laminated structure, wherein mole fraction values x, y are selected respectively as 0≦x≦0.5, 0.5≦y≦1 in said buffer layer, 0≦x≦0.3, 0.1≦y≦1 in said first cladding layer, 0≦x≦0.6, 0y≦0.5 in said active layer, and 0≦x≦0.3, 0.1≦y≦1.0 in said second cladding layer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 3, wherein said etching is parallel plate type plasma etching.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 6, wherein said etching is selective etching using two-layered mask consisting of an oxide film and a photoresist as a etching mask.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 7, wherein a U-shaped trench having substantially vertical side walls is formed by said selective etching.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1, comprising the additional step of: forming an electrode on a bottom of said U-shaped trench formed by said selective etching after said step of selective etching.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
142 words
A method of manufacturing a blue light emitting device, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a laminated structure including a first cladding layer made of a first conductivity type gallium nitride based semiconductor, an active layer made of substantially intrinsic gallium nitride based semiconductor, and a second cladding layer made of a second conductivity type gallium nitride based semiconductor which has opposite conductivity to said first conductivity type; (b) forming a first etching mask on said second cladding layer; (c) etching at least part of said laminated structure using said first etching mask by etching gas including boron trichloride and chlorine (first dry etching step); (d) forming a second etching mask on said second cladding layer after removing said first etching mask; and (e) etching said second cladding layer and said active layer using said second etching mask (second dry etching step).
Claim 12
Independent Claim
142 words
A method of manufacturing a blue light emitting device, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a laminated structure including a first cladding layer made of a first conductivity type gallium nitride based semiconductor, an active layer made of substantially intrinsic gallium nitride based semiconductor, and a second cladding layer made of a second conductivity type gallium nitride based semiconductor which has opposite conductivity to said first conductivity type; (b) forming a first etching mask on said second cladding layer; (c) etching at least part of said laminated structure using said first etching mask by etching gas including boron trichloride and chlorine (first dry etching step); (d) forming a second etching mask on said second cladding layer after removing said first etching mask; and (e) etching said second cladding layer and said active layer using said second etching mask (second dry etching step).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 10, wherein said first etching mask is a two-layered mask consisting of an oxide film and a photoresist.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 10, wherein said second etching mask is a two-layered mask consisting of an oxide film and a photoresist.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 10, wherein said first and second dry etching steps are plasma etching using a parallel plate type plasma etching apparatus.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 10, comprising the additional step of: etching part of said first cladding layer using said second etching mask in succession to said second dry etching step.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 10, comprising the additional step of: forming a first electrode layer on part of said first cladding layer after said step of etching said first cladding layer.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of: forming a second electrode layer on part of said second cladding layer.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method of claim 10, wherein said first cladding layer is formed of n-type In x Al y Ga 1-x-y N compound semiconductor, said active layer is formed of intrinsic In x Al y Ga 1-x-y N compound semiconductor, and said second cladding layer is formed of p-type In x Al y Ga 1-x-y N compound semiconductor.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
74 words
The method of claim 10, comprising the additional step of: laminating a buffer layer formed of a first conductivity type gallium nitride based semiconductor on a sapphire substrate prior to said step of forming said laminated structure, wherein mole fraction values x, y are selected respectively as 0≦x≦0.5, 0.55≦y≦1 in said buffer layer, 0≦x≦0.3, 0.1≦y≦1 in said first cladding layer, 0≦x≦0.6, 0≦y≦0.5 in said active layer, and 0≦x≦0.3, 0.1≦y≦1.0 in said second cladding layer.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
75 words
A method of manufacturing a light emitting device, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a laminated structure including a first cladding layer made of an n-type gallium nitride based semiconductor, an active layer made of substantially intrinsic gallium nitride based semiconductor, and a second cladding layer made of a p-type gallium nitride based semiconductor; and (b) etching said second cladding layer by etching gas including boron trichloride (BCl 3 ) and chlorine (Cl 2 ).
Claim 22
Independent Claim
75 words
A method of manufacturing a light emitting device, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a laminated structure including a first cladding layer made of an n-type gallium nitride based semiconductor, an active layer made of substantially intrinsic gallium nitride based semiconductor, and a second cladding layer made of a p-type gallium nitride based semiconductor; and (b) etching said second cladding layer by etching gas including boron trichloride (BCl 3 ) and chlorine (Cl 2 ).
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 19, the flow rate ratio Cl 2 /(Cl 2 +BCl 3 ) is in the range of 0.02 to 0.8 in said etching gas.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 19, wherein said etching is carried out by plasma discharge caused by high-frequency power.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of claim 19, wherein said first cladding layer is formed of In x Al y Ga 1-x-y N compound semiconductor, said active layer is formed of intrinsic In x Al y Ga 1-x-y N compound semiconductor, and said second cladding layer is formed of In x Al y Ga 1-x-y N compound semiconductor.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 19, comprising the additional step of: laminating a buffer layer formed of an n-type gallium nitride based semiconductor on a sapphire substrate prior to said step of forming said laminated structure.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 21, wherein said etching is parallel plate type plasma etching.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 24, wherein said etching is selective etching using two-layered mask consisting of an oxide film and a photoresist as an etching mask.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 25, wherein a U-shaped trench having substantially vertical side walls is formed by said selective etching.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 26, comprising the additional step of: forming an electrode on a bottom of said U-shaped trench.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 22, wherein mole fraction values x, y are selected respectively as 0≦x≦0.5, 0.5≦y≦1 in said buffer layer, 0≦x≦0.3, 0.1≦y≦1 in said first cladding layer, 0≦x≦0.6, 0≦y≦0.5 in said active layer, and 0≦x≦0.3, 0.1≦y≦1.0 in said second cladding layer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
JPH01278026A
Cited
JPH01278025A
Cited
US5030590A
Cited
US5247533A
Cited
JPH0563236A
Cited
US5273933A
Cited
US5316979A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-08-03 | 2002-02-02 | 2002-08-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-08-03 | 2006-02-02 | 2006-08-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-08-03 | 2010-02-02 | 2010-08-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |