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US5834331A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method for making III-Nitride laser and detection device

Assignee: Northwestern University
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Filing: 1996-10-17
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Granted: 1998-11-10
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Expires: 2016-10-17
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Abstract

Abstract A p-i-n structure for use in photoconductors and diodes is disclosed, being formed of an AlxGa1-xN alloy (X=0->1) with InyGa1-YN (Y=0->1) which as grown by MOCVD procedure with the p-type layer adjacent the substrate. In the method of the subject invention, buffer layers of p-type material are grown on a substrate and then doped. The active, confinement and cap layers of n-type material are next grown and doped. The structure is masked and etched as required to expose a surface which is ion implanted and annealed. A p-type surface contact is formed on this ion-implanted surface which is of sufficiently low resistance as to provide good quality performance for use in a device.

Inventors

  • 👤 Manijeh Razeghi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-05 19:57
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10H; H10H20/00; H10H20/80; H10H20/81; H10H20/822; H10H20/824; H10H20/825; B; B82; B82Y; B82Y20/00; H01; H01S; H01S5/00; H01S5/30; H01S5/34; H01S5/343; H10F; H10F71/00; H10F71/127; H10F71/1272; H10H20/01; H10H20/011; H10H20/013; H10H20/0133; H10H20/01335; H01S5/02; H01S5/0206; H01S5/0213; H01S5/34333; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/50; Y02E10/544; Y10; Y10S; Y10S148/00; Y10S148/003; Y10S148/065; Y10S148/066

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim 158 words
A method of growing a III-V nitride compound semiconductor, comprising the steps of: a) providing a substrate; b) growing a buffer layer on said substrate; c) growing, doping and annealing a p-type lower contact layer on said buffer layer; d) growing, doping and annealing a p-type lower confinement layer over said lower contact layer; e) growing an active layer over said lower confinement layer; f) growing and doping an n-type upper confinement layer over said active layer; g) growing an upper n-type contact layer over said upper confinement layer; h) doping said upper contact layer and thereby forming an unfinished structure; i) masking and etching said unfinished structure to expose said lower contact layer; j) ion implanting said exposed lower contact area with ions selected from the Group consisting of Ag, Hg, Cu, Si and Ge; and k) making an ohmic contact on each of said n-type and p-type contact layers to form said III-V nitride compound semiconductor.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 158 words
A method of growing a III-V nitride compound semiconductor, comprising the steps of: a) providing a substrate; b) growing a buffer layer on said substrate; c) growing, doping and annealing a p-type lower contact layer on said buffer layer; d) growing, doping and annealing a p-type lower confinement layer over said lower contact layer; e) growing an active layer over said lower confinement layer; f) growing and doping an n-type upper confinement layer over said active layer; g) growing an upper n-type contact layer over said upper confinement layer; h) doping said upper contact layer and thereby forming an unfinished structure; i) masking and etching said unfinished structure to expose said lower contact layer; j) ion implanting said exposed lower contact area with ions selected from the Group consisting of Ag, Hg, Cu, Si and Ge; and k) making an ohmic contact on each of said n-type and p-type contact layers to form said III-V nitride compound semiconductor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 15 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said substrate is Al 2 O 3 or SiC.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said lower contact layer is GaN or AlGaN and is doped with Mg.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 28 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said lower contact layer is doped with a dopant selected from the group consisting of Mg, Zn, Be, Si, Ge and Sn.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 34 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said active layer is In y Ga 1-y N, (0≦Y≦1) , Al x Ga 1-x N (0≦X≦1) or the superlattice structure of GaN/Ga 1-z In 2 N (0≦Z≦1).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said upper confinement layer is Ga x Al 1-x N (0≦X≦1).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said upper contact layer is GaN.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said upper contact layer is doped with Si or Ge.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 145 words
A method of preparing a III-Nitride based laser diode structure comprising the steps of: a) providing a p-i-n structure by growing and doping a lower p-type contact layer by growing a p-type layer on a substrate; b) annealing said p-type layer; c) growing, doping a p-type confinement layer over said p-type layer; d) annealing said p-type confinement layer; e) growing an active layer on said confinement layer; f) growing and doping a n-type confinement layer over said active layer; g) growing and doping an upper n-type contact layer over said n-type confinement layer; h) masking and etching said p-i-n structure to expose said lower contact layer; i) ion implanting said exposed contact layer with Ag, Hg or Cu; and j) forming an ohmic contact on said ion implanted lower contact layer and on said upper contact layer thereby forming said III-Nitride based laser diode structure.
Claim 11
Independent Claim 145 words
A method of preparing a III-Nitride based laser diode structure comprising the steps of: a) providing a p-i-n structure by growing and doping a lower p-type contact layer by growing a p-type layer on a substrate; b) annealing said p-type layer; c) growing, doping a p-type confinement layer over said p-type layer; d) annealing said p-type confinement layer; e) growing an active layer on said confinement layer; f) growing and doping a n-type confinement layer over said active layer; g) growing and doping an upper n-type contact layer over said n-type confinement layer; h) masking and etching said p-i-n structure to expose said lower contact layer; i) ion implanting said exposed contact layer with Ag, Hg or Cu; and j) forming an ohmic contact on said ion implanted lower contact layer and on said upper contact layer thereby forming said III-Nitride based laser diode structure.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 41 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said structure is grown on a substrate which is selected from the group consisting of Al 2 O 3 , SiC, GaAs, Si, MgO, ZnO, LiGaO 3 , LiAlO 2 , MgAlO 4 and GaN.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method of claim 10 further including the step of forming a buffer layer on said substrate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 14 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said lower contact layer is GaN and AlGaN.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 28 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said lower contact layer is doped with a dopant selected from the group consisting of Mg, Zn, Be, Si, Ge and Sn.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 33 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said active layer is In y Ga 1-y N, (0≦Y≦1), Al x Ga 1-x N (0≦X≦1) or the superlattice structure of GaN/Ga 1-z In z N (0≦Z≦1).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 14 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said upper contact layer is AlGaN or GaN.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 28 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said upper contact layer is doped with a dopant selected from the group consisting of Mg, Zn, Be, Si, Ge and Sn.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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