← Back to Patent Explorer
US6362017B1 Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Light-emitting semiconductor device using gallium nitride group compound

Assignee: Nagoya University
•
Filing: 2000-06-02
•
Granted: 2002-03-26
•
Expires: 2020-06-02
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract Disclosed herein are (1) a light-emitting semiconductor device that uses a gallium nitride compound semiconductor (Al x Ga 1−x N) in which the n-layer of n-type gallium nitride compound semiconductor (Al x Ga 1−x N) is of double-layer structure including an n-layer of low carrier concentration and an n + -layer of high carrier concentration, the former being adjacent to the i-layer of insulating gallium nitride compound semiconductor (Al x Ga 1−x N); (2) a light-emitting semiconductor device of similar structure as above in which the i-layer is of double-layer structure including an i L -layer of low impurity concentration containing p-type impurities in comparatively low concentration and an i H -layer of high impurity concentration containing p-type impurities in comparatively high concentration, the former being adjacent to the n-layer; (3) a light-emitting semiconductor device having both of the above-mentioned features and (4) a method of producing a layer of an n-type gallium nitride compound semiconductor (Al x Ga 1−x N) having a controlled conductivity from an organometallic compound by vapor phase epitaxy, by feeding a silicon-containing gas and other raw material gases together at a controlled mixing ratio.

Inventors

  • 👤 Katsuhide Manabe
  • 👤 Akira Mabuchi
  • 👤 Hisaki Kato
  • 👤 Michinari Sassa
  • 👤 Norikatsu Koide
  • 👤 Shiro Yamazaki
  • 👤 Masafumi Hashimoto
  • 👤 Isamu Akasaki

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 18:38
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10H; H10H20/00; H10H20/80; H10H20/81; H10H20/822; H10H20/824; H10H20/825; H10H20/01; H10H20/011; H10H20/013; H10H20/0133; H10H20/01335; H10H20/8215

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim 121 words
A method for producing a gallium nitride compound semiconductor satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1, said method comprising: producing a buffer layer on a single crystal sapphire substrate; producing said semiconductor having a wurtzite-type crystal structure from an organometallic compound by vapor phase epitaxy on said buffer layer on said single crystal sapphire substrate; and in said step of producing said semiconductor controlling a mixing ratio during said vapor phase epitaxy by feeding a silicon-containing gas and other raw material gases together so as to form an n-type layer of a gallium nitride group compound semiconductor satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 and having a resistively ranging from 3×10 −1 Ωcm to 8×10 −3 Ωcm.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 121 words
A method for producing a gallium nitride compound semiconductor satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1, said method comprising: producing a buffer layer on a single crystal sapphire substrate; producing said semiconductor having a wurtzite-type crystal structure from an organometallic compound by vapor phase epitaxy on said buffer layer on said single crystal sapphire substrate; and in said step of producing said semiconductor controlling a mixing ratio during said vapor phase epitaxy by feeding a silicon-containing gas and other raw material gases together so as to form an n-type layer of a gallium nitride group compound semiconductor satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 and having a resistively ranging from 3×10 −1 Ωcm to 8×10 −3 Ωcm.
Claim 3
Independent Claim 147 words
A method for producing, from an organometallic compound by vapor phase epitaxy, a light-emitting semiconductor device comprising an n-layer of n-type gallium nitride group compound satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1, said method comprising: producing a buffer layer on a single crystal sapphire substrate; producing said semiconductor device having a wurtzite-type crystal structure from an organometallic compound by said vapor phase epitaxy on said buffer layer formed on said single crystal sapphire substrate; and in said step of producing said semiconductor device, controlling a mixing ratio in a process of vapor phase epitaxy by feeding a silicon-containing gas and other raw material gases together so as to form an n-type layer of a gallium nitride group compound satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 and having a carrier concentration not less than 6×10 16 /cm 3 to 3×10 18 /cm 3 .
Claim 4
Independent Claim 147 words
A method for producing, from an organometallic compound by vapor phase epitaxy, a light-emitting semiconductor device comprising an n-layer of n-type gallium nitride group compound satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1, said method comprising: producing a buffer layer on a single crystal sapphire substrate; producing said semiconductor device having a wurtzite-type crystal structure from an organometallic compound by said vapor phase epitaxy on said buffer layer formed on said single crystal sapphire substrate; and in said step of producing said semiconductor device, controlling a mixing ratio in a process of vapor phase epitaxy by feeding a silicon-containing gas and other raw material gases together so as to form an n-type layer of a gallium nitride group compound satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 and having a carrier concentration not less than 6×10 16 /cm 3 to 3×10 18 /cm 3 .
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 37 words
A method for producing a gallium nitride group compound semiconductor satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1, according to claim 1 , wherein said resistivity is ranging from 3×10 −1 Ω-cm to 8−10 −3 Ω-cm.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 56 words
A method for producing, from an organometallic compound by vapor phase epitaxy, a light-emitting semiconductor device comprising an n-layer of n-type gallium nitride group compound satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1, according to claim 2 , wherein said carrier concentration is ranging from 6×10 16 /cm 3 to 3×10 18 /cm 3 .
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 32 words
A method for producing a gallium nitride group compound semiconductor satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 according to claim 1 , wherein said n-type layer is made of GaN.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 32 words
A method for producing a gallium nitridge group compound semiconductor satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 according to claim 2 , wherein said n-type layer is made of GaN.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 47 words
A method for producing, from an organometallic compound by vapor phase epitaxy, a light-emitting semiconductor device comprising an n-layer of n-type gallium nitride group compound satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 according to claim 2 , wherein said n-type layer is made of GaN.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 47 words
A method for producing, from an organometallic compound by vapor phase epitaxy, a light-emitting semiconductor device comprising an n-layer of n-type gallium nitride group compound satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 according to claim 4 , wherein said n-type layer is made of GaN.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 55 words
A method for producing a gallium nitride group compound semiconductor satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N,0≦x≦1 according to claim 1 , wherein said buffer layer is formed on said sapphire substrate by using an organometallic compound vapor phase epitaxy at a growth temperature lower than that of said gallium nitride group compound semiconductor.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 71 words
A method for producing, from an organometallic compound by vapor phase epitaxy, a light-emitting semiconductor device comprising an n-layer of n-type gallium nitridge group compound satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 according to claim 2 , wherein said buffer layer is formed on said sapphire substrate by using an organometallic compound vapor phase epitaxy at a growth temperature lower than that of said gallium nitride group compound semiconductor.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 55 words
A method for producing a gallium nitride group semiconducor satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 according to claim 3 , wherein said buffer layer is formed on said sapphire substrate by using an organometallic compound vapor phase epitaxy at a growth temperature lower than that of said gallium nitride group compound semiconductor.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 71 words
A method for producing, from an organometallic compound by vapor phase epitaxy, a light-emitting semiconductor device comprising an n-layer of n-type gallium nitride group compound satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 according to claim 4 , wherein said buffer layer is formed on said sapphire substrate by using an organometallic compound vapor phase epitaxy at a growth temperature lower than that of said gallium nitride group compound semiconductor.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 56 words
A method for producing a gallium nitride group compound semiconductor satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 according to claim 5 , wherein said buffer layer is formed on said sapphire substrate by using an organometallic compound vapor phase epitaxy at a growth temperature lower than that of said gallium nitride group compound semiconductor.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 56 words
A method for producing a gallium nitride group compound semiconductor satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 accoridng to claim 6 , wherein said buffer layer is formed on said sapphire substrate by using an organometallic compound vapor phase epitaxy at a growth temperature lower than that of said gallium nitride group compound semiconductor.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 71 words
A method for producing, from an organometallic compound by vapor phase epitaxy, a light-emitting semiconductor device comprising an n-layer of n-type gallium nitride group compound satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 according to claim 7 , wherein said buffer layer is formed on said sapphire substrate by using an organometallic compound vapor phase epitaxy at a growth temperature lower than that of said gallium nitride group compound semiconductor.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 71 words
A method for producing, from an organometallic compound by vapor phase epitaxy, a light-emitting semiconductor device comprising an n-layre of n-type gallium nitride group compound satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 accoridng to claim 8 , wherein said buffer layer is formed on said sapphires substrate by using an organometallic compound vapor phase epitaxy at a growth temperature lower than that of said gallium nitride group compound semiconductor.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 32 words
A method for producing a gallium nitride group compound semiconductor satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 according to claim 1 , wherein silicon-containing gas is silane (SiH 4 ).
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 47 words
A method for producing, from an organometallic compound by vapor phase epitaxy, a light-emitting semiconductor device comprising an n-layer of n-type gallium nitride group compound satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 according to claim 2 , wherein silicon-containing gas is silane (SiH 4 ).
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 32 words
A method for producing a gallium nitride group compound semiconductor satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 according to claim 2 , wherein silicon-containing gas is silane (SiH 4 ).
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 47 words
A method for producing, from an organometallic compound by vapor phase epitaxy, a light-emitting semiconductor device comprising an n-layer of n-type gallium nitride group compound satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 according to claim 4 , wherein silicon-containing gas is silane (SiH 4 ).
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 32 words
A method for producing a gallium nitride group compound semiconductor satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 according to claim 5 , wherein silicon-containing gas is silane (SiH 4 ).
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 32 words
A method for producing a gallium nitride group compound semiconductor satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 according too claim 6 , wherein silicon-containing gas is silane (SiH 4 ).
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 52 words
A method for producing, from an organometallic compound by vapor phase epitaxy, a light-emitting semiconductor device comprising an n-layer of n-type gallium nitride group compound satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 according to claim 7 , wherein said electron concentration is not less than 6×10 16 /cm 3 .
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 52 words
A method for producing, from an organometallic compound by vapor phase epitaxy, a light-emitting semiconductor device comprising an n-layer of n-type gallium nitride group compound satisfying the formula Al x Ga 1−x N, 0≦x≦1 according to claim 8 , wherein said electron concentration is not less than 6×10 16 /cm 3 .

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2005-03-25 2005-09-24 2006-03-26 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2009-03-25 2009-09-24 2010-03-26 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2013-03-25 2013-09-24 2014-03-26 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag