III-V compound semiconductor luminescent device

Details III-V compound semiconductor luminescent device III-V compound semiconductor luminescent device

1997-06-02

2001-03-06

Crane, Sara (Department: 2811)

Active solid-state devices (e.g., transistors, solid-state diode

Thin active physical layer which is

Heterojunction

C257S094000, C257S103000, C257S200000, C257S201000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06198112

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor having a band gap of a mixed crystal formed of a III-V compound semiconductor other than nitride and III-nitrogen compound semiconductor by varying a laminated structure of a super lattice of an atomic layer of the III-V compound semiconductor other than nitride and III-nitrogen compound semiconductor, and relates to a semiconductor device using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A blue luminescent device has been studied by using a semiconductor made from a group II-VI, SiC and gallium nitride (GaN) system. Recently, it has been reported that a GaN compound semiconductor exhibits an excellent luminescence at room temperature, and a blue LED using the same has also been developed. Gallium nitride is a material having a band gap of 3.4 eV at room temperature and capable of emitting an ultraviolet light. In view of the characteristics of GaN, an attempt at using a mixed crystal of GaN and III-V group compound semiconductor which has a small band gap with GaN has been made by changing the molar fraction of the mixed crystal to obtain a blue luminescence. In addition, Appl. Phys. Lett. (vol. 63, (1993) 3470) discloses a method for changing an energy level generated in a quantum well layer by using a superlattice structure in the case where a system having the same crystalline structure such as GaAs—AlAs and GaN—AlN is employed, thereby changing a wavelength of luminescence of the quantum well layer.
InN, having the same crystalline structure as GaN, is often used as a material to form a mixed crystal with GaN for obtaining a blue luminescence. Recently, a mixed crystal formed of GaN and a III-V group compound semiconductor other than nitride has been intensively studied. In such a study, attention has been focused on a mixed crystal of GaP
1-x
N
x
or GaAs
1-x
N
x
which is formed of GaN and GaP or GaAs (GaP and GaAs have a band gap of 2.78 eV and 1.42 eV (&Ggr; point), respectively) because a blue luminescent material can be obtained by changing a molar fraction of the mixed crystal.
For example,
FIG. 14
shows a schematic view of GaP
1-x
N
x
mixed crystal. As shown in the figure, GaP
1-x
N
x
mixed crystal is formed by alternatively laminating a Ga surface
1
and a P
1-x
N
x
surface
6
.
Although GaP
1-x
N
x
and GaAs
1-x
N
x
have the above described characteristics, they have a great miscibility gap because a crystalline structure of GaN is different from GaP and GaAs (i.e., GaN has a wurtzite structure and GaP and GaAs have a zincblende structure) and the lattice mismatch is as great as 20%. Accordingly, in the case of GaP
1-x
N
x
, the obtained mixed crystal is limited to those having a molar fraction of x≦0.076 and x≧0.91 and in case of GaAs
1-x
N
x
, to those having a molar fraction of x≦0.016 (see Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. Vol. 31 (1992) 3791, Appl. Phys. Lett. Vol. 63 (1993) 3506, Appl. Phys. Lett. Vol. 62 (1993) 1396). As a result, a compound semiconductor and a luminescent device having a desired band gap has not been realized in the form of a mixed crystal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a III-V compound semiconductor having a laminated super lattice structure in which a first monoatomic layer and a second monoatomic layer are regularly laminated, the first monoatomic layer formed by laminating 1 to 10 atomic layers of a group III atom selected from Al, Ga and In and 1 to 10 atomic layers of a group V atom selected from P, As and Sb, the second monoatomic layer formed by laminating 1 to 10 atomic layers of the group III atom and 1 to 10 atomic layers of a nitrogen atom.
The present invention also provides a semiconductor device comprising a substrate and a semiconductor layer with or without placing a buffer layer therebetween, the semiconductor layer comprising the III-V compound semiconductor and the buffer layer being formed of the same atomic layers as a monoatomic layer provided on the substrate side of the III-V compound semiconductor.
Further, the present invention provides a semiconductor device in which the semiconductor layer comprises a cladding layer, an active layer and a cladding layer, at least one of the cladding layer and the active layer being formed of the III-V compound semiconductor.


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Kahn, M.A., et al. “GaN/AIN digital alloy short-period superlattices by switched atomic layer metal organic chemical vapor deposition,”Appl. Phys. Lett. (1993) 63(25):3470-72.
Weyers, M., et al. “Growth of GaAsN alloys by low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition using plasma-cracked NH3,”Appl. Phys. Lett. (1993) 62(12):1396-1398.
Igarashi, O. “Heteroepitaxial growth of GaN1-xPx(x<0.09) on sapphire substrates,”Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. (1992) 31(1):3791-93.

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