Manufacturing method of a gallium nitride-based blue light...

Details Manufacturing method of a gallium nitride-based blue light... Manufacturing method of a gallium nitride-based blue light...

2000-08-31

2001-06-19

Bowers, Charles (Department: 2813)

Semiconductor device manufacturing: process

Making device or circuit emissive of nonelectrical signal

Compound semiconductor

Reexamination Certificate

active

06248608

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is related to a manufacturing method of a gallium nitride(GaN)-based blue light emitting diode (LED) ohmic electrodes and a transparent conductive layer (TCL). More specifically, it's related to a ohmic electrode and a transparent conductive layer which forms a thin composite layer upon P type gallium nitride epitaxial layer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,422 discloses a series of manufacturing method regarding gallium nitride(GaN)-based III-V compound semiconductor devices and techniques of ohmic electrodes.
FIG. 1
shows the dissection of said patented invention, which is about making a gallium nitride(GaN)-based III-V compound semiconductor light emitting diode
110
with P type electrode
115
and N type electrode
114
. It contains: a substrate
111
; a semiconductor stacking structure above that substrate with a N type gallium nitride(N-GaN)
112
-based III-V compound semiconductor and a P type gallium nitride(P-GaN)
113
-based III-V compound semiconductor; a N type electrode(first electrode)
114
making said N type semiconductor layer in contact; a P type electrode(second electrode)
115
making said N type semiconductor layer in contact; and a pad
116
above the second electrode
115
.
The second electrode
115
(P type electrode) contacts to P type semiconductor
113
by forming a metallic material layer such as gold
ickel (Au/Ni) and annealing the metallic material layers.
Among said gallium nitride (GaN)-based III-V compound semiconductor devices, the second electrode
115
includes Ti/Al or Au, the second electrode
115
contains one or more metallic alloy selected from the group of gold, nickel, aluminum, platinum, tin, indium, chromium and titanium, in which gold
ickel alloy has better effects.
Even the second electrode
115
is made of gold
ickel; its resistance between electrodes is 1 k&OHgr;, therefore, this invention offers a manufacturing method of the ohmic electrodes and the transparent conductive layer to lower serial resistance between the electrode and the gallium nitride.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The main purpose of this invention is to provide a manufacturing method of a gallium nitride(GaN)-based blue light emitting diode (LED) ohmic electrodes. Since the contacting resistance between the nickel chromium (NiCr) alloy and P type gallium nitride epitaxial layer is relatively low, a thin film alloy electrode can be grown upon the P-GaN epitaxial layer and N-GaN epitaxial layer. Moreover, better ohmic property is obtained by applying appropriate heat treatment to reduce the serial resistance between the electrodes and the P type and N type gallium nitride epitaxial layers and, in the same time, to lower the forward voltage of the light emitting diode.
Another purpose of the current invention is to offer a manufacturing method of a transparent conductive layer of a gallium nitride(GaN)-basedlight emitting diode made from NiCr alloy. By growing a layer of NiCr thin film upon P type gallium nitride epitaxial layer, and applying appropriate heat treatment on said alloy thin film to obtain better ohmic property and transparency. Since said alloy thin film is highly transparent in the wavelength range (400-700 nm) of visible light, its average transparency is 87.77%, which offers larger current-injecting area. The optimized transparency also improves its luminance.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5563422 (1996-10-01), Nakamura et al.
patent: 06232450 (1994-08-01), None
patent: 11177134 (1999-06-01), None

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Manufacturing method of a gallium nitride-based blue light... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Manufacturing method of a gallium nitride-based blue light..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Manufacturing method of a gallium nitride-based blue light... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2508260