III-nitride optoelectronic device structure with high Al AlGaN diffusion barrier
View Patent ↗A III-nitride electronic device structure including doped material, an active region and a barrier material arranged to suppress transport of dopant from the doped material into the active region, wherein the barrier material comprises high-Al content Al x Ga y N, wherein x+y=1, and x≧0.50. In a specific aspect, AIN is used as a migration/diffusion barrier layer at a thickness of from about 5 to about 200 Angstroms, to suppress flux of magnesium and/or silicon dopant material into the active region of the III-nitride electronic device, e.g., a UV LED optoelectronic device.
1. A III-nitride optoelectronic device structure comprising:
a dopant-containing doped III-nitride layer;
an active region; and
a barrier layer disposed between the doped III-nitride layer and the active region, said barrier layer being formed of a material comprising ALGaN having at least 50% Al, based on the total amount of Al and Ga therein;
characterized by any of the following:
(a) the optoelectronic device structure comprises any of a UV LED and a UV laser diode; and
(b) any of the barrier layer and a portion of the doped III-nitride layer contains the dopant in a concentration that varies with depth, with a dopant concentration having a local maximum along an interface between the barrier layer and the doped III-nitride layer.
2. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein said concentration of Al is in a range of from about 60% to 100%.
3. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein said concentration of Al is in a range of from about 75% to 100%.
4. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein said concentration of Al is in a range of from about 80% to 100%.
5. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein said concentration of Al is in a range of from about 90% to 100%.
6. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein said concentration of Al is in a range of from about 95% to 100%.
7. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein said ALGaN layer has a thickness of from about 5 Angstroms to about 200 Angstroms.
8. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein said ALGaN layer has a thickness of from about 10 Angstroms to about 100 Angstroms.
9. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein said ALGaN layer has a thickness of from about 10 Angstroms to about 75 Angstroms.
10. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein said ALGaN layer has a thickness of from about 10 Angstroms to about 60 Angstroms.
11. The III-nitride optoelectronic device Structure of claim 1 , wherein said device structure comprises a UV LED.
12. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein said device structure comprises a MQW UV LED.
13. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein:
said device structure comprises a blue or green LED; and
any of the barrier layer and a portion of the doped III-nitride layer contains the dopant in a concentration that varies with depth, with a dopant concentration having a local maximum along an interface between the barrier layer and the doped III-nitride layer.
14. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein:
said device structure comprises a blue laser diode; and
any of the barrier layer and a portion of the doped III-nitride layer contains the dopant in a concentration that varies with depth, with a dopant concentration having a local maximum along an interface between the barrier layer and the doped III-nitride layer.
15. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein said ALGaN layer comprises AIN.
16. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein said doped III-nitride layer comprises an n-AlGaN layer.
17. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein said doped III-nitride layer comprises an Mg-doped p-AlGaN layer.
18. The III-nitride optoelectronic structure of claim 1 , further comprising a sapphire substrate.
19. The III-nitride optoelectronic structure of claim 1 , further comprising a GaN substrate.
20. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein said dopant comprises at least one dopant species selected from the group consisting of Si, Mg, Be. Fe, Zn, O and Ge.
21. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein said dopant comprises at least one dopant species selected from the group consisting of Mg and Si.
22. A III-nitride electronic device structure including dopant-containing doped material, an active region, and a barrier material arranged between the doped material and the active region, wherein:
the barrier material comprises high-Al content Al x Ga y N, with x+y=1, and x>0.50; and
any of the barrier material and a portion of the doped material contains the dopant in a concentration that varies with depth, with a dopant concentration having a local maximum alone an interface between the barrier material and the doped material.
23. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein said device structure comprises a UV laser diode.
24. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein any of the barrier layer and a portion of the doped III-nitride layer contains the dopant in a concentration that varies with depth, with a dopant concentration having a local maximum along an interface between the barrier layer and the doped III-nitride layer.
25. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer material comprises an epitaxially grown crystal.
26. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein the active region is non-Indium-containing.
27. The III-nitride optoelectronic device structure of claim 1 , wherein the doped III-nitride layer comprises ALGaN, the active region comprises ALGaN, and the barrier layer comprises AIN.
28. The III-nitride electronic device structure of claim 22 , wherein the active region contains Al.
29. The III-nitride electronic device structure of claim 22 , wherein the doped material comprises ALGaN, the active region comprises ALGaN, and the barrier material comprises AIN.
30. The III-nitride electronic device structure of claim 22 , wherein said device structure comprises a heterojunction bipolar transistor.