IP Library Granted Patent US 7,482,618
Granted Patent B2
US 7,482,618 · App. 11/031,572 · Granted Jan 27, 2009

ZnO group epitaxial semiconductor device and its manufacture

Assignees: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.; Tafafumi Yao
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,482,618
App. No.
11/031,572
Granted
Jan 27, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes the steps of: (a) preparing a non-polar single crystal substrate; (b) epitaxially growing an MgO layer on the non-polar single crystal substrate to a thickness of 3 nm or thicker to have rocksalt structure at a substrate temperature of 500° C. to 800° C.; (c) growing on the MgO layer a low temperature growth layer made of ZnO group material at a substrate temperature of 500° C. or lower; (d) annealing the low temperature growth layer above the substrate at a temperature of 700° C. or higher; and (e) epitaxially growing a high temperature growth layer of ZnO group material on the annealed low temperature growth layer at a temperature of 600° C. or higher.

Claims (41)

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

an underlying layer having a single crystal surface;

an MgO epitaxial layer grown above said underlying layer, which enables, when a ZnO layer is grown thereon, to provide a substantially +c polarity, said MgO epitaxial layer having a thickness of 3.1 nm or thicker, and

an epitaxial layer grown on said MgO epitaxial layer, and consisting essentially of ZnO having a surface consisting essentially of a +c plane, said epitaxial layer including a p-type sublayer which is doped with N during the epitaxial growth at a concentration of 5×10 18 cm −3 or higher, and said p-type sublayer having an x-ray diffraction peak of a (0002) plane with a full width at half maximum of 40-80 arcsec.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein said MgO epitaxial layer has rocksalt structure.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein said MgO epitaxial layer has a thickness of 4.1 nm or thicker.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein said underlying layer is a non-polar single crystal substrate.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 4 , wherein said non-polar single crystal substrate is a sapphire substrate, an ScAlMgO 4 substrate or an Si substrate.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 4 , wherein said non-polar single crystal substrate is a c-plane sapphire substrate.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein said underlying layer is a −c polarity ZnO layer.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein said epitaxial layer further includes an n-type sublayer doped with n-type impurities.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein said epitaxial layer includes a multiple quantum well structure.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein said MgO epitaxial layer has a thickness of 6.2 nm or thicker.

11. A method for manufacturing the semiconductor device of claim 1 comprising the steps of:

(a) preparing an underlying layer having a single crystal surface;

(b) epitaxially growing an MgO layer above said underlying layer to a thickness which enables, when a ZnO layer is grown thereon, to provide a +c polarity; and

(c) growing on said MgO layer a layer consisting essentially of ZnO.

12. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 11 , wherein said step (b) grows said MgO layer having rocksalt structure.

13. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 11 , wherein said underlying layer is a non-polar single crystal substrate.

14. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 13 , wherein said non-polar single crystal substrate is a sapphire substrate, an ScAlMgO 4 substrate or an Si substrate.

15. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 13 wherein said non-polar single crystal substrate is a c-plane sapphire substrate.

16. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 11 , wherein said underlying layer is a −c polarity ZnO layer.

17. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 11 , wherein said step (c) comprises the steps of:

(c-1) growing on said MgO layer a low temperature grown layer consisting essentially of ZnO, at a substrate temperature of 500° C. or lower;

(c-2) annealing said low temperature growth layer at a temperature of 700° C. or higher; and

(c-3) epitaxially growing on said annealed low temperature grown layer a high temperature grown layer consisting essentially of ZnO, at a substrate temperature of 600° C. or higher.

18. The manufacture method for a semiconductor device according to claim 11 , wherein said step (b) is performed at a substrate temperature of 500° C. to 800° C.

19. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 11 , wherein said steps (b) and (c) are performed by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE).

20. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 11 , wherein said step (c) includes a step of growing a p-type layer doped with nitrogen.

21. A semiconductor device comprising:

an underlying layer having a single crystal surface;

an MgO epitaxial layer grown above said underlying layer and having a sufficient thickness, which enables, when a ZnO layer is grown thereon, to provide a substantially +c polarity, the thickness of said MgO epitaxial layer being 3.1 nm or greater; and

an epitaxial layer grown on said MgO epitaxial layer, and consisting essentially of ZnO having a surface consisting essentially of a +c plane, said epitaxial layer including a p-type sublayer which is doped with N during the epitaxial growth at a concentration of 5×10 18 cm −3 or higher, and said p-type sublayer having an x-ray diffraction peak of a (0002) plane with a full width at half maximum of 40-80 arcsec.

22. The semiconductor device according to claim 21 , wherein said MgO epitaxial layer has a thickness of 4.1 nm or thicker.

23. The semiconductor device according to claim 22 , wherein said MgO epitaxial layer has a thickness of 6.2 nm or thicker.

24. A semiconductor device comprising:

an underlying layer having a single crystal surface;

an MgO epitaxial layer grown above said underlying layer, which enables, when a ZnO layer is grown thereon, to provide a substantially +c polarity, said MgO epitaxial layer having a thickness of 3.1 nm or thicker; and

an epitaxial layer grown on said MgO epitaxial layer, having the +c polarity plane and consisting essentially of mixed crystal material of group II and VI elements, the group II element being Zn or a combination of Zn and at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Cd, and Be, and the group VI element being O or a combination of O and at least one element selected from the group consisting of S, Se, and Te, said epitaxial layer including a p-type sublayer which is doped with N during the epitaxial growth at a concentration of 5×10 18 cm −3 or higher, and said p-type sublayer having an x-ray diffraction peak of a (0002) plane with a full width at half maximum of 40-80 arcsec.

25. The semiconductor device according to claim 24 , wherein said MgO epitaxial layer has a thickness of 4.1 nm or thicker.

26. The semiconductor device according to claim 25 , wherein said MgO epitaxial layer has a thickness of 6.2 nm or thicker.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 6, 2005
From: KATO, HIROYUKI; MIYAMOTO, KAZUHIRO; SANO, MICHIHIRO; YAO, TAKAFUMI
To: STANLEY ELECTRIC CO., LTD.; YAO, TAKAFUMI
Reel/Frame 016166/0907 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2004-001240 · Jan 6, 2004 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20050145840A1 · Jul 7, 2005