OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICES INCLUDING DILUTE NITRIDE
Compound semiconductor alloys comprising dilute nitride materials, are materials used in absorbing layers for photodetectors, power converters, solar cells, and in particular to high efficiency, electronic and optoelectronic devices, including multijunction solar cells, photodetectors, power converters, and the like, formed primarily of III-V semiconductor alloys. The absorbing (or active) layers achieve improved characteristics including band gap optimization and minimization of defects.
1 . A semiconductor, comprising:
a substrate with a lattice parameter matching or nearly matching GaAs;
a first doped III-V layer over the substrate;
an absorber layer over the first doped III-V layer, the absorber layer having:
a dilute nitride comprising In x Ga 1-x N y As 1-y-z Sb z (0.1232≤x≤0.1568; 0.0318≤y≤0.0352; 0.0067≤z≤0.0126),
an In/Sb ratio of at least approximately 10,
a band gap between approximately 0.935 eV and 0.963 eV, and
a carrier concentration between approximately 8×10 15 cm −3 and approximately 1×10 17 cm −3 at room temperature; and
a second doped III-V layer over the absorber layer.
2 . The semiconductor of claim 1 , wherein the dilute nitride comprises In x Ga 1-x N y As 1-y-z Sb z (0.1232≤x≤0.1568; 0.0318≤y≤0.0352; 0.0067≤z≤0.0080).
3 . The semiconductor of claim 1 , wherein the carrier concentration of the absorber layer is approximately 2×10 15 cm −3 .
4 . The semiconductor of claim 1 , wherein the carrier concentration of the absorber layer is approximately 7.5×10 14 cm −3 .
5 . The semiconductor of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the absorber layer is approximately 2 micrometers.
6 . The semiconductor of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the absorber layer is between approximately 3 micrometers and approximately 5 micrometers.
7 . The semiconductor of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises GaAs.
8 . The semiconductor of claim 1 , wherein the absorber layer is p-type.
9 . A method of forming a semiconductor, comprising:
forming a first doped III-V layer over a substrate with a lattice parameter matching or nearly matching GaAs;
forming an absorber layer over the first doped III-V layer, the absorber layer having:
a dilute nitride comprising In x Ga 1-x N y As 1-y-z Sb z (0.1232≤x≤0.1568; 0.0318≤y≤0.0352; 0.0067≤z≤0.0126),
an In/Sb ratio of at least approximately 10,
a band gap between approximately 0.935 eV and 0.963 eV, and
a carrier concentration between approximately 8×10 15 cm −3 and approximately 1×10 17 cm −3 ; and
forming a second doped III-V layer over the absorber layer.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the dilute nitride comprises In x Ga 1-x N y As 1-y-z Sb z (0.1232≤x≤0.1568; 0.0318≤y≤0.0352; 0.0067≤z≤0.0080).
11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the carrier concentration of the absorber layer is approximately 2×10 15 cm −3 .
12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the carrier concentration of the absorber layer is approximately 7.5×10 14 cm −3 .
13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein a thickness of the absorber layer is approximately 2 micrometers.
14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein a thickness of the absorber layer is between approximately 3 micrometers and approximately 5 micrometers.
15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the substrate comprises GaAs.
16 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the absorber layer is p-type.
17 . A semiconductor, comprising:
a substrate with a lattice parameter matching or nearly matching GaAs;
a first doped III-V layer over the substrate;
an absorber layer over the first doped III-V layer, the absorber layer having:
a dilute nitride comprising In x Ga 1-x N y As 1-y-z Sb z (0≤x≤1; 0≤y≤0.1; 0<z≤0.1667),
an In/Sb ratio of at least approximately 6,
a band gap between approximately 0.7 eV and 0.95 eV, and
a carrier concentration less than approximately 1×10 16 cm −3 at room temperature; and
a second doped III-V layer over the absorber layer.
18 . The semiconductor of claim 17 , wherein the dilute nitride comprises In x Ga 1-x N y As 1-y-z Sb z (0≤x≤0.55; 0<y≤0.1; 0<z≤0.1).
19 . The semiconductor of claim 17 , wherein the carrier concentration of the absorber layer is less than approximately 5×10 15 cm −3 .
20 . The semiconductor of claim 17 , wherein the carrier concentration of the absorber layer is less than approximately 1×10 15 cm −3 .
21 . The semiconductor of claim 17 , wherein a thickness of the absorber layer is between approximately 2 micrometers and approximately 10 micrometers.
22 . The semiconductor of claim 17 , wherein a thickness of the absorber layer is between approximately 3 micrometers and approximately 5 micrometers.
23 . The semiconductor of claim 17 , wherein the absorber layer is p-type.
24 . A method of forming a semiconductor, comprising:
forming a first doped III-V layer over a substrate with a lattice parameter matching or nearly matching GaAs;
forming an absorber layer over the first doped III-V layer, the absorber layer having:
a dilute nitride comprising In x Ga 1-x N y As 1-y-z Sb z (0≤x≤1; 0≤y≤0.1; 0≤z≤0.1667),
an In/Sb ratio of at least approximately 6,
a band gap between approximately 0.7 eV and 0.95 eV, and
a carrier concentration less than approximately 1×10 16 cm −3 ; and
forming a second doped III-V layer over the absorber layer.
25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the dilute nitride comprises In x Ga 1-x N y As 1-y-z Sb z (0≤x≤0.55; 0<y≤0.1; 0<z≤0.1).
26 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the carrier concentration of the absorber layer is less than approximately 5×10 15 cm −3 .
27 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the carrier concentration of the absorber layer is less than approximately 1×10 15 cm −3 .
28 . The method of claim 24 , wherein a thickness of the absorber layer is between approximately 2 micrometers and approximately 10 micrometers.
29 . The method of claim 24 , wherein a thickness of the absorber layer is between approximately 3 micrometers and approximately 5 micrometers.
30 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the absorber layer is p-type.