Background technology
III-V family semi-conducting material, the application that comprises compound semiconductor materials such as gallium nitride series (GaN series), GaAs (GaAs series) series has become the research emphasis that luminescence component is made.In these luminescence components, the III-V compound semiconductor layer stack that includes the III-V compound semiconductor layer of a N type conductive type and a P-type conduction pattern usually is on a substrate.In addition, above p type semiconductor layer, be provided with a P type contact electrode in addition, be located at n type semiconductor layer on or the N type contact electrode at the conducting material substrate back side cooperate, be used to provide electric current and make assembly luminous.
Generally speaking, P type contact electrode must be covered in the whole surface of p type semiconductor layer, to provide uniform current to p type semiconductor layer, makes luminescence component can produce uniform light.Yet the metal material light transmittance that is used for making contact electrode is not high, if cover the top layer of luminescence component fully, must produce harmful effect to the luminous efficiency of luminescence component.In order to take into account uniformity of luminance and luminous efficiency simultaneously, present improvement method is to cover a transparency conducting layer on p type semiconductor layer, then P type contact electrode is located on the transparency conducting layer, to form Ohmic electrode.
Because the P type semiconductor laminar surface has many defectives, its contact resistance with the electrically conducting transparent interlayer is increased, and be difficult for formation good Ohmic electrode.Prior art is utilized organic metal gas phase building crystal to grow (metalorganic vapor phaseepitaxy, MOVPE), molecular beam epitaxy growth (molecular beam epitaxy, MBE) or hydride gas phase building crystal to grow (hybride vapor phase epitzxy, HVPE) etc. when method is made these semiconductor layers, must be about 900-1000 ℃ high temperature building crystal to grow process through one, add the gas that contains suitable admixture simultaneously, on substrate, to form the III-V compound semiconductor layer of N type or P-type conduction pattern.
In above-mentioned manufacturing process, the most normal problem that runs into is can't form to have enough low-impedance p type semiconductor layer.Possible reason is in the process of building crystal to grow, sporadic hydrogen causes acceptor passivation (acceptor passivation) in conjunction with (hydrogen incorporation), and then make electric hole carrier concentration deficiency, even produce the half insulation material of a kind of impedance up to 108 Ω, be called the I type semiconductor layer again.In order to remove the hydrogen passivation phenomenon in the p type semiconductor layer, make the I type semiconductor layer with high impedance can be converted into p type semiconductor layer, existing people proposes to utilize technology such as thermal annealing, electron beam irradiation or UV-irradiation to activate the P type semiconductor material in the prior art.
Because in order to form the good Ohmic electrode, the P type semiconductor conductive layer must have very high carrier concentration or lower work function, therefore generally has the P type semiconductor material conductive layer that can make the good ohmic electrode and is not easy to reach.With gallium nitride series luminescence component is example, the carrier concentration of its p type semiconductor layer is difficult for reaching more than the 5e18/cm3, and P type InGaN (InGaN) is though more easily reach the requirement of high carrier concentration and low work function, yet in the activation processing procedure (for example thermal annealing) of p type semiconductor layer, but Yin Gaowen destroys its composition structure easily, makes P type gallium indium nitride layer become high impedance layer.
In order to make the good Ohmic electrode, except the P type semiconductor conductive layer will have the condition of high concentration charge carrier, transparency conducting layer also was a part and parcel in addition.With ITO is example, though ITO can be used as the semi-conductive transparency conducting layer of III-N in theory, and on document or in other disclosed report, as Semiconductor Science andTechnology, vol.18 (4), 2003, L21-L23 (1); Solid-State Electronics, vol.47 (5), 2003,849-853; Materials Science and Engineering B Vol.106 (1), 2004,69-72; Solid-State Electronics, vol.47 (9), 2003,1565-1568; Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE, Vol.15 (5), 2003,646-648, or the like the simple Ohmic electrode that uses ITO as P-GaN layer of explanation in the document, though the light transmittance of tool more than 95%, but can't form the good Ohmic electrode, all present forward voltage of too high assembly.Therefore between ITO and P-GaN, add Ni or Ni/Au to form preferable Ohmic electrode, reduce the forward voltage of assembly, but Ni or Ni/Au light transmission are relatively poor, so just can make the luminous efficiency variation of luminescence component with Ni/ITO or Ni/Au/ITO.
Embodiment
Fig. 1 to Fig. 4 is the method schematic diagram of the making semiconductor light emitting component of first embodiment of the invention.Semiconductor light-emitting elements of the present invention comprises light-emitting diode, laser diode, photodetector and solar cell etc.As shown in Figure 1, the present invention provides a substrate 12 earlier when making semiconductor light-emitting elements 10, the sapphire insulated substrate of building crystal to grow for example can directly be provided, form by the first conductive type semiconductor layer 14, luminescent layer 16 and the second conductive type semiconductor layer, 18 formed semiconductor laminated structures in substrate 12 surfaces then, and form a contact electrode layer that contains phosphide element 20 with first conductive type or second conductive type on the semiconductor laminated structure surface.For the semiconductor layer 14,18 of its below, can provide narrower material energy gap owing to contain the contact electrode layer 20 of phosphide element, therefore charge carrier can be collected in the contact electrode layer 20 that contains phosphide element, reaches the high carrier concentration of good ohmic electrode demand.
In preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first conductive type semiconductor layer 14 is a N type undoped compound semiconductor layer, for example N type silicon-doped gallium nitride layer; Luminescent layer 16 is InGaN/gallium nitride (InGaN/GaN) multiple quantum trap structure; The second conductive type semiconductor layer 18 is a P type undoped compound semiconductor layer, for example P type magnesium doping gallium nitride layer; Can be N type or the P type gallium indium nitride layer that thickness is not more than 500 dusts () as for 20 of the contact electrode layers that contains phosphide element, preferred thickness is 20 dusts approximately slightly.Yet the present invention is not limited thereto, and other can be applicable to the admixture of semiconductor light-emitting elements and semi-conducting material all applicable to the present invention.In addition, can form a resilient coating in addition between semiconductor laminated structure and substrate 12, for example gallium nitride layer is damaged in the pyroprocess of building crystal to grow to avoid semiconductor layer 14,18 lattice surface structures.
Afterwards as shown in Figure 2, semiconductor light-emitting elements 10 is carried out a Microwave Treatment,, comprise semiconductor layer 18 (and contact electrode layer 20) with activation P type doped layer.Microwave Treatment is a K cryogenic treatment, and operating temperature should be less than 400 ℃, to avoid phosphide element to shed or semiconductor quality variation and cause impedance to increase.In order to reach the purpose of volume production, the present invention also can carry out a The pre-heat treatment before Microwave Treatment, substrate 12 is preheated in the predetermined temperature range, makes its temperature be higher than room temperature but be lower than 400 ℃, in follow-up Microwave Treatment, produce the situation of chip rupture to prevent P type doped layer.
As shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4, then form a transparency conducting layer 22 on contact electrode layer 20 surfaces, and carry out an etch process and remove the transparency conducting layer 22 of part, contact electrode layer 20, semiconductor layer 18, luminescent layer 16 until semiconductor layer 14 surfaces, to form a contact electrode 24, form a contact electrode 25 on transparency conducting layer 22 surfaces in semiconductor layer 14 surfaces.Transparency conducting layer 22 can be selected from the group that metal, metal oxide and metal nitride are formed, comprise nickel, gold, silver, chromium, platinum, indium zinc oxide (IZO), indium oxide, zinc oxide (ZnO), tin indium oxide (indium tin oxide, ITO), tin oxide, antimony tin (ATO), antimony oxide, antimony oxide zinc (AZO), cadmium tin (cadmium tin oxide, CTO), cadmium oxide, titanium nitride (TiN), tungsten nitride (WN), titanium tungsten nitride (TiWN) etc.In preferred embodiment of the present invention, contact electrode 24 can be formed by metals such as titanium/aluminium, be used as the N type contact electrode of semiconductor light-emitting elements 10, contact electrode 25 can be formed by metals such as nickel/gold, chromium/gold or platinum/gold, is used as the P type contact electrode of semiconductor light-emitting elements 10.In addition, when substrate 12 was formed by the N type semiconductor material, N type contact electrode also was formed directly in the back side of substrate 12, with the steps such as transparency conducting layer 22, contact electrode layer 20, semiconductor layer 18 and luminescent layer 16 of omitting aforementioned etching part.
Method with respect to high temperature such as thermal annealing activation p type semiconductor layer, the present invention utilizes the microwave processing procedure of ultralow temperature to activate p type semiconductor layer, not only can shorten soak time, effectively reduce the impedance of p type semiconductor layer, the contact electrode layer that simultaneously more can avoid containing phosphide element is destroyed by high temperature in activation process, therefore can make semiconductor light-emitting elements have high carrier concentration, to form the good Ohmic electrode.
Being subjected to the high annealing processing procedure for fear of transparency conducting layer influences its quality, and existing method is behind high-temperature activation P type semiconductor material layer, carries out the making of transparency conducting layer again.Yet because the microwave processing procedure is an operating temperature less than 400 ℃ ultralow temperature processing procedure, so the present invention also can utilize microwave to activate p type semiconductor layer after forming transparency conducting layer again, can't influence the quality of transparency conducting layer.
Fig. 5 to Fig. 7 is the method schematic diagram of the making semiconductor light emitting component of second embodiment of the invention.Semiconductor light-emitting elements of the present invention comprises light-emitting diode, laser diode, photodetector and solar cell etc.As shown in Figure 5, the present invention provides a substrate 32 earlier when making semiconductor light-emitting elements 30, the sapphire insulated substrate of building crystal to grow for example can directly be provided, form by the first conductive type semiconductor layer 34, luminescent layer 36 and the second conductive type semiconductor layer, 38 formed semiconductor laminated structures in substrate 32 surfaces then, and form a contact electrode layer that contains phosphide element 40 with first conductive type or second conductive type on the semiconductor laminated structure surface.For the semiconductor layer 34,38 of its below, can provide narrower material energy gap owing to contain the contact electrode layer 40 of phosphide element, therefore charge carrier can be collected in the contact electrode layer 40 that contains phosphide element, reaches the high carrier concentration of good ohmic electrode demand.
In preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first conductive type semiconductor layer 34 is a N type undoped compound semiconductor layer, for example N type silicon-doped gallium nitride layer; Luminescent layer 36 is InGaN/gallium nitride (InGaN/GaN) multiple quantum trap structure; The second conductive type semiconductor layer 38 is a P type undoped compound semiconductor layer, for example P type magnesium doping gallium nitride layer; Can be N type or the P type gallium indium nitride layer that thickness is not more than 500 dusts () as for 40 of the contact electrode layers that contains phosphide element, preferred thickness is 20 dusts approximately slightly.Yet the present invention is not limited thereto, and other can be applicable to the admixture of semiconductor light-emitting elements and semi-conducting material all applicable to the present invention.In addition, can form a resilient coating in addition between semiconductor laminated structure and substrate 32, for example gallium nitride layer is damaged in the pyroprocess of building crystal to grow to avoid semiconductor layer 34-38 lattice surface structure.
Afterwards as shown in Figure 6, form a transparency conducting layer 42 on contact electrode layer 40 surfaces, and semiconductor light-emitting elements 30 is carried out a Microwave Treatment,, comprise semiconductor layer 38 (and contact electrode layer 40) with activation P type doped layer.Transparency conducting layer 42 can be selected from the group that metal, metal oxide and metal nitride are formed, comprise nickel, gold, silver, chromium, platinum, indium zinc oxide (IZO), indium oxide, zinc oxide (ZnO), tin indium oxide (indium tin oxide, ITO), tin oxide, antimony tin (ATO), antimony oxide, antimony oxide zinc (AZO), cadmium tin (cadmium tin oxide, CTO), cadmium oxide, titanium nitride (TiN), tungsten nitride (WN), titanium tungsten nitride (TiWN) etc.Microwave Treatment is a K cryogenic treatment, and operating temperature should be less than 400 ℃, to avoid phosphide element to shed or semiconductor quality variation and cause impedance to increase.In order to reach the purpose of volume production, the present invention also can carry out a The pre-heat treatment before Microwave Treatment, substrate 32 is preheated in the predetermined temperature range, makes its temperature be higher than room temperature but be lower than 400 ℃, in follow-up Microwave Treatment, produce the situation of breaking to prevent P type doped layer.
As shown in Figure 7, then carry out an etch process and remove the transparency conducting layer 42 of part, contact electrode layer 40, semiconductor layer 38, luminescent layer 36 until semiconductor layer 34 surfaces, to form a contact electrode 44, form a contact electrode 45 on transparency conducting layer 42 surfaces in semiconductor layer 34 surfaces.In preferred embodiment of the present invention, contact electrode 44 can be formed by metals such as titanium/aluminium, be used as the N type contact electrode of semiconductor light-emitting elements 30, contact electrode 45 can be formed by metals such as nickel/gold, chromium/gold or platinum/gold, is used as the P type contact electrode of semiconductor light-emitting elements 30.In addition, when substrate 32 was formed by the N type semiconductor material, N type contact electrode also was formed directly in the back side of substrate 32, with the steps such as transparency conducting layer 42, contact electrode layer 40, semiconductor layer 38 and luminescent layer 36 of omitting aforementioned etching part.