Getter Material for P-Type III-Nitride Dopant Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
III-nitride materials formed using carrier gases often retain impurities that form residual complexes with P-type dopants, rendering them electrically inert and interfering with the formation of a functional P-type III-nitride material, especially when thermal anneal is performed without effective encapsulation or passivation.
Innovation Solution
A getter material is formed over the III-nitride material to capture and remove carrier gas impurities, allowing P-type dopants to activate and form a functional P-type III-nitride material by breaking residual complexes through thermal annealing or low energy electron beam irradiation, preventing recombination and enhancing dopant availability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If encapsulation or passivation is applied to enable higher temperature thermal anneal, then dopant activation is improved, but freed impurities become trapped at the surface and may recombine with dopants
Solution Approach 1:
The getter material serves as an intermediary that captures freed impurities within the bulk or at the interface, preventing their migration to the surface where they would be trapped by the encapsulating or passivating layer and recombine with dopants
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by placing the getter material at specific locations (such as at the surface or at the interface with encapsulating layers) where it can most effectively intercept and capture freed impurities before they recombine with dopants
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively activates P-type dopants, increasing their availability for conduction and enhancing the performance of semiconductor devices by preventing the reformation of residual complexes, allowing for improved operation of P-N junctions and other semiconductor structures.
Implementation Method 1
forming a getter material over the III-nitride material to provide a III-nitride structure, wherein the getter material is capable of gettering at least some of the carrier gas impurities
Implementation Method 2
The P type dopant can be activated by, for example, using a thermal anneal to break the residual complexes and free the carrier gas impurities
Implementation Method 3
allowing P-type dopants to activate and form a functional P-type III-nitride material by breaking residual complexes through thermal annealing or low energy electron beam irradiation
Data Source
AI summary
In one implementation, a method of forming a P type III-nitride material includes forming a getter material over a III-nitride material, the III-nitride material having residual complexes formed from P type dopants and carrier gas impurities. The method further includes gettering at least some of the carrier gas impurities, from at least some of the residual complexes, into the getter material to form the P type III-nitride material. In some implementations, the carrier gas impurities include hydrogen and the getter material includes at least partially titanium. An overlying material can be formed on the getter material prior to gettering at least some of the carrier gas impurities.