Nitride Semiconductor Body with Barrier Zone for Contact Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Semiconductor bodies with high magnesium doping face challenges such as increased light absorption, roughness, and impaired conductivity due to magnesium diffusion and inclusions, particularly in regions adjacent to the contact zone, which affect the external quantum efficiency of light-emitting chips.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor body employs a p-conducting region with a barrier zone and a contact zone, where the barrier zone has a higher aluminum concentration to restrict magnesium diffusion and the contact zone has a higher magnesium concentration, achieved through controlled epitaxial growth with varying aluminum and magnesium fractions, allowing for a thin, transparent, and low-resistance contact zone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high magnesium doping is applied to achieve low contact resistance, then electrical conductivity is improved, but light absorption increases and transparency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The p-conducting region is divided into two distinct zones: a contact zone with high magnesium concentration for low contact resistance, and a barrier zone with lower magnesium concentration for reduced light absorption. This segmentation allows each zone to optimize its function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
Different magnesium concentrations are applied locally within the p-conducting region. The contact zone has high magnesium doping (1×10^19 to 1×10^21 atoms/cm³) for electrical conductivity, while the barrier zone has lower magnesium doping (1×10^17 to 1×10^19 atoms/cm³) for optical transparency. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between electrical and optical requirements.
2Reliability
If high magnesium doping is applied to reduce contact resistance, then electrical conductivity is improved, but magnesium diffusion and inclusions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The p-conducting region is segmented into a contact zone with high magnesium concentration and a barrier zone with lower magnesium concentration. This segmentation contains magnesium diffusion within the contact zone while preventing it from spreading into the active region, thus maintaining compositional stability in critical areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrier zone acts as an intermediary region between the heavily doped contact zone and the lightly doped active region. It mediates magnesium diffusion by providing a transition zone with intermediate magnesium concentration, preventing direct diffusion into the active region and reducing inclusion formation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the contact zone is made thin to improve transparency, then light transmission is improved, but manufacturing precision becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies precise parameter ranges for the contact zone thickness (0.5 to 100 nm) and magnesium concentration (1×10^19 to 1×10^21 atoms/cm³). By defining these parameters with specific bounds, the patent balances the need for thinness (for transparency) with manufacturability, providing clear guidance for production while maintaining optical performance.
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
This approach results in a semiconductor body with improved transparency, low electrical contact resistance, and enhanced conductivity, effectively addressing the issues of magnesium diffusion and inclusions, thereby improving the performance of optoelectronic semiconductor chips.
Implementation Method 1
the barrier zone has a higher aluminum concentration to restrict magnesium diffusion
Implementation Method 2
achieved through controlled epitaxial growth with varying aluminum and magnesium fractions
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor body and a method for producing a semiconductor body are disclosed. In an embodiment a semiconductor body includes a p-conducting region, wherein the p-conducting region has at least one barrier zone and a contact zone, wherein the barrier zone has a first magnesium concentration and a first aluminum concentration, wherein the contact zone has a second magnesium concentration and a second aluminum concentration, wherein the first aluminum concentration is greater than the second aluminum concentration, wherein the first magnesium concentration is at least ten times less than the second magnesium concentration, wherein the contact zone forms an outwardly exposed surface of the semiconductor body, and wherein the barrier zone adjoins the contact zone, and wherein the semiconductor body is based on a nitride compound semiconductor material.