Optoelectronic Semiconductor Chip With Selective Epitaxial Growth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing semiconductor chips face challenges in achieving selective epitaxial growth on pre-structured substrates, leading to poor material quality and reduced light output in light-emitting diodes due to non-existent selectivity between flat and three-dimensionally designed surface structures.
Innovation Solution
The use of an oxygen-containing aluminum nitride nucleation layer applied large-scale to the growth substrate, which allows selective growth of semiconductor layers from the flat region, minimizing growth on three-dimensionally designed surface structures through controlled oxygen content and application methods like metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy or sputtering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional epitaxial growth methods are used on pre-structured substrates, then semiconductor layers can be grown on both flat and three-dimensionally designed surface structures, but selectivity between flat and three-dimensionally designed surface structures is non-existent, leading to poor material quality and reduced light output
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by treating different surface regions differently through the nucleation layer. The flat regions and three-dimensionally designed surface structures receive different treatments during epitaxial growth, enabling selective growth on flat regions while suppressing growth on structured regions. This spatial differentiation of growth properties resolves the contradiction by achieving both selectivity and material quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by modifying the nucleation layer composition (adding oxygen-containing aluminum nitride) and adjusting epitaxial growth parameters (temperature, pressure, gas composition) to achieve selective growth. These parameter modifications enable the growth process to distinguish between flat and structured surfaces, thereby achieving both selectivity and high material quality.
2Quantity of substance
If large-scale application of nucleation layer is used to cover both flat region and surface structures, then crystal surfaces are provided for further layer growth, but parasitic growth on surface structures occurs, reducing overall device performance
Solution Approach 1:
The nucleation layer is applied large-scale but exhibits local quality differences in its interaction with different surface regions. The flat regions and structured regions experience different growth conditions due to their geometric differences, allowing the nucleation layer to cover both areas while preventing parasitic growth on structured regions through selective epitaxial behavior.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of large-scale nucleation layer application (which could cause parasitic growth) into a benefit by utilizing the geometric differences between flat and structured regions. The three-dimensionally designed surface structures inherently suppress epitaxial growth due to their geometry, transforming what could be a source of parasitic growth into a growth-inhibiting feature that protects device performance.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional growth methods are used without selective control, then production process is simpler, but defect density increases and current behavior deteriorates in light-emitting diodes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-structuring the substrate surface with three-dimensionally designed surface structures and applying a nucleation layer before epitaxial growth. These preliminary steps create the conditions for selective growth, enabling subsequent simplified processing while maintaining high manufacturing precision and low defect density.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes in the nucleation layer composition (oxygen-containing aluminum nitride) and epitaxial growth conditions to achieve selective growth. These parameter modifications are integrated into the production process in a way that maintains ease of manufacture while dramatically improving manufacturing precision by reducing defect density and improving current behavior.
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 enhances material quality and light output by ensuring selective growth from the flat region, reducing parasitic growth on surface structures, and expanding process parameters, thus improving the performance of semiconductor chips, particularly in light-emitting diodes.
Implementation Method 1
a semiconductor layer sequence is grown on the nucleation layer... The semiconductor layer sequence can in particular be grown by means of an epitaxy method, such as MOVPE (metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy) or MBE (molecular beam epitaxy)
Implementation Method 2
application methods like metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy or sputtering
Implementation Method 3
application methods like metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy or sputtering
Data Source
AI summary
In an embodiment an electronic semiconductor chip includes a growth substrate with a growth surface including a flat region having a plurality of three-dimensionally designed surface structures on the flat region, a nucleation layer composed of oxygen-containing AlN in direct contact with the growth surface at the flat region and the three-dimensionally designed surface structures and a nitride-based semiconductor layer sequence on the nucleation layer, wherein the semiconductor layer sequence overlays the three-dimensionally designed surface structures, and wherein the oxygen content in the nucleation layer is greater than 1019 cm−3.