Semiconductor Layer Sequence with Carbon Doping Barrier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Radiation-emitting semiconductor components, such as light-emitting diodes, face efficiency impairments due to leakage currents caused by electrons penetrating into the p-conducting region, which is exacerbated by low potential barriers and limitations in band gap adjustment in materials like AlInGaP.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor body with a semiconductor layer sequence featuring an active region between n- and p-conducting layers, where the p-conducting layer includes a first doping region with a high concentration of carbon, acting as a thin charge carrier barrier, and a second doping region with a different dopant, effectively suppressing electron penetration and enhancing radiation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large band gap material is used to increase the potential barrier, then electron penetration into the p-conducting region is reduced, but the ability to further increase the band gap by adapting group III element proportions is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the doping concentration parameter in the p-conducting semiconductor layer to create a high doping concentration region. This increases the potential barrier height through enhanced carrier concentration rather than relying solely on band gap material composition, thereby maintaining reliability while preserving material system flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure within the p-conducting layer by combining regions of different doping concentrations. The high doping concentration region acts as a potential barrier layer, while adjacent regions maintain lower doping levels, forming a composite doping profile that achieves both high barrier height and retained material adaptability.
2Reliability
If the p-conducting layer is heavily doped to increase the potential barrier, then electron penetration is suppressed, but the layer thickness must be controlled to maintain device performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a high doping concentration region specifically at the interface between the active region and the p-conducting layer. This localized high doping provides the necessary potential barrier exactly where electron penetration occurs, while the rest of the p-conducting layer maintains lower doping levels and appropriate thickness for overall device function.
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 significantly increases the efficiency of radiation emission and external quantum efficiency while maintaining a low forward bias, particularly at lower currents, by creating an effective charge carrier barrier that reduces non-radiative recombination.
Implementation Method 1
the first doping region with a first dopant and a second doping region with a second dopant different from the first dopant, wherein the first doping region has a thickness of at most 2 nm
Data Source
AI summary
A radiation-emitting semiconductor body includes a semiconductor layer sequence including an active region that generates radiation, an n-conducting semiconductor layer and a p-conducting semiconductor layer, wherein the active region is arranged between the n-conducting semiconductor layer and the p-conducting semiconductor layer and the p-conducting semiconductor layer includes a first doping region with a first dopant and a second doping region with a second dopant different from the first dopant, and the p-conducting semiconductor layer includes a further doping region doped with the first dopant and has a thickness of at most 2 nm.