Patent
Atlas literature
Patent
US 11,715,635 B2Patent drawings and their descriptions. Click a drawing to enlarge it.
FIG. 1C is an illustration of photoelectrochemical (PEC) etching of the surface of the trench to remove the dry-etch induced damage.
FIG. 2C is a graph of PL of m-plane drift layer before and after ICP PEC etching. It should be noted that some details of the figure have been simplified and are …
Claims define the patent's legal scope. Independent claims stand alone; dependent claims (nested) narrow them. Click a claim to expand its dependents.
A method for removing dry-etch damage from a substrate surface, the method comprising: providing a substrate comprising an n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor material; dry-etching a surface of the substrate to form a dry etched surface comprising sidewalls and causing dry-etch damage to remain on the dry etched surface; immersing the dry etched surface of the substrate in an electrolyte solution; and illuminating the dry etched surface with above bandgap light having a wavelength that generates electron-hole pairs in the n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor material, thereby photoelectrochemically (PEC) etching the dry etched surface to remove at least a portion of the dry-etch damage and form a PEC etched surface.
The method of claim 1, wherein the sidewalls are substantially vertical.
The method of claim 1, wherein the dry etched surface comprises one or more exposed planes chosen from nonpo-lar planes, polar planes and semipolar planes.
The method of claim 1, wherein the dry etched surface comprises a semipolar plane.
The method of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte solution comprises KOH at a sufficiently low molarity so as not to introduce surface roughness.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching does not introduce surface roughness.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching of the dry etched surface removes substantially all of the dry-etch damage.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching of the dry etched surface removes all of the dry-etch damage.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching of the dry etched surface reduces the dry-etch damage.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching is carried out to an etch depth of more than 200 nm.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching is carried out to an etch depth of about 200 nm.
The method of claim 1, wherein prior to PEC etching an exposed plane of the dry etched surface has a near-band-edge (NBE) to yellow luminescence (YL) emission peak first ratio and after PEC etching the exposed plane of the PEC etched surface has a NBE to YL emission peak second ratio, the second ratio being greater than the first ratio, wherein the first ratio and the second ratio are determined using a 365 nm line of a 100 mW/cm2 arc lamp as an excitation source.
The method of claim 1, wherein the n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor is chosen from GaN, InGaN, AlGaN, AlIn-GaN and combinations thereof.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etched surface comprises both c-plane and m-plane facets.
The method of claim 1, wherein the dry etching is an inductively coupled plasma etch process or a reactive-ion etch process.
The method of claim 1, wherein the sidewalls com-prise a nonpolar surface.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etched surface comprises one or more exposed planes chosen from nonpolar planes, polar planes and semipolar planes.
A method for forming a p-n junction, the method comprising: providing a substrate comprising an n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor material; dry-etching a surface of the substrate to form a dry etched surface therein and causing dry-etch damage to remain on the dry etched surface; immersing the dry etched surface of the substrate in an electrolyte solution; illuminating the dry etched surface with above bandgap light having a wavelength that generates electron-hole pairs in the n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor material, thereby photoelectrochemically etching the dry etched surface to remove at least a portion of the dry-etch damage and form a photoelectrochemically etched sur-face; and regrowing a p-type semiconductor comprising GaN on the photoelectrochemically etched surface to form a p-n junction.
The method of claim 18, wherein the dry etched surface comprises one or more exposed planes chosen from nonpolar planes, polar planes and semipolar planes.
The method of claim 18, wherein the PEC etching does not introduce surface roughness.
The method of claim 18, wherein the PEC etching of the dry etched surface removes substantially all of the dry-etch damage.
The method of claim 18, wherein the PEC etching of the dry etched surface removes all of the dry-etch damage. ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗
Embodiments described in the patent, grouped by the materials and process steps they use.
1 material1 process step
PL spectra were compared for a c-plane low-doped (2×10¹⁶ cm⁻³) GaN drift layer before and after ICP etching with etch depth ~400 nm. The NBE/YL ratio dropped from ~5 to ~1 after ICP etching, indicating significant dry-etch damage.
2 materials1 process step
The ICP-etched c-plane GaN sample was subjected to PEC etching in 0.01 M KOH electrolyte until a depth of ~200 nm was achieved, using the 365 nm line of an arc lamp (100 mW/cm²) as excitation. The NBE/YL ratio was measured before and after PEC etching to evaluate damage removal effectiveness.
Layer stacks claimed or described, ordered top of device to substrate.
etched-and-regrown GaN p-n diode
Materials described outside the worked examples.
n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor
InGaN
Additional fabrication and treatment steps described in the patent.
Measurements and analyses referenced in the patent, with their drawing references.
FIG. 2C is a graph of PL of m-plane drift layer before and after ICP PEC etching. It should be noted that some details of the figure have been simplified and are …
Performance values and ranges asserted in the specification or claims.
| Property | Value | Material |
|---|---|---|
NBE/YL ratio before ICP etch (as-grown c-plane GaN, 2e16 cm^-3) | 5 | GaN |
NBE/YL ratio after ICP etch (~400 nm depth, c-plane GaN) | 1 |
Related documents with shared materials, methods, properties, or citations.
Patent
Atlas literature
Patent
US 11,715,635 B2Patent drawings and their descriptions. Click a drawing to enlarge it.
FIG. 1C is an illustration of photoelectrochemical (PEC) etching of the surface of the trench to remove the dry-etch induced damage.
FIG. 2C is a graph of PL of m-plane drift layer before and after ICP PEC etching. It should be noted that some details of the figure have been simplified and are …
Claims define the patent's legal scope. Independent claims stand alone; dependent claims (nested) narrow them. Click a claim to expand its dependents.
A method for removing dry-etch damage from a substrate surface, the method comprising: providing a substrate comprising an n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor material; dry-etching a surface of the substrate to form a dry etched surface comprising sidewalls and causing dry-etch damage to remain on the dry etched surface; immersing the dry etched surface of the substrate in an electrolyte solution; and illuminating the dry etched surface with above bandgap light having a wavelength that generates electron-hole pairs in the n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor material, thereby photoelectrochemically (PEC) etching the dry etched surface to remove at least a portion of the dry-etch damage and form a PEC etched surface.
The method of claim 1, wherein the sidewalls are substantially vertical.
The method of claim 1, wherein the dry etched surface comprises one or more exposed planes chosen from nonpo-lar planes, polar planes and semipolar planes.
The method of claim 1, wherein the dry etched surface comprises a semipolar plane.
The method of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte solution comprises KOH at a sufficiently low molarity so as not to introduce surface roughness.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching does not introduce surface roughness.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching of the dry etched surface removes substantially all of the dry-etch damage.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching of the dry etched surface removes all of the dry-etch damage.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching of the dry etched surface reduces the dry-etch damage.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching is carried out to an etch depth of more than 200 nm.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching is carried out to an etch depth of about 200 nm.
The method of claim 1, wherein prior to PEC etching an exposed plane of the dry etched surface has a near-band-edge (NBE) to yellow luminescence (YL) emission peak first ratio and after PEC etching the exposed plane of the PEC etched surface has a NBE to YL emission peak second ratio, the second ratio being greater than the first ratio, wherein the first ratio and the second ratio are determined using a 365 nm line of a 100 mW/cm2 arc lamp as an excitation source.
The method of claim 1, wherein the n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor is chosen from GaN, InGaN, AlGaN, AlIn-GaN and combinations thereof.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etched surface comprises both c-plane and m-plane facets.
The method of claim 1, wherein the dry etching is an inductively coupled plasma etch process or a reactive-ion etch process.
The method of claim 1, wherein the sidewalls com-prise a nonpolar surface.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etched surface comprises one or more exposed planes chosen from nonpolar planes, polar planes and semipolar planes.
A method for forming a p-n junction, the method comprising: providing a substrate comprising an n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor material; dry-etching a surface of the substrate to form a dry etched surface therein and causing dry-etch damage to remain on the dry etched surface; immersing the dry etched surface of the substrate in an electrolyte solution; illuminating the dry etched surface with above bandgap light having a wavelength that generates electron-hole pairs in the n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor material, thereby photoelectrochemically etching the dry etched surface to remove at least a portion of the dry-etch damage and form a photoelectrochemically etched sur-face; and regrowing a p-type semiconductor comprising GaN on the photoelectrochemically etched surface to form a p-n junction.
The method of claim 18, wherein the dry etched surface comprises one or more exposed planes chosen from nonpolar planes, polar planes and semipolar planes.
The method of claim 18, wherein the PEC etching does not introduce surface roughness.
The method of claim 18, wherein the PEC etching of the dry etched surface removes substantially all of the dry-etch damage.
The method of claim 18, wherein the PEC etching of the dry etched surface removes all of the dry-etch damage. ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗
Embodiments described in the patent, grouped by the materials and process steps they use.
1 material1 process step
PL spectra were compared for a c-plane low-doped (2×10¹⁶ cm⁻³) GaN drift layer before and after ICP etching with etch depth ~400 nm. The NBE/YL ratio dropped from ~5 to ~1 after ICP etching, indicating significant dry-etch damage.
2 materials1 process step
The ICP-etched c-plane GaN sample was subjected to PEC etching in 0.01 M KOH electrolyte until a depth of ~200 nm was achieved, using the 365 nm line of an arc lamp (100 mW/cm²) as excitation. The NBE/YL ratio was measured before and after PEC etching to evaluate damage removal effectiveness.
Layer stacks claimed or described, ordered top of device to substrate.
etched-and-regrown GaN p-n diode
Materials described outside the worked examples.
n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor
InGaN
Additional fabrication and treatment steps described in the patent.
Measurements and analyses referenced in the patent, with their drawing references.
FIG. 2C is a graph of PL of m-plane drift layer before and after ICP PEC etching. It should be noted that some details of the figure have been simplified and are …
Performance values and ranges asserted in the specification or claims.
| Property | Value | Material |
|---|---|---|
NBE/YL ratio before ICP etch (as-grown c-plane GaN, 2e16 cm^-3) | 5 | GaN |
NBE/YL ratio after ICP etch (~400 nm depth, c-plane GaN) | 1 |
Related documents with shared materials, methods, properties, or citations.
Patent
Atlas literature
Patent
US 11,715,635 B2Patent drawings and their descriptions. Click a drawing to enlarge it.
FIG. 1C is an illustration of photoelectrochemical (PEC) etching of the surface of the trench to remove the dry-etch induced damage.
FIG. 2C is a graph of PL of m-plane drift layer before and after ICP PEC etching. It should be noted that some details of the figure have been simplified and are …
Claims define the patent's legal scope. Independent claims stand alone; dependent claims (nested) narrow them. Click a claim to expand its dependents.
A method for removing dry-etch damage from a substrate surface, the method comprising: providing a substrate comprising an n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor material; dry-etching a surface of the substrate to form a dry etched surface comprising sidewalls and causing dry-etch damage to remain on the dry etched surface; immersing the dry etched surface of the substrate in an electrolyte solution; and illuminating the dry etched surface with above bandgap light having a wavelength that generates electron-hole pairs in the n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor material, thereby photoelectrochemically (PEC) etching the dry etched surface to remove at least a portion of the dry-etch damage and form a PEC etched surface.
The method of claim 1, wherein the sidewalls are substantially vertical.
The method of claim 1, wherein the dry etched surface comprises one or more exposed planes chosen from nonpo-lar planes, polar planes and semipolar planes.
The method of claim 1, wherein the dry etched surface comprises a semipolar plane.
The method of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte solution comprises KOH at a sufficiently low molarity so as not to introduce surface roughness.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching does not introduce surface roughness.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching of the dry etched surface removes substantially all of the dry-etch damage.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching of the dry etched surface removes all of the dry-etch damage.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching of the dry etched surface reduces the dry-etch damage.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching is carried out to an etch depth of more than 200 nm.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching is carried out to an etch depth of about 200 nm.
The method of claim 1, wherein prior to PEC etching an exposed plane of the dry etched surface has a near-band-edge (NBE) to yellow luminescence (YL) emission peak first ratio and after PEC etching the exposed plane of the PEC etched surface has a NBE to YL emission peak second ratio, the second ratio being greater than the first ratio, wherein the first ratio and the second ratio are determined using a 365 nm line of a 100 mW/cm2 arc lamp as an excitation source.
The method of claim 1, wherein the n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor is chosen from GaN, InGaN, AlGaN, AlIn-GaN and combinations thereof.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etched surface comprises both c-plane and m-plane facets.
The method of claim 1, wherein the dry etching is an inductively coupled plasma etch process or a reactive-ion etch process.
The method of claim 1, wherein the sidewalls com-prise a nonpolar surface.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etched surface comprises one or more exposed planes chosen from nonpolar planes, polar planes and semipolar planes.
A method for forming a p-n junction, the method comprising: providing a substrate comprising an n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor material; dry-etching a surface of the substrate to form a dry etched surface therein and causing dry-etch damage to remain on the dry etched surface; immersing the dry etched surface of the substrate in an electrolyte solution; illuminating the dry etched surface with above bandgap light having a wavelength that generates electron-hole pairs in the n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor material, thereby photoelectrochemically etching the dry etched surface to remove at least a portion of the dry-etch damage and form a photoelectrochemically etched sur-face; and regrowing a p-type semiconductor comprising GaN on the photoelectrochemically etched surface to form a p-n junction.
The method of claim 18, wherein the dry etched surface comprises one or more exposed planes chosen from nonpolar planes, polar planes and semipolar planes.
The method of claim 18, wherein the PEC etching does not introduce surface roughness.
The method of claim 18, wherein the PEC etching of the dry etched surface removes substantially all of the dry-etch damage.
The method of claim 18, wherein the PEC etching of the dry etched surface removes all of the dry-etch damage. ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗
Embodiments described in the patent, grouped by the materials and process steps they use.
1 material1 process step
PL spectra were compared for a c-plane low-doped (2×10¹⁶ cm⁻³) GaN drift layer before and after ICP etching with etch depth ~400 nm. The NBE/YL ratio dropped from ~5 to ~1 after ICP etching, indicating significant dry-etch damage.
2 materials1 process step
The ICP-etched c-plane GaN sample was subjected to PEC etching in 0.01 M KOH electrolyte until a depth of ~200 nm was achieved, using the 365 nm line of an arc lamp (100 mW/cm²) as excitation. The NBE/YL ratio was measured before and after PEC etching to evaluate damage removal effectiveness.
Layer stacks claimed or described, ordered top of device to substrate.
etched-and-regrown GaN p-n diode
Materials described outside the worked examples.
n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor
InGaN
Additional fabrication and treatment steps described in the patent.
Measurements and analyses referenced in the patent, with their drawing references.
FIG. 2C is a graph of PL of m-plane drift layer before and after ICP PEC etching. It should be noted that some details of the figure have been simplified and are …
Performance values and ranges asserted in the specification or claims.
| Property | Value | Material |
|---|---|---|
NBE/YL ratio before ICP etch (as-grown c-plane GaN, 2e16 cm^-3) | 5 | GaN |
NBE/YL ratio after ICP etch (~400 nm depth, c-plane GaN) | 1 |
Related documents with shared materials, methods, properties, or citations.
Patent
Atlas literature
Patent
US 11,715,635 B2Patent drawings and their descriptions. Click a drawing to enlarge it.
FIG. 1C is an illustration of photoelectrochemical (PEC) etching of the surface of the trench to remove the dry-etch induced damage.
FIG. 2C is a graph of PL of m-plane drift layer before and after ICP PEC etching. It should be noted that some details of the figure have been simplified and are …
Claims define the patent's legal scope. Independent claims stand alone; dependent claims (nested) narrow them. Click a claim to expand its dependents.
A method for removing dry-etch damage from a substrate surface, the method comprising: providing a substrate comprising an n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor material; dry-etching a surface of the substrate to form a dry etched surface comprising sidewalls and causing dry-etch damage to remain on the dry etched surface; immersing the dry etched surface of the substrate in an electrolyte solution; and illuminating the dry etched surface with above bandgap light having a wavelength that generates electron-hole pairs in the n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor material, thereby photoelectrochemically (PEC) etching the dry etched surface to remove at least a portion of the dry-etch damage and form a PEC etched surface.
The method of claim 1, wherein the sidewalls are substantially vertical.
The method of claim 1, wherein the dry etched surface comprises one or more exposed planes chosen from nonpo-lar planes, polar planes and semipolar planes.
The method of claim 1, wherein the dry etched surface comprises a semipolar plane.
The method of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte solution comprises KOH at a sufficiently low molarity so as not to introduce surface roughness.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching does not introduce surface roughness.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching of the dry etched surface removes substantially all of the dry-etch damage.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching of the dry etched surface removes all of the dry-etch damage.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching of the dry etched surface reduces the dry-etch damage.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching is carried out to an etch depth of more than 200 nm.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etching is carried out to an etch depth of about 200 nm.
The method of claim 1, wherein prior to PEC etching an exposed plane of the dry etched surface has a near-band-edge (NBE) to yellow luminescence (YL) emission peak first ratio and after PEC etching the exposed plane of the PEC etched surface has a NBE to YL emission peak second ratio, the second ratio being greater than the first ratio, wherein the first ratio and the second ratio are determined using a 365 nm line of a 100 mW/cm2 arc lamp as an excitation source.
The method of claim 1, wherein the n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor is chosen from GaN, InGaN, AlGaN, AlIn-GaN and combinations thereof.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etched surface comprises both c-plane and m-plane facets.
The method of claim 1, wherein the dry etching is an inductively coupled plasma etch process or a reactive-ion etch process.
The method of claim 1, wherein the sidewalls com-prise a nonpolar surface.
The method of claim 1, wherein the PEC etched surface comprises one or more exposed planes chosen from nonpolar planes, polar planes and semipolar planes.
A method for forming a p-n junction, the method comprising: providing a substrate comprising an n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor material; dry-etching a surface of the substrate to form a dry etched surface therein and causing dry-etch damage to remain on the dry etched surface; immersing the dry etched surface of the substrate in an electrolyte solution; illuminating the dry etched surface with above bandgap light having a wavelength that generates electron-hole pairs in the n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor material, thereby photoelectrochemically etching the dry etched surface to remove at least a portion of the dry-etch damage and form a photoelectrochemically etched sur-face; and regrowing a p-type semiconductor comprising GaN on the photoelectrochemically etched surface to form a p-n junction.
The method of claim 18, wherein the dry etched surface comprises one or more exposed planes chosen from nonpolar planes, polar planes and semipolar planes.
The method of claim 18, wherein the PEC etching does not introduce surface roughness.
The method of claim 18, wherein the PEC etching of the dry etched surface removes substantially all of the dry-etch damage.
The method of claim 18, wherein the PEC etching of the dry etched surface removes all of the dry-etch damage. ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗
Embodiments described in the patent, grouped by the materials and process steps they use.
1 material1 process step
PL spectra were compared for a c-plane low-doped (2×10¹⁶ cm⁻³) GaN drift layer before and after ICP etching with etch depth ~400 nm. The NBE/YL ratio dropped from ~5 to ~1 after ICP etching, indicating significant dry-etch damage.
2 materials1 process step
The ICP-etched c-plane GaN sample was subjected to PEC etching in 0.01 M KOH electrolyte until a depth of ~200 nm was achieved, using the 365 nm line of an arc lamp (100 mW/cm²) as excitation. The NBE/YL ratio was measured before and after PEC etching to evaluate damage removal effectiveness.
Layer stacks claimed or described, ordered top of device to substrate.
etched-and-regrown GaN p-n diode
Materials described outside the worked examples.
n-type Al/In/GaN semiconductor
InGaN
Additional fabrication and treatment steps described in the patent.
Measurements and analyses referenced in the patent, with their drawing references.
FIG. 2C is a graph of PL of m-plane drift layer before and after ICP PEC etching. It should be noted that some details of the figure have been simplified and are …
Performance values and ranges asserted in the specification or claims.
| Property | Value | Material |
|---|---|---|
NBE/YL ratio before ICP etch (as-grown c-plane GaN, 2e16 cm^-3) | 5 | GaN |
NBE/YL ratio after ICP etch (~400 nm depth, c-plane GaN) | 1 |
Related documents with shared materials, methods, properties, or citations.
AlInGaN
FIG. 2C is a graph of PL of m-plane drift layer before and after ICP PEC etching. It should be noted that some details of the figure have been simplified and are …
Thickness | ≥ 200 nm | — |
AlInGaN
FIG. 2C is a graph of PL of m-plane drift layer before and after ICP PEC etching. It should be noted that some details of the figure have been simplified and are …
Thickness | ≥ 200 nm | — |
AlInGaN
FIG. 2C is a graph of PL of m-plane drift layer before and after ICP PEC etching. It should be noted that some details of the figure have been simplified and are …
Thickness | ≥ 200 nm | — |
AlInGaN
FIG. 2C is a graph of PL of m-plane drift layer before and after ICP PEC etching. It should be noted that some details of the figure have been simplified and are …
Thickness | ≥ 200 nm | — |
