# US 10,483,432 B2 · Advanced electronic device structures using semiconductor structures and superlattices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,483,432 B2 - Document ID: US10483432B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/154,558 - Filed: 2018-10-08 - Published: 2019-02-14 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2014-05-27 - Assignees: Silanna UV Technologies Pte Ltd - Applicants: Silanna UV Technologies Pte Ltd - Inventors: Petar Atanackovic; Matthew Godfrey - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10483432B2 ## CPC - H10H 20/812: within the light-emitting regions, e.g. having quantum confinement structures - H10H 20/01335: {the light-emitting regions comprising nitride materials} - H10H 20/814: having reflecting means, e.g. semiconductor Bragg reflectors - H10H 20/816: having carrier transport control structures, e.g. highly-doped semiconductor layers or current-blocking structures - H10H 20/817: characterised by the crystal structures or orientations, e.g. polycrystalline, amorphous or porous - H10H 20/818: within the light-emitting regions - H10H 20/825: containing nitrogen, e.g. GaN - H10H 29/10: Integrated devices comprising at least one light-emitting semiconductor component covered by group H10H20/00 (active-matrix LED displays H10H29/30) - H10P 14/2905: {Silicon, silicon germanium or germanium} - H10P 14/2908: {Nitrides} - H10P 14/2921: {being crystalline insulating materials} - H10P 14/3216: {Nitrides} - H10P 14/3226: {Oxides} - H10P 14/3234: {being oxide semiconducting materials (Group IIB-VIA semiconductors H10P14/3224)} - H10P 14/3252: {Alternating layers, e.g. superlattice} - H10P 14/3254: {Graded layers} - H10P 14/3416: {Nitrides} - H10P 14/3426: {Oxides} - H10P 14/3434: {being oxide semiconductor materials (Group IIB-VIA semiconductor materials H10P14/3424)} - H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract Semiconductor structures and methods for forming those semiconductor structures are disclosed. For example, a p-type or n-type semiconductor structure is disclosed. The semiconductor structure has a polar crystal structure with a growth axis that is substantially parallel to a spontaneous polarization axis of the polar crystal structure. The semiconductor structure changes in composition from a wider band gap (WBG) material to a narrower band gap (NBG) material or from a NBG material to a WBG material along the growth axis to induce p-type or n-type conductivity. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A set of semiconductor superlattices comprising: a p-type or n-type first semiconductor superlattice comprising a plurality of unit cells each comprising at least two distinct layers formed of a substantially single crystal semiconductor, the p-type or n-type first semiconductor superlattice having a polar crystal structure with a growth axis being substantially parallel to a spontaneous polarization axis of the polar crystal structure, an average composition of the unit cells of the p-type or n-type first semiconductor superlattice exhibiting a monotonic change from an average composition corresponding to a wider band gap (WBG) material to an average composition corresponding to a narrower band gap (NBG) material or from an average composition corresponding to a NBG material to an average composition corresponding to a WBG material along the growth axis, which induces p-type or n-type conductivity; a second semiconductor superlattice with a first constant average composition in the direction of the growth axis, wherein the second semiconductor superlattice is adjacent to a first side of the p-type or n-type first semiconductor superlattice in the direction of the growth axis; and a third semiconductor superlattice with a second constant average composition in the direction of the growth axis, wherein the third semiconductor superlattice is adjacent to a second side of the p-type or n-type first semiconductor superlattice in the direction of the growth axis. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The set of semiconductor superlattices of claim 1, wherein the p-type or n-type first semiconductor superlattice is p-type, and wherein: the p-type semiconductor first superlattice comprises a cation-polar crystal structure and the average composition of the unit cells of the p-type first semiconductor superlattice changes monotonically from an average composition corresponding to a wider band gap (WBG) material to an average composition corresponding to a narrower band gap (NBG) material along the growth axis; or the p-type first semiconductor superlattice comprises an anion-polar crystal structure and the average composition of the unit cells of the p-type first semiconductor superlattice changes monotonically from an average composition corresponding to a NBG material to an average composition corresponding to a WBG material along the growth axis. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The set of semiconductor superlattices of claim 2, wherein: the anion-polar crystal structure is a nitrogen-polar crystal structure or an oxygen-polar crystal structure; and the cation-polar crystal structure is a metal-polar crystal structure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The set of semiconductor superlattices of claim 1, wherein the p-type or n-type first semiconductor superlattice is n-type, and wherein: the n-type semiconductor first superlattice comprises a cation-polar crystal structure and the average composition of the unit cells changes monotonically from an average composition corresponding to a narrower band gap (NBG) material to an average composition corresponding to a wider band gap (WBG) material along the growth axis; or the n-type first semiconductor superlattice comprises an anion-polar crystal structure and the average composition of the unit cells changes monotonically from an average composition corresponding to a WBG material to an average composition corresponding to a NBG material along the growth axis. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The set of semiconductor superlattices of claim 4, wherein: the cation-polar crystal structure is a metal-polar crystal structure; and the anion-polar crystal structure is a nitrogen-polar crystal structure or an oxygen-polar crystal structure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The set of semiconductor superlattices of claim 1, wherein the average composition of the unit cells of the p-type or n-type first semiconductor superlattice is changed in a stepwise manner along the growth axis. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The set of semiconductor superlattices of claim 1, wherein the average composition of the unit cells of the p-type or n-type first semiconductor superlattice is changed by changing a thickness of one or more of the at least two distinct layers of the unit cells. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The set of semiconductor superlattices of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the unit cells of the p-type or n-type first semiconductor superlattice is constant along the growth axis. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The set of semiconductor superlattices of claim 1, wherein a composition of one or more of the at least two distinct layers of the unit cells of the p-type or n-type first semiconductor superlattice is selected from the following: gallium nitride (GaN); aluminium nitride (AlN); aluminium gallium nitride (AlxGa1-xN) where 0≤x≤1; boron aluminium nitride BxAl1-xN where 0≤x≤1; and aluminium gallium indium nitride (AlxGayIn1-x-yN) where 0≤x≤1, 0≤y≤1 and 0≤(x+y)≤1. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The set of semiconductor superlattices of claim 1, wherein a composition of one or more of the at least two distinct layers of the unit cells of the p-type or n-type first semiconductor superlattice is selected from the following: magnesium oxide (MgO); zinc oxide (ZnO); and magnesium zinc oxide (MgxZn1-xO) where 0≤x≤1. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The set of semiconductor superlattices of claim 1, wherein the at least two distinct layers of each unit cell of the p-type or n-type first semiconductor superlattice each have a thickness that is less than the de Broglie wavelength of a charge carrier in the respective layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The set of semiconductor superlattices of claim 1, wherein the at least two distinct layers of each unit cell of the p-type or n-type first semiconductor superlattice each have a thickness that is less than or equal to a critical layer thickness required to maintain elastic strain. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The set of semiconductor superlattices of claim 1, wherein: one or more of the at least two distinct layers of each unit cell of the p-type or n-type first semiconductor superlattice comprise impurity dopants to enhance the induced p-type or n-type conductivity. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The set of semiconductor superlattices of claim 1, wherein the first constant average composition corresponds to the wider band gap (WBG) material. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The set of semiconductor superlattices of claim 1, wherein the second constant average composition corresponds to the narrower band gap (NBG) material. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The set of semiconductor superlattices of claim 1, wherein: the first constant average composition corresponds to the wider band gap (WBG) material; and the second constant average composition corresponds to the narrower band gap (NBG) material. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The set of semiconductor superlattices of claim 1, wherein the first constant average composition corresponds to a material with a bandgap that is different than the bandgap of the wider band gap (WBG) material. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The set of semiconductor superlattices of claim 1, wherein the second constant average composition corresponds to a material with a bandgap that is different than the bandgap of the narrower band gap (NBG) material. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The set of semiconductor superlattices of claim 1, wherein: the first constant average composition corresponds to a material with a bandgap that is different than the bandgap of the wider band gap (WBG) material; and the second constant average composition corresponds to a material with a bandgap that is different than the narrower band gap (NBG) material. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The set of semiconductor superlattices of claim 1, wherein: the monotonic change from an average composition corresponding to a wider band gap (WBG) material to an average composition corresponding to a narrower band gap (NBG) material or from an average composition corresponding to a NBG material to an average composition corresponding to a WBG material along the growth axis in the p-type or n-type first semiconductor superlattice comprises a continuous or a stepwise change in the average composition of the unit cells along the growth axis.