# US 11,114,585 B2 · Advanced electronic device structures using semiconductor structures and superlattices

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- Number: US 11,114,585 B2
- Document ID: US11114585B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/676,139
- Filed: 2019-11-06
- Published: 2020-03-05
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- 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/US11114585B2

## 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 semiconductor structure with a p-type superlattice region, an i-type superlattice region, and an n-type superlattice region is disclosed. The semiconductor structure can have a polar crystal structure with a growth axis that is substantially parallel to a spontaneous polarization axis of the polar crystal structure. In some cases, there are no abrupt changes in polarisation at interfaces between each region. At least one of the p-type superlattice region, the i-type superlattice region and the n-type superlattice region can comprise a plurality of unit cells exhibiting a monotonic change 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 semiconductor structure comprising:
a p-type superlattice region;
an i-type superlattice region; and
an n-type superlattice region;
wherein:
at least one of the p-type superlattice region, the i-type superlattice region and the n-type superlattice region comprises a plurality of unit cells exhibiting a monotonic change in average composition along a growth axis from a first average composition corresponding to a first wider band gap (WBG) material to a second average composition corresponding to a first narrower band gap (NBG) material, or from a third average composition corresponding to a second NBG material to a fourth average composition corresponding to a second WBG material, with no abrupt changes in polarization at interfaces between each region.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1, further comprising a p-type GaN region adjacent the p-type superlattice region.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the p-type superlattice region comprises:
a cation-polar crystal structure and the monotonic change in average composition of the unit cells changes monotonically from the first average composition to the second average composition along the growth axis; or
an anion-polar crystal structure and the monotonic change in average composition of the unit cells changes monotonically from the third average composition to the fourth average composition along the growth axis.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The semiconductor structure of claim 3, 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 5 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the n-type superlattice region comprises:
a cation-polar crystal structure and the monotonic change in average composition of the unit cells changes monotonically from the third average composition to the fourth average composition along the growth axis; or
an anion-polar crystal structure and the monotonic change in average composition of the unit cells changes monotonically from the first average composition to the second average composition along the growth axis.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The semiconductor structure of claim 5, 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 7 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the monotonic change in average composition of the unit cells comprises a changes in a stepwise manner along the growth axis.

### Claim 8

A semiconductor structure comprising:
a p-type superlattice region;
an i-type superlattice region; and
an n-type superlattice region;
wherein:
the p-type superlattice region is adjacent to the i-type superlattice region;
the i-type superlattice region is adjacent to the n-type superlattice region; and
at least one of the p-type superlattice region, the i-type superlattice region and the n-type superlattice region comprises a semiconductor superlattice with a plurality of unit cells each comprising at least two distinct layers formed of a substantially single crystal semiconductor, the semiconductor superlattice having a polar crystal structure with a growth axis being substantially parallel to a spontaneous polarization axis of the polar crystal structure, a monotonically changing average composition of the unit cells of the semiconductor superlattice exhibiting a monotonic change from a first average composition corresponding to a first wider band gap (WBG) material to a second average composition corresponding to a first narrower band gap (NBG) material, or from a third average composition corresponding to a second NBG material to a fourth average composition corresponding to a second WBG material, such that there are no abrupt changes in polarization at interfaces between each region.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor structure of claim 8, further comprising a p-type GaN region adjacent the p-type superlattice region.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

A light emitting diode (LED) comprising the semiconductor structure of claim 8, and further comprising:
a substrate; and
a buffer layer contiguous with the substrate and contiguous with the semiconductor structure of claim 8, wherein the buffer layer comprises a superlattice.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor structure of claim 8, wherein:
the monotonic change in composition from the first wider band gap (WBG) material to the first narrower band gap (NBG) material or from the second NBG material to the second WBG material along the growth axis induces a p-type or n-type conductivity.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor structure of claim 8, further comprising:
a substrate; and
a buffer or dislocation filter region contiguous with the substrate;
wherein:
the n-type superlattice region is contiguous with the buffer or dislocation filter region;
the n-type superlattice region comprises a wider average bandgap than the i-type superlattice region; and
the substrate comprises a wider bandgap than the i-type superlattice region.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

A light emitting diode (LED) comprising the semiconductor structure of claim 12, wherein light is emitted from the i-type superlattice region and the light passes through the n-type superlattice region before being emitted from the LED.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor structure of claim 8, further comprising:
a substrate; and
a buffer or dislocation filter region contiguous with the substrate;
wherein:
the p-type superlattice region is contiguous with the buffer or dislocation filter region;
the p-type superlattice region comprises a wider average bandgap than the i-type superlattice region;
and the substrate comprises a wider bandgap than the i-type superlattice region.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

A light emitting diode (LED) comprising the semiconductor structure of claim 14, wherein light is emitted from the i-type superlattice region and the light passes through the p-type superlattice region before being emitted from the LED.