# US 12,218,261 B2 · InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well blue light detector combined with embedded electrode and passivation layer structure and preparation method and application thereof

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- Number: US 12,218,261 B2
- Document ID: US12218261B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/732,524
- Filed: 2022-04-29
- Published: 2022-10-13
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2021-04-12
- Assignees: South China University of Technology
- Applicants: South China University of Technology
- Inventors: Wenliang Wang; Guoqiang Li; Baiyu Su; Zhengliang Lin; Deqi Kong; Wenjin Mai
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12218261B2

## CPC

- H10F 77/703: {of the semiconductor bodies, e.g. textured active layers}
- H10F 71/1274: {comprising nitrides, e.g. InGaN or InGaAlN}
- H10F 71/1278: {comprising nitrides, e.g. GaN}
- H10F 71/128: {Annealing}
- H10F 77/146: {Superlattices; Multiple quantum well structures}
- H10F 77/147: {Shapes of bodies}
- H10F 77/169: Thin semiconductor films on metallic or insulating substrates
- H10F 77/206: {for devices having potential barriers}
- H10F 77/306: {for devices having potential barriers}
- H10F 71/1276: {comprising growth substrates not made of Group III-V materials}
- H10F 77/1246: {III-V nitrides, e.g. GaN}
- H10F 77/12485: {comprising nitride compounds, e.g. InGaN}
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

An InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well blue light detector- includes: a Si substrate, an AlN/AlGaN/GaN buffer layer, a u-GaN/AlN/u-GaN/SiNx/u-GaN buffer layer, an n-GaN buffer layer, an InGaN/GaN superlattice layer and an InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well layer in sequence from bottom to top. The multiple quantum well layer has a groove and a mesa, the mesa and the groove of the multiple quantum well layer are provided with a Si3N4 passivation layer. The passivation layer in the groove is provided with a first metal layer electrode with a semicircular cross section, and the passivation layer on the mesa is provided with second metal layer electrode.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well blue light detector combined with embedded electrode and passivation layer structure, comprising: a Si substrate, an AlN/AlGaN/GaN buffer layer, a u-GaN/AlN/u-GaN/SiNx/u-GaN buffer layer, an n-GaN buffer layer, an InGaN/GaN superlattice layer and an InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well layer in sequence from bottom to top, wherein the InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well layer has a groove and a mesa, the mesa and the groove of the InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well layer are provided with a Si3N4 passivation layer, the Si3N4 passivation layer in the groove is provided with a first metal layer electrode with a semicircular cross section, and the Si3N4 passivation layer on the mesa is provided with a second metal layer electrode,
wherein the embedded electrode is the first metal layer electrode, and the passivation layer structure is the Si3N4 passivation layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well blue light detector combined with embedded electrode and passivation layer structure according to claim 1, wherein the Si substrate has a thickness of 520 to 530 μm;
the AlN/AlGaN/GaN buffer layer comprises an AlN layer with a thickness of 300-400 nm, an AlGaN layer with a thickness of 600-700 nm and a GaN layer with a thickness of 300-400 nm;
the u-GaN/AlN/u-GaN/SiNx/u-GaN buffer layer comprises a first u-GaN layer with a thickness of 300-400 nm, an AlN layer with a thickness of 200-300 nm, a second u-GaN layer with a thickness of 300-400 nm, a SiNx layer with a thickness of 400-600 nm and a third u-GaN layer with a thickness of 300-400 nm;
the n-GaN buffer layer has a thickness of 2-3 μm;
the InGaN/GaN superlattice layer has a thickness of 500-600 nm and is in an alternating arrangement structure; the InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well layer has a thickness of 170-340 nm; and
the Si3N4 passivation layer has a thickness of 5-20 nm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well blue light detector combined with embedded electrode and passivation layer structure according to claim 1, wherein the first metal layer electrode and the second metal layer electrode are Ni/Au metal layer electrodes, the Ni/Au metal layer electrode comprising a Ni metal layer with a thickness of 70-90 nm and an Au metal layer with a thickness of 70-90 nm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well blue light detector combined with embedded electrode and passivation layer structure according to claim 1, wherein the InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well layer is in a form of superimposing a layer of InGaN on a layer of GaN with superimposing for 9-12 times as a period, the GaN layer with a thickness of 13-18 nm, and the InGaN layer with a thickness of 6-10 nm.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well blue light detector combined with embedded electrode and passivation layer structure according to claim 1, wherein the first metal layer electrode and the second metal layer electrode are interdigital electrodes, the first metal layer electrode and the second metal layer electrodes being alternately arranged.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well blue light detector combined with embedded electrode and passivation layer structure according to claim 1, wherein the groove is a strip-shaped structure with equal spacing, the groove has a width of 100-150 nm and a depth of 160-200 nm, and a distance between center lines of two grooves is 400-650 nm; the first metal layer electrode is a semicircular electrode with a cross section radius of 100-140 nm; and an overall length-width dimension of the detector is 5.2×5.2 to 8.45×8.45 μm2.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A preparation method of the InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well blue light detector combined with embedded electrode and passivation layer structure according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises:
step 1, growing the AlN/AlGaN/GaN buffer layer, the u-GaN/AlN/u-GaN/SiNx/u-GaN buffer layer, the n-GaN buffer layer, the InGaN/GaN superlattice layer and the InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well layer on the Si substrate by MOCVD;
step 2, performing ICP etching on the InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well layer obtained in step 1 to obtain the mesa and the groove;
step 3, performing PECVD to deposit the Si3N4 passivation layer on the InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well layer with the groove obtained in step 2;
step 4, photoetching the Si3N4 passivation layer obtained in step 3 by firstly coating evenly and drying, then exposing and developing, and finally undergoing oxygen ion treatment; and
step 5, evaporating the groove and the mesa of the Si3N4 passivation layer obtained in step 4, first evaporating Ni and then evaporating Au, after taking out, locally heating metal layer electrode by a resistance heating method to change a cross-sectional shape of the metal layer electrode to semicircle, and cleaning to obtain the InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well blue light detector.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The preparation method according to claim 7, wherein in step 2, the AlN/AlGaN/GaN buffer layer comprises an AlN layer grown at a temperature of 1000-1100° C., an AlGaN layer grown at a temperature of 1000-1100° C. and a GaN layer grown at a temperature of 900-1050° C.; the u-GaN/AlN/u-GaN/SiNx/u-GaN buffer layer comprises a first u-GaN layer grown at a temperature of 900-1050° C., an AlN layer grown at a temperature of 1000-1100° C., a second u-GaN layer grown at a temperature of 900-1050° C., a SiNx layer grown at a temperature of 1000-1100° C. and a third u-GaN layer grown at a temperature of 900-1050° C.; the n-GaN buffer layer is grown at a temperature of 900-1050° C.; and the InGaN/GaN superlattice layer and the InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well layer are grown at a temperature of 550-760° C.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The preparation method according to claim 7, wherein in step 4, a drying time is 35-48 s, an exposure time is 4-12 s, a developing time is 35-48 s, and an oxygen ion treatment time is 1.5-3.5 min; and in step 5, a rate of the evaporation is 0.16-0.22 nm/min, and a temperature of the heating is 1455-1555° C.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

An application of the InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well blue light detector combined with embedded electrode and passivation layer structure according to claim 1 in blue light detection.

### Claim 11 (depends on 2)

An application of the InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well blue light detector combined with embedded electrode and passivation layer structure according to claim 2 in blue light detection.

### Claim 12 (depends on 3)

An application of the InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well blue light detector combined with embedded electrode and passivation layer structure according to claim 3 in blue light detection.

### Claim 13 (depends on 4)

An application of the InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well blue light detector combined with embedded electrode and passivation layer structure according to claim 4 in blue light detection.

### Claim 14 (depends on 5)

An application of the InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well blue light detector combined with embedded electrode and passivation layer structure according to claim 5 in blue light detection.

### Claim 15 (depends on 6)

An application of the InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well blue light detector combined with embedded electrode and passivation layer structure according to claim 6 in blue light detection.