# US 4,396,443 A · Reduction of leakage current in InGaAs diodes

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- Number: US 4,396,443 A
- Document ID: US4396443A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/339,871
- Filed: 1982-01-18
- Granted: 1983-08-02
- Earliest claimed: 1982-01-18
- Assignees: Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated
- Inventors: Hans J. Lewerenz; Hans J. Stocker
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4396443A

## CPC

- H10P 70/15: {by wet cleaning only (H10P70/52 takes precedence)}
- H10F 30/2215: {the devices comprising active layers made of only Group III-V materials}
- H10F 71/1272: {comprising at least three elements, e.g. GaAlAs or InGaAsP}
- H10F 77/1248: {having three or more elements, e.g. GaAlAs, InGaAs or InGaAsP}
- Y02E 10/544: Solar cells from Group III-V materials
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

The reverse leakage current of InGaAs diodes, in particular the dark current of In.sub.0.53 Ga.sub.0.47 As photodiodes, is reduced by a treatment in a 1:1:X solution of H.sub.2 O.sub.2 :H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 :H.sub.2 O where 10.ltoreq..times..ltoreq.100 approximately.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of reducing the leakage current of an InGaAs diode by subjecting said diode to a 1:1:X solution of H.sub.2 O.sub.2 :H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 :H.sub.2 O, where 10.ltoreq.X.ltoreq.100 approximately.

### Claim 2

A method of reducing the leakage current of an InGaAs diode by subjecting said diode to a 1:1:X solution of H.sub.2 O.sub.2 :H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 :H.sub.2 O where X is chosen so as to produce an overlayer which is essentially impervious to etching in HF.

### Claim 3

A method of reducing the dark current of a photodiode comprising the steps of
providing an InP body,
epitaxially growing at least one layer of In.sub.0.53 Ga.sub.0.47 As on said substrate,
forming a p-n junction in said at least one layer,
subjecting said photodiode to a 1:1:X solution of H.sub.2 O.sub.2 :H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 :H.sub.2 O, where 10.ltoreq.X.ltoreq.100.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 further including between said growing step and said subjecting step the additional step of etching at least said layers to form a mesa.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4 wherein said etching step comprises etching with 1:1:X (H.sub.2 O.sub.2 :H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 :H.sub.2 O) where X.ltoreq.30.