Method of growing III-V semiconductor layers with high effective hole concentration

A method of producing a semiconductor device comprising a first single crystal semiconductor region and a single crystal layer of III-V semiconductor material epitaxial with the first semiconductor region and comprising a non-amphoteric dopant species which imparts p-type conductivity to at least a portion of the layer of III-V material;

• the method comprising
• (a) providing the first semiconductor region;
• (b) forming the layer of III-V material by a deposition process comprising contacting the first semiconductor region with a flux of molecules and/or atoms or an atmosphere comprising precursor molecules, the flux comprising at least one column III element, at least one column V element, and the dopant species, with the first semiconductor region at a predetermined growth temperature T.sub.g ;
• associated with the III-V material and the deposition process being a temperature T.sub.v at which the rate of loss from the III-V material of one of the constituents of the III-V material is 1% of the arrival rate of that constituent at the surface of the III-V material during the deposition process, with the rate of loss of all other constituents of the III-V material being less than 1% of the arrival rate of the respective constituents;
• associated with the III-V material being a maximum effective hole concentration in the material obtainable if T.sub.g =T.sub.v, this hole concentration to be designated N.sub.o ;
• and
• (c) completing producing the semiconductor device;
• CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the method further comprises
• (d) selecting T.sub.g to be at least 50.degree. C. less than T.sub.v, and such that the effective hole concentration in at least a portion of the III-V material is at least about 10.sup.20 cm.sup.-3.