Method of fabricating a semiconductor device by oxidizing aluminum-bearing 1H-V semiconductor in water vapor environment

A method of making a semiconductor light-emitting device, comprising the steps of:

• forming a structure comprising regions of III-V semiconductor material of opposite conductivity type, at least one of said regions comprising an aluminum-bearing III-V semiconductor material;
• applying metal electrodes to said structure which are electrically coupled with said regions, to form a metallized structure;
• and
• heating said metallized structure in a water-containing environment to convert a portion of the aluminum-bearing III-V semiconductor material to a native oxide of aluminum.

A method of making a semiconductor light-emitting device, comprising the steps of:

• forming a structure comprising:
• at least one semiconductor layer that defines a lower confining region;
• at least one semiconductor layer that defines an upper confining region;
• and at least one semiconductor layer between said lower and upper confining regions that defines a semiconductor active region;
• at least one of said confining regions including a layer of aluminum-bearing III-V semiconductor material;
• applying lower and upper metal electrodes to said structure that are electrically coupled with said lower and upper confining regions, respectively;
• and
• heating the metallized structure in a water-containing environment to convert a portion of the aluminum-bearing III-V semiconductor material to a native oxide of aluminum.

A method of making a semiconductor laser, comprising the steps of:

• a) depositing successive layers of III-V semiconductor material to obtain a lower confining region, an active region, and an upper confining region, at least one of said confining regions including a layer of aluminum-bearing III-V semiconductor material;
• b) applying upper and lower metallizations to the structure obtained in step (a), said upper metallization including a plurality of stripes coupled with the structure obtained in step (a);
• c) cleaving the structure obtained in step (b) across said stripes;
• and
• d) heating the metallized structure in a water-containing environment to convert a portion of the aluminum-bearing III-V semiconductor material to native oxide of aluminum.