# US 7,612,432 B2 · P-type ZnS based semiconductor material having a low resistance due to its high copper content

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- Number: US 7,612,432 B2
- Document ID: US7612432B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/588,659
- Filed: 2005-02-03
- Published: 2007-08-09
- Granted: 2009-11-03
- Earliest claimed: 2004-02-06
- Assignees: Hoya Corporation
- Inventors: Hiroaki Yanagita; Hiroshi Kawazoe; Masahiro Orita
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7612432B2

## CPC

- H10H 20/823: comprising only Group II-VI materials, e.g. ZnO
- H10H 20/8232: {characterised by the dopants}
- H10F 77/123: comprising only Group II-VI materials, e.g. CdS, ZnS or HgCdTe
- H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION

## Abstract

It is an object to provide a p-type ZnS based semiconductor material having a low resistance which can easily form an ohmic contact to a metallic material. Moreover, the invention provides a semiconductor device and a semiconductor light emitting device which include an electrode having a low resistance on a substrate other than a single crystal substrate, for example, a glass substrate. The semiconductor material according to the invention is used as a hole injecting electrode layer of a light emitting device and has a transparent property in a visible region which is expressed in a composition formula of Zn(1-α-β-γ)CuαMgβCdγS(1-x-y)SexTey (0.004≦α≦0.4, β≦0.2, γ≦0.2, 0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦0.2, and x+y≦1).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A p-type semiconductor material expressed in a composition formula of Zn(1-α-β-γ)CuαAβBγS(1-x-y)SexTey (0.004≦α≦0.4, β≦0.2, γ≦0.2, 0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦0.2, and x+y≦1, A and B are elements selected from Cd, Hg and alkaline earth metals),
wherein a total amount of atoms (Zn, Cu, A, B) is equal to a total amount of atoms (S, Se, Te)).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The p-type semiconductor material according to claim 1, wherein the A is Mg.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The p-type semiconductor material according to claim 1, wherein the B is Cd.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The p-type semiconductor material according to claim 2, wherein the B is Cd.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The p-type semiconductor material according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor material contains at least one dopant selected from Cl, Br, I, Al, Ga and In as a compensation dopant and a concentration of the compensation dopant is 1017 to 1020 cm−3.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The p-type semiconductor material according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor material has a light absorption coefficient of 5×105 cm−1 or less at 470 nm to 750 nm.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The p-type semiconductor material according to claim 1, wherein a volume resistivity of the semiconductor material is equal to or higher than 10−4 Ωcm and is lower than 103 Ωcm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The p-type semiconductor material according to claim 1, wherein a carrier concentration of the semiconductor material is equal to or higher than 1016 cm−3 and is lower than 1022 cm−3.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A semiconductor device in which the p-type semiconductor material according to claim 1, constitutes a hole injecting electrode layer in an amorphous phase or a polycrystalline phase.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the semiconductor device is a light emitting device.

### Claim 11 (depends on 2)

The p-type semiconductor material according to claim 2, wherein the semiconductor material contains at least one dopant selected from Cl, Br, I, Al, Ga and In as a compensation dopant and a concentration of the compensation dopant is 1017 to 1020 cm−3.

### Claim 12 (depends on 3)

The p-type semiconductor material according to claim 3, wherein the semiconductor material contains at least one dopant selected from Cl, Br, I, Al, Ga and In as a compensation dopant and a concentration of the compensation dopant is 1017 to 1020 cm−3.

### Claim 13 (depends on 4)

The p-type semiconductor material according to claim 4, wherein the semiconductor material contains at least one dopant selected from Cl, Br, I, Al, Ga and In as a compensation dopant and a concentration of the compensation dopant is 1017 to 1020 cm−3.

### Claim 14 (depends on 2)

The p-type semiconductor material according to claim 2, wherein the semiconductor material has a light absorption coefficient of 5×105 cm−1 or less at 470 nm to 750 nm.

### Claim 15 (depends on 3)

The p-type semiconductor material according to claim 3, wherein the semiconductor material has a light absorption coefficient of 5×105 cm−1 or less at 470 nm to 750 nm.

### Claim 16 (depends on 4)

The p-type semiconductor material according to claim 4, wherein the semiconductor material has a light absorption coefficient of 5×105 cm−1 or less at 470 nm to 750 nm.

### Claim 17 (depends on 2)

The p-type semiconductor material according to claim 2, wherein a volume resistivity of the semiconductor material is equal to or higher than 10−4 Ωcm and is lower than 103 Ωcm.

### Claim 18 (depends on 3)

The p-type semiconductor material according to claim 3, wherein a volume resistivity of the semiconductor material is equal to or higher than 10−4 Ωcm and is lower than 103 Ωcm.

### Claim 19 (depends on 4)

The p-type semiconductor material according to claim 4, wherein a volume resistivity of the semiconductor material is equal to or higher than 10−4 Ωcm and is lower than 103 Ωcm.

### Claim 20 (depends on 2)

The p-type semiconductor material according to claim 2, wherein a carrier concentration of the semiconductor material is equal to or higher than 1016 cm and is lower than 1022 cm−3.

### Claim 21 (depends on 3)

The p-type semiconductor material according to claim 3, wherein a carrier concentration of the semiconductor material is equal to or higher than 1016 cm−3 and is lower than 1022 cm−3.

### Claim 22 (depends on 4)

The p-type semiconductor material according to claim 4, wherein a carrier concentration of the semiconductor material is equal to or higher than 1016 cm−3 and is lower than 1022 cm−3.

### Claim 23 (depends on 2)

A semiconductor device in which the p-type semiconductor material according to claim 2, constitutes a hole injecting electrode layer in an amorphous phase or a polycrystalline phase.

### Claim 24 (depends on 3)

A semiconductor device in which the p-type semiconductor material according to claim 3, constitutes a hole injecting electrode layer in an amorphous phase or a polycrystalline phase.

### Claim 25 (depends on 4)

A semiconductor device in which the p-type semiconductor material according to claim 4, constitutes a hole injecting electrode layer in an amorphous phase or a polycrystalline phase.

### Claim 26 (depends on 23)

The semiconductor device according to claim 23, wherein the semiconductor device is a light emitting device.

### Claim 27 (depends on 24)

The semiconductor device according to claim 24, wherein the semiconductor device is a light emitting device.

### Claim 28 (depends on 25)

The semiconductor device according to claim 25, wherein the semiconductor device is a light emitting device.