# US 9,437,725 B2 · Semiconductor device and semiconductor substrate

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 9,437,725 B2
- Document ID: US9437725B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/540,545
- Filed: 2014-11-13
- Published: 2015-05-14
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2013-11-13
- Assignees: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
- Applicants: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
- Inventors: Ken Nakata
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9437725B2

## CPC

- H10D 30/4732: {using Group III-V semiconductor material}
- H10D 30/4735: {having delta-doped or planar-doped donor layers}
- H10D 30/475: {having wider bandgap layer formed on top of lower bandgap active layer, e.g. undoped barrier HEMTs such as i-AlGaN/GaN HEMTs}
- H10D 62/824: comprising only Group III-V materials heterojunctions, e.g. GaN/AlGaN heterojunctions
- H10D 62/8503: {Nitride Group III-V materials, e.g. AlN or GaN}
- H10D 62/852: being Group III-V materials comprising three or more elements, e.g. AlGaN or InAsSbP
- H10D 84/01: Manufacture or treatment
- H10D 84/05: using Group III-V technology
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

## Abstract

A semiconductor device is provided, which includes a barrier layer 14 formed on a substrate 10 and made of InxAlyGa1-x-yN, a channel layer 16 formed on the barrier layer and made of GaN or InGaN, an electron supplying layer 18 formed on the channel layer and made of AlGaN, InAlN, or InAlGaN, and a gate electrode and ohmic electrodes 24 and 26 formed on the electron supplying layer. Relations between x and y for the barrier layer of x>0, y>0, x+y≦1, and 0.533x<y<4.20x are satisfied.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor device, comprising:
a barrier layer formed on a substrate and made of one of InAlGaN and InAlN;
a channel layer formed on the barrier layer and made of one of GaN and InGaN;
an electron supplying layer formed on the channel layer and made of one of AlGaN, InAlN, and InAlGaN; and
a gate electrode and ohmic electrodes formed on the electron supplying layer,
wherein an interface between the barrier layer and the channel layer and an interface between the channel layer and the electron supplying layer have a conduction band energy lower than the Fermi level energy, whereby the conduction band at the channel layer forms an inverted U shape; and
wherein the channel layer has a thickness of not less than 20 nm and not more than 100 nm.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the barrier layer is a single layer having uniform composition.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the barrier layer includes a plurality of layers, each layer having uniform composition.

### Claim 4

A semiconductor device, comprising:
a barrier layer formed on a substrate, the barrier layer being a single layer having a uniform composition of InxAlyGa1-x-y N;
a channel layer formed on the barrier layer and made of one of GaN and InGaN;
an electron supplying layer formed on the channel layer and made of one of AlGaN, InAlN, and InAlGaN; and
a gate electrode and ohmic electrodes formed on the electron supplying layer,
wherein relations between x and y for the barrier layer of x>0, y>0, x+y≦1, and 0.533x<y<4.20x are satisfied.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the barrier layer has a band gap of not less than 3.6 eV.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein a relation of 2.10x<y is satisfied.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the channel layer has a thickness of not less than 20 nm and not more than 100 nm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein in a case in which the electron supplying layer is made of InAlN, the electron supplying layer has less than 18% In.

### Claim 9 (depends on 4)

The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the barrier layer is a single layer having uniform composition.

### Claim 10 (depends on 4)

The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the barrier layer includes a plurality of layers, each layer having uniform composition.

### Claim 11 (depends on 4)

The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein, in a case in which the electron supplying layer is made of AlGaN, the electron supplying layer has 15-30% Al, in a case in which the electron supplying layer is made of InAlN, the electron supplying layer has 83-85% Al, and in a case in which the electron supplying layer is made of InAlGaN, the electron supplying layer has 65-85% Al and 0-20% Ga.

### Claim 12

A semiconductor substrate, comprising:
a barrier layer formed on a substrate, the barrier layer being a single layer having a uniform composition of InxAlyGa1-x-yN;
a channel layer formed on the barrier layer and made of one of GaN and InGaN; and
an electron supplying layer formed on the channel layer and made of one of AlGaN, InAlN, and InAlGaN,
wherein relations between x and y for the barrier layer of x>0, y>0, x+y≦1, and 0.533x<y<4.20x are satisfied.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The semiconductor substrate according to claim 12, wherein the barrier layer has a band gap of not less than 3.6 eV.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The semiconductor substrate according to claim 12, wherein a relation of 2.10 x<y is satisfied.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The semiconductor substrate according to claim 12, wherein the channel layer has a thickness of not less than 20 nm and not more than 100 nm.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The semiconductor substrate according to claim 12, wherein in a case in which the electron supplying layer is made of InAlN, the electron supplying layer has less than 18% In.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The semiconductor substrate according to claim 12, wherein, in a case in which the electron supplying layer is made of AlGaN, the electron supplying layer has 15-30% Al, in a case in which the electron supplying layer is made of InAlN, the electron supplying layer has 83-85% Al, and in a case in which the electron supplying layer is made of InAlGaN, the electron supplying layer has 65-85% Al and 0-20% Ga.