Optoelectronic device with three-dimensional semiconductor elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10615299-B2
Application number	US-201515513797-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2015
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

An optoelectronic device including three-dimensional semiconductor elements predominantly made of a first compound selected from among the group consisting of Compounds III-V, Compounds II-VI, and Compounds IV. Each semiconductor element defines, optionally with insulating portions partially covering said semiconductor element, at least one first surface including contiguous facets angled relative to each other. The optoelectronic device includes quantum dots at least some of the seams between the facets. The quantum dots are predominantly made of a mixture of the first compound and an additional element and are suitable for emitting or receiving a first electromagnetic radiation at a first wavelength.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optoelectronic device, comprising:
three-dimensional semiconductor elements predominantly made of a first compound selected from the group comprising III-V compounds, II-VI compounds, and IV compounds, each semiconductor element delimiting at least a first surface comprising contiguous facets angled with respect to one another, the optoelectronic device comprising quantum dots at at least some seams between facets, the quantum dots being predominantly made of a mixture of the first compound and of an additional element and being capable of emitting or of receiving a first electromagnetic radiation at a first wavelength; and
for each three-dimensional semiconductor element, an active layer comprising at least a single quantum well or multiple quantum wells and capable of emitting or of receiving a second electromagnetic radiation at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength;
wherein the active layer covers the quantum dots, the quantum dots being located between the three-dimensional semiconductor element and the active layer.

2. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , comprising a second surface, distinct from the first surface, said active layer covering the second surface.

3. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , wherein each quantum dot is predominantly made of a In x Al y Ga 1-x-y N compound, where 0≤x≤1, 0≤y≤1 and 1-x-y>0.

4. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor elements are nanowires, microwires, and/or nanometer- or micrometer-range pyramidal structures.

5. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor elements have a shape elongated along a preferred direction, and wherein a distance, measured perpendicularly to the preferred direction, between two seams of pairs of adjacent seams is greater than 5 nm.

6. The optoelectronic device of claim 5 , wherein the distance, measured parallel to the preferred direction, between two adjacent seams is smaller than 1 μm.

7. The optoelectronic device of claim 5 , wherein a density of seams is greater than 10 8 seams/cm 2 .

8. A method of manufacturing an optoelectronic device, comprising the steps of:
forming three-dimensional semiconductor elements predominantly made of a first compound selected from the group comprising III-V compounds, II-VI compounds, and IV compounds, each semiconductor element delimiting at least a first surface comprising contiguous facets angled with respect to one another;
forming quantum dots at at least some seams between facets, the quantum dots being predominantly made of a mixture of the first compound and of an additional element and being capable of emitting or of receiving a first electromagnetic radiation at a first wavelength; and
forming, for each three-dimensional semiconductor element, an active layer covering the quantum dots such that the quantum dots are located between the three-dimensional semiconductor element and the active layer, the active layer comprising at least a single quantum well or multiple quantum wells and capable of emitting or of receiving a second electromagnetic radiation at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength.

9. The method of claim 8 , comprising forming semiconductor elements and partially etching the semiconductor elements to form the first surface.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first surface is formed simultaneously to the growth of the semiconductor elements.

11. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , further comprising insulating portions partially covering said semiconductor elements.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein forming three-dimensional semiconductor elements predominantly made of a first compound selected from the group comprising III-V compounds, II-VI compounds, and IV compounds, each semiconductor element delimiting at least a first surface comprising contiguous facets angled with respect to one another comprises:
forming three-dimensional semiconductor elements predominantly made of a first compound selected from the group comprising III-V compounds, II-VI compounds, and IV compounds, each semiconductor element delimiting, with insulating portions partially covering said semiconductor element, at least a first surface comprising contiguous facets angled with respect to one another.

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique
• Aledia

Inventors

• Robin Ivan-Christophe
• Dussaigne Amélie
• Feuillet Guy
• Gaugiran Stéphanie

Classifications

• H01L33/22

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/035209 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L33/24

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L33/18

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L33/06

  Electricity · mapped topic