Epitaxial structure and semiconductor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11456362-B2
Application number	US-202016952105-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2020
Priority date	Nov 20, 2019
Publication date	Sep 27, 2022
Grant date	Sep 27, 2022

Abstract

An epitaxial structure and a semiconductor device are provided in which the epitaxial structure includes at least a SiC substrate, a nucleation layer, and a GaN layer. The nucleation layer is formed on the SiC substrate. The material of the nucleation layer is aluminum gallium nitride doped with a dopant, the Al content in the nucleation layer changes from high to low in the thickness direction, the lattice constant of the nucleation layer is between 3.08 Å and 3.21 Å, and the doping concentration of the nucleation layer changes from high to low in the thickness direction. The GaN layer is formed on the nucleation layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An epitaxial structure, including:
a silicon carbide (SiC) substrate;
a nucleation layer formed on the substrate, wherein a material of the nucleation layer is aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) doped with a dopant, a lattice constant of the nucleation layer is between 3.08 Å and 3.21 Å, a content of Al in the nucleation layer changes from high to low in a thickness direction, and a doping concentration of the nucleation layer changes from high to low in the thickness direction, an initial value of the doping concentration is 5E18 cm −3 to 1E20 cm −3 , and an end value of the doping concentration is 1E18 cm −3 to 5E19 cm −3 ; and
a gallium nitride (GaN) layer formed on the nucleation layer.

2. The epitaxial structure according to claim 1 , wherein the dopant in the nucleation layer comprises silicon, iron, magnesium or carbon.

3. The epitaxial structure according to claim 1 , wherein the content of Al in the nucleation layer reduces gradually in the thickness direction, the doping concentration reduces gradually in the thickness direction, and the lattice constant of the nucleation layer increases gradually in the thickness direction, and
an initial value of the content of Al is 80% to 100%, an end value of the content of Al is 0 to 20%, and a gradual slope of the content of Al is −0.1%/nm to −20%/nm,
an initial value of the doping concentration is 5E18 cm −3 to 5E19 cm −3 , and an end value of the doping concentration is 5E18 cm −3 to 2E19 cm −3 ,
an initial value of the lattice constant is 3.11±0.03 Å, and an end value of the lattice constant is 3.18±0.03 Å, and
an energy gap (Eg) of the nucleation layer reduces gradually from 6.13±1 eV to 3.42±1 eV in the thickness direction.

4. The epitaxial structure according to claim 1 , wherein the content of Al in the nucleation layer reduces gradually in the thickness direction, the doping concentration reduces gradually in the thickness direction, and the lattice constant of the nucleation layer increases gradually in the thickness direction, and
an initial value of the content of Al is 10% to 60%, an end value of the content of Al is 0 to 20%, and a gradual slope of the content of Al is −0.1%/nm to −20%/nm,
an initial value of the doping concentration is 5E18 cm −3 to 5E19 cm −3 , and an end value of the doping concentration is 5E18 cm −3 to 2E19 cm −3 ,
an initial value of the lattice constant is 3.151±0.03 Å, and an end value of the lattice constant is 3.18±0.03 Å, and
an Eg of the nucleation layer reduces gradually from 4.78±1 eV to 3.42±1 eV in the thickness direction.

5. The epitaxial structure according to claim 1 , wherein the content of Al in the nucleation layer reduces stepwise in the thickness direction, the doping concentration reduces stepwise in the thickness direction, and the lattice constant of the nucleation layer increases stepwise in the thickness direction, and
an initial value of the content of Al is 80% to 100%, an end value of the content of Al is 0 to 20%, and a step slope of the content of Al is −0.1%/step to −50%/step,
an initial value of the doping concentration is 5E18 cm −3 to 5E19 cm −3 , and an end value of the doping concentration is 5E18 cm −3 to 2E19 cm −3 ,
an initial value of the lattice constant is 3.11±0.03 Å, and an end value of the lattice constant is 3.18±0.03 Å, and
an Eg of the nucleation layer reduces stepwise from 6.13±1 eV to 3.42±1 eV in the thickness direction.

6. The epitaxial structure according to claim 5 , wherein the nucleation layer is composed of 2 to 50 thin film layers.

7. The epitaxial structure according to claim 1 , wherein the content of Al in the nucleation layer reduces stepwise in the thickness direction, the doping concentration reduces stepwise in the thickness direction, and the lattice constant of the nucleation layer increases stepwise in the thickness direction, and
an initial value of the content of Al is 10% to 60%, an end value of the content of Al is 0 to 20%, and a step slope of the content of Al is −0.1%/step to −50%/step,
an initial value of the doping concentration is 5E18 cm −3 to 5E19 cm −3 , and an end value of the doping concentration is 5E18 cm −3 to 2E19 cm −3 ,
an initial value of the lattice constant is 3.151±0.03 Å, and an end value of the lattice constant is 3.18±0.03 Å, and
an Eg of the nucleation layer reduces stepwise from 4.78±1 eV to 3.42±1 eV in the thickness direction.

8. The epitaxial structure according to claim 7 , wherein the nucleation layer is composed of 2 to 50 thin film layers.

9. The epitaxial structure according to claim 1 , wherein the content of Al in the nucleation layer reduces stepped-gradually in the thickness direction, the doping concentration reduces stepped-gradually in the thickness direction, and the lattice constant of the nucleation layer increases stepped-gradually in the thickness direction, and
an initial value of the content of Al is 80% to 100%, an end value of the content of Al is 0 to 20%, a gradual slope of the content of Al is −0.1%/nm to −50%/nm, and a step slope of the content of Al is −0.1%/step to −50%/step,
an initial value of the doping concentration is 5E18 cm −3 to 5E19 cm −3 , and an end value of the doping concentration is 5E18 cm −3 to 2E19 cm −3 ,
an initial value of the lattice constant is 3.11±0.03 Å, and an end value of the lattice constant is 3.18±0.03 Å, and
an Eg of the nucleation layer reduces stepped-gradually from 6.13±1 eV to 3.42±1 eV in the thickness direction.

10. The epitaxial structure according to claim 9 , wherein the nucleation layer is composed of 2 to 50 thin film layers.

11. The epitaxial structure according to claim 1 , wherein the content of Al in the nucleation layer reduces stepped-gradually in the thickness direction, the doping concentration reduces stepped-gradually in the thickness direction, and the lattice constant of the nucleation layer increases stepped-gradually in the thickness direction, and
an initial value of the content of Al is 10% to 60%, an end value of the content of Al is 0 to 20%, a gradual slope of the content of Al is −0.1%/nm to −50%/nm, and a step slope of the content of Al is −0.1%/step to −50%/step,
an initial value of the doping concentration is 5E18 cm −3 to 5E19 cm −3 , and an end value of the doping concentration is 5E18 cm −3 to 2E19 cm −3 ,
an initial value of the lattice constant is 3.151±0.03 Å, and an end value of the lattice constant is 3.18±0.03 Å, and
an Eg of the nucleation layer reduces stepped-gradually from 4.78±1 eV to 3.42±1 eV in the thickness direction.

12. The epitaxial structure according to claim 11 , wherein the nucleation layer is composed of 2 to 50 thin film layers.

13. A semiconductor device comprising the epitaxial structure according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Globalwafers Co Ltd

Inventors

• Liu Jia-Zhe
• Lin Tzu-Yao
• Shih Ying-Ru

Classifications

• H10P14/3416

  Nitrides · CPC title

• H10P14/3251

  consisting of three or more layers · CPC title

• H10P14/3216

  Nitrides · CPC title

• H10P14/2904

  Silicon carbide · CPC title

• H10P14/3444

  P-type · CPC title