WBG and UWBG semiconductor with p- and n-type conductivity and process for making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12237169-B2
Application number	US-202217714204-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2022
Priority date	Apr 9, 2021
Publication date	Feb 25, 2025
Grant date	Feb 25, 2025

Abstract

Methods for efficient doping of wide-bandgap (WBG) and ultrawide-bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors by implantation, and WBG and UWBG semiconductors made using the disclosed methods. A p-type semiconductor region is formed by implanting specified acceptor and donor co-dopant atoms in a predetermined ratio, e.g., two acceptors to one donor (ADA), into the semiconductor lattice. An n-type type semiconductor region is by implanting specified donor and acceptor co-dopant atoms in a predetermined ratio, e.g., two donors to one acceptor (DAD), into the semiconductor lattice. Compensator atoms are also implanted into the lattice to complete formula units in the crystal lattice structure and preserve the stoichiometry of the semiconductor material. The doped material is then annealed to activate the dopants and repair any damage to the lattice that might have occurred during implantation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor material having an area with a predetermined conductivity, comprising:
a doped semiconductor material having an A x B y crystal lattice structure,
the doped semiconductor material having a predefined area that includes
a predetermined implanted dose Da A of a first acceptor impurity a A which substitutes for element A in the A x B y crystal lattice structure and/or a predetermined dose Da B of a second acceptor impurity a B which substitutes for element B in the A x B y crystal lattice structure,
a predetermined implanted dose Dd A of a first donor impurity d A which substitutes for element A in the A x B y crystal lattice structure and/or a predetermined dose Dd B of a second donor impurity d B which substitutes for element B in the A x B y crystal lattice structure, and
a predetermined implanted dose D A of a compensating impurity A which represents element A in the A x B y crystal lattice structure, a maximum implanted dose D A being determined by the formula

D
A

=

x
⁡
(

D
⁢

a
B

+

D
⁢

d
B

)

y

-

(

D
⁢

a
A

+

D
⁢

d
A

)

;

wherein the first and second acceptor impurities a A and a B and the first and second donor impurities d A and d B produces a doped area having a predetermined conductivity in the material; and
wherein the compensating impurity A causes formation of complete A x B y formula units in the crystal lattice structure so as to maintain a stoichiometry of the semiconductor material relative to the material's starting stoichiometry.

2. The semiconductor material according to claim 1 , further including a predetermined implanted dose D B of a second compensating impurity B which represents element B in the A x B y crystal lattice structure if the calculated D A is <0, a maximum dose D B being determined by the formula

D
B

=

y
⁡
(

D
⁢

a
A

+

D
⁢

d
A

)

x

-

(

D
⁢

a
B

+

D
⁢

d
B

)

.

3. The semiconductor material according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor material is a binary wide-bandgap (WBG) or ultrawide-bandgap (UWBG) semiconductor.

4. The semiconductor material according to claim 3 , wherein the semiconductor material is GaN, AlN, BN, or Ga 2 O 3 .

5. The semiconductor material according to claim 1 , wherein the total dose Da A +Da B of acceptor impurities is at least twice the total dose Dd A +Dd B of donor impurities such that the implantation of acceptors and donors produces an area having p-type conductivity in the material.

6. The semiconductor material according to claim 1 , wherein the total dose Dd A +Dd B of donor impurities is at least twice the total dose Da A +Da B of acceptor impurities such that the implantation of acceptors and donors produces an area having n-type conductivity in the material.

7. The semiconductor material sample according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor material sample includes a first total dose Da A +Da B of acceptor impurities and a first total dose Dd A +Dd B of donor impurities in a first predefined area of the semiconductor material sample and a second total dose Da A +Da B of acceptor impurities and a second total dose Dd A +Dd B of donor impurities in a second predefined area of the semiconductor material such that the implantation of acceptors produces a predetermined area having a p-n junction in the semiconductor material.

8. A semiconductor material having an area with a predetermined conductivity, comprising:
a doped semiconductor material having an (A x B (1-x) ) y C z crystal lattice structure;
the doped semiconductor material having a predefined area that includes
a predetermined implanted dose Da AB of a first acceptor impurity a AB which substitutes for at least one of element A and element B in the (A x B (1-x) ) y C z crystal lattice structure and/or a predetermined dose Da C of a second acceptor impurity a C which substitutes for element C in the (A x B (1-x) ) y C z crystal lattice structure;
a predetermined implanted dose Dd AB of a first donor impurity d AB which substitutes for at least one of element A and element B in the (A x B (1-x) ) y C z crystal lattice structure and/or a predetermined dose Dd C of a second donor impurity d C which substitutes for element C in the (A x B (1-x) ) y C z crystal lattice structure; and
a predetermined implanted dose D AB of a compensating impurity A which represents element A in the (A x B (1-x) ) y C z crystal lattice structure and/or a compensating impurity B which represents element B in the (A x B (1-x) ) y C z crystal lattice structure, a maximum dose D AB being determined by the formula

D

Assignees

• Us Gov Sec Navy

Inventors

• Feigelson Boris N
• Jacobs Alan G

Classifications

• H10P30/206 Primary

  into Group III-V semiconductors · CPC title

• H10P30/21 Primary

  of electrically active species · CPC title

• H10P30/204

  into Group IV semiconductors · CPC title

• H10P30/208

  of electrically inactive species · CPC title

• H10P34/20

  for inducing a nuclear reaction transmuting chemical elements · CPC title