Molecular coatings of nitride semiconductors for optoelectronics, electronics, and solar energy harvesting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019214531-A1
Application number	US-201716315081-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 25, 2017
Priority date	Jul 26, 2016
Publication date	Jul 11, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Gallium nitride based semiconductors are provided having one or more passivated surfaces. The surfaces can have a plurality of thiol compounds attached thereto for enhancement of optoelectronic properties and/or solar water splitting properties. The surfaces can also include wherein the surface has been treated with chemical solution for native oxide removal and/or wherein the surface has attached thereto a plurality of nitrides, oxides, insulating compounds, thiol compounds, or a combination thereof to create a treated surface for enhancement of optoelectronic properties and/or solar water splitting properties. Methods of making the gallium nitride based semiconductors are also provided. Methods can include cleaning a native surface of a gallium nitride semiconductor to produce a cleaned surface, etching the cleaned surface to remove oxide layers on the surface, and applying single or multiple coatings of nitrides, oxides, insulating compounds, thiol compounds, or a combination thereof attached to the surface.

First claim

1 . A gallium nitride based semiconductor comprising a surface having attached thereto a plurality of thiol compounds for enhancement of optoelectronic properties and/or solar water splitting properties.

2 . The gallium nitride based semiconductor of claim 1 , wherein the thiol compounds are selected from the group consisting of monothiols and dithiols having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms.

3 . The gallium nitride based semiconductor of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the thiol compounds have a structure according to formula I, formula II, a derivative thereof, or a combination thereof:

wherein R 2 is a C 1 -C 20 alkyl or heteroalkyl group, optionally including one or more substituents,
wherein R 3 is a C 1 -C 20 alkyl or heteroalkyl group, optionally including one or more substituents, and
wherein R 4 is hydrogen or a C 1 -C 20 alkyl or heteroalkyl group, optionally including one or more substituents.

4 . The gallium nitride based semiconductor of claim 3 , wherein one or both of R 2 and R 3 is a C 1 -C 3 alkyl or heteroalkyl group, optionally including one or more substituents.

5 . The gallium nitride based semiconductor of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the thiol compounds is selected from the group consisting of 1,2-ethanedithiol (EDT), 1-Pentanethiol, octadecanethiol (ODT), 1-Nonanethiol, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.

6 . The gallium nitride semiconductor of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of metal atoms coordinated to one or more of the thiol compounds.

7 . The gallium nitride based semiconductor of claim 6 , wherein the metal atoms are selected from the group consisting of Ta, Ir, Pd, Pt, Ni, Au, Ag and Cu.

8 . The gallium nitride semiconductor of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor is selected from the group consisting of binary, quaternary, quanternary, and ternary (B, Al,Ga,In)N semiconductor alloys.

9 . A method of making a gallium nitride semiconductor according to claim 1 , the method comprising
cleaning a native surface of a gallium nitride semiconductor to produce a cleaned surface, etching the cleaned surface to remove oxide layers on the surface, applying one or more coatings of thiol compounds to the surface to produce the gallium nitride semiconductor having a plurality of thiol compounds attached to the surface.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising applying a coating of monolayer to 1-10000 nm containing metal or nitrides, oxides compound to achieve the desired optoelectronic properties, such as light extraction, electrical insulation, surface states passivation, charge carriers flow promotion/inhibition, and thermal dissipation.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the coating is achieved by solution dipping, physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, or photo deposition to engineer the physical and chemical properties of the surface.

12 . A gallium nitride based semiconductor comprising a surface:
(a) wherein the surface has been treated with chemical solution for native oxide removal and/or wherein the surface has attached thereto a plurality of nitrides, oxides, insulating compounds, thiol compounds, or a combination thereof to create a treated surface for enhancement of optoelectronic properties and/or solar water splitting properties; and (b) wherein the treated surface allows for one or more of improved light extraction, electrical insulation, surface states passivation, charge carriers flow promotion/inhibition, and thermal dissipation.

13 . The gallium nitride based semiconductor of claim 12 , wherein the chemical solution for oxide removal is selected from the group consisting of acidic solutions and alkaline solutions.

14 . The gallium nitride based semiconductor of claim 12 , wherein the nitrides, and oxides are selected from the group consisting of group-III elements such as B, Al, Ga, and In; transition metal elements such as Ta and Cr, and group-IV elements such as Si and Ge.

15 . The gallium nitride based semiconductor of claim 12 , wherein the thiol compounds are selected from the group consisting of monothiols and dithiols having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms.

16 . The gallium nitride based semiconductor of claim 12 , wherein the insulating compound are selected from the group consisting of parylene, and polymer-based photoresists.

17 . The gallium nitride based semiconductor of claim 12 ,
(i) wherein the surface has been treated with a chemical solution for oxide removal selected from the group consisting of acidic solutions and alkaline solutions; (ii) wherein the surface has attached thereto a plurality of nitrides or oxides, wherein the nitrides and oxides are selected from the group consisting of group-III elements such as B, Al, Ga, and In; transition metal elements such as Ta and Cr, and group-IV elements such as Si and Ge; and (iii) wherein the surface has attached thereto a plurality of thiol compounds, wherein the thiol compounds are selected from the group consisting of monothiols and dithiols having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms.

18 - 23 . (canceled)

24 . A method of making a gallium nitride semiconductor according to claim 12 , the method comprising
cleaning a native surface of a gallium nitride semiconductor to produce a cleaned surface, etching the cleaned surface to remove oxide layers on the surface, and applying single or multiple coatings of nitrides, oxides, insulating compounds, thiol compounds, or a combination thereof attached to the surface.

25 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising applying a coating of monolayer to 1-10000 nm containing metal or nitrides, oxides compound to achieve the desired optoelectronic properties, such as light extraction, electrical insulation, surface states passivation, charge carriers flow promotion/inhibition, and thermal dissipation.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the coating is applied by solution dipping, physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, or photo deposition to engineer the physical and chemical properties of the surface.

Assignees

• Univ King Abdullah Sci & Tech

Inventors

• Ng Tien Khee
• Zhao Chao
• Priante Davide
• Ooi Boon S
• Hussein Mohamed Ebaid Abdrabou

Classifications

• H01L33/44 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L33/32

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L2933/0025

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/02161

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/02167

  Electricity · mapped topic