Semiconductor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9401420-B2
Application number	US-201414891942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2014
Priority date	May 31, 2013
Publication date	Jul 26, 2016
Grant date	Jul 26, 2016

Abstract

Semiconductor device including: silicon-based substrate; first buffer layer on silicon-based substrate and is formed of first layer containing Al composition and second layer containing less Al than the first layer, the first and second layers being alternately stacked; second buffer layer on the first buffer layer and is formed of third layer containing Al composition and fourth layer containing less Al than the third layer, the third and fourth layers being alternately stacked; and third buffer layer on the second buffer layer and is formed of fifth layer containing Al composition and sixth layer containing less Al than the fifth layer, the fifth and sixth layers being alternately stacked, wherein the second buffer layer contains more Al than the first and third buffer layers. Thus, the semiconductor device leakage can be suppressed while reducing stress which is applied to buffer layer and can improve flatness of active layer upper face.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A semiconductor device comprising:
a silicon-based substrate;
a first buffer layer that is provided on the silicon-based substrate and is formed of a first layer containing an Aluminum composition and a second layer containing less Aluminum composition than the first layer, the first layer and the second layer being alternately stacked;
a second buffer layer that is provided on the first buffer layer and is formed of a third layer containing an Aluminum composition and a fourth layer containing less Aluminum compostion than the third layer, the third layer and the fourth layer being alternately stacked; and
a third buffer layer that is provided on the second buffer layer and is formed of a fifth layer containing an Aluminum composition and a sixth layer containing less Aluminum composition than the fifth layer, the fifth layer and the sixth layer being alternately stacked,
wherein
the second buffer layer contains, as a whole, more Aluminum composition than the first buffer layer and the third buffer layer, and
the fourth layer has a thickness more than or equal to a critical film thickness and contains more dislocations than the second layer and the sixth layer.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an active layer provided on the third buffer layer,
wherein
the first layer is formed as a layer in which a first sublayer containing an Aluminum composition and a second sublayer containing less Aluminum composition than the first sublayer are repeatedly formed,
the fifth layer is formed as a layer in which a third sublayer containing an Aluminum composition and a fourth sublayer containing less Aluminum composition than the third sublayer are repeatedly formed,
the second sublayer and the fourth sublayer have a thickness less than the critical film thickness,
the second layer contains less Aluminum composition than the first sublayer and is thicker than the second sublayer,
the sixth layer contains less Aluminum composition than the fourth sublayer and is thicker than the fourth sublayer,
the fourth layer is thicker than the second sublayer and the fourth sublayer and is thinner than the second layer and the sixth layer.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 2 , wherein
the second sublayer, the second layer, the fourth layer, the fourth sublayer, and the sixth layer are formed of GaN.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 2 , wherein
the first sublayer, the third layer, and the third sublayer are formed of AlN.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 3 , wherein
the first sublayer, the third layer, and the third sublayer are formed of AlN.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein
a layer among a plurality of the third layers which is closer to the third buffer layer, contains less Aluminum composition.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 2 , wherein
a layer among a plurality of the third layers which is closer to the third buffer layer, contains less Aluminum composition.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein
a layer among a plurality of the third layers forming the second buffer layer, the layer disposed in a central part of the second buffer layer, contains less Aluminum composition than the third layers disposed on upper surface side of the second buffer layer and the third layers disposed on lower surface side of the second buffer layer.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 2 , wherein
a layer among a plurality of the third layers forming the second buffer layer, the layer disposed in a central part of the second buffer layer, contains less Aluminum composition than the third layers disposed on upper surface side of the second buffer layer and the third layers disposed on lower surface side of the second buffer layer.

Assignees

• Sanken Electric Co Ltd
• Shinetsu Handotai Kk
• Shanken Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shikauchi Hiroshi
• Sato Ken
• Goto Hirokazu
• Shinomiya Masaru
• Tsuchiya Keitaro
• Hagimoto Kazunori

Classifications

• H10P14/3416

  Nitrides · CPC title

• H10P14/3252

  Alternating layers, e.g. superlattice · CPC title

• H10P14/3216

  Nitrides · CPC title

• H10P14/2905 Primary

  Silicon, silicon germanium or germanium · CPC title

• H10D62/8503

  Nitride Group III-V materials, e.g. AlN or GaN · CPC title