This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 2004-20993, filed on Mar. 27, 2004, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a GaN-based III-V group compound semiconductor light emitting device and a method of fabricating the same, and more particularly, to a GaN-based III-V group compound semiconductor light emitting device including a p-type electrode layer having low resistance and high light transmittance.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a light emitting diode (LED) using a Gallium nitride (GaN)-based compound semiconductor, a high-quality ohmic contact must be formed between a semiconductor layer and an electrode. An ohmic contact layer for a p-type GaN semiconductor layer may be a thin nickel (Ni)-based metal structure, i.e., a thin Ni-gold (Au) transparent metal layer (refer to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,877,558 and 6,008,539).
It is known that an ohmic contact having a low non-contact resistance of about 10−3 to 10−4Ωcm2 may be formed by annealing a thin Ni-based metal layer in an oxygen (O2) atmosphere. According to such low non-contact resistance, a nickel oxide (NiO), which is a p-type semiconductor oxide, is formed between and on island-shaped thin Au layers at the interface between GaN and Ni during annealing in an O2 atmosphere of 500° C. to 600° C. As a result, a Schottky barrier height (SBT) is reduced. The reduction of the SBT results in easily providing major carriers, i.e., holes, in the vicinity of the surface of GaN. Thus, an effective carrier concentration increases in the vicinity of the surface of GaN. Meanwhile, after contacting Ni/Au to a p-type GaN-based semiconductor layer and then being annealed so as to remove an Mg—H complex, reactivation occurs to increase the density of Mg dopant on the surface of the p-type GaN-based semiconductor layer. As a result, an effective carrier concentration increases to more than 1019/cm3 on the surface of the p-type GaN-based semiconductor layer, and thus tunneling conduction occurs between the p-type GaN-based semiconductor layer and an electrode layer (NiO) so as to obtain ohmic conduction properties.
In a case of a thin Ni/Au layer, Au improves conductivity so as to induce low contact resistance but has relatively low light absorbance, resulting in lowering light transmittance. Accordingly, a new ohmic contact material having high light transmittance is required to realize a GaN semiconductor light emitting device having high power and high luminance.
The present invention provides a semiconductor light emitting device including an ohmic contact metal system having improved light transmittance with respect to a GaN-based semiconductor layer.
The present invention also provides a method of fabricating the semiconductor light emitting device.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor light emitting device including: at least an n-type compound semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a p-type compound semiconductor layer, which are disposed between an n-type electrode and a p-type electrode. Here, the p-type electrode includes a first electrode layer which is formed of Ag or an Ag-alloy on the p-type GaN-based compound semiconductor layer and a second electrode layer which is formed of at least one selected from the group consisting of Ni, a Ni-alloy, Zn, a Zn-alloy, Cu, a Cu-alloy, Ru, Ir, and Rh on the first electrode layer.
It is preferable that the first electrode layer is formed to a thickness of 0.1 nm to 200 nm.
The first and second electrode layers may be annealed in an oxygen atmosphere so that at least portion of each of the first and second electrode layers is formed to be an oxide.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor light emitting device including: at least an n-type compound semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a p-type compound semiconductor layer, which are disposed between an n-type electrode and a p-type electrode. Here, the p-type electrode includes a first electrode layer which is formed of Ag or an Ag-alloy on the p-type GaN-based compound semiconductor layer, a second electrode which is formed of Ni or an a Ni-alloy on the first electrode layer, and a third electrode layer which is formed of at least one selected from the group consisting of Ni, a Ni-alloy, Zn, a Zn-alloy, Cu, a Cu-alloy, Ru, Ir, and Rh on the second electrode layer.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of fabricating a semiconductor light emitting device, including: sequentially stacking an n-type GaN-based compound semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a p-type GaN-based compound semiconductor layer on a substrate; sequentially patterning the p-type GaN-based compound semiconductor layer and the active layer to expose a portion of the n-type GaN-based compound semiconductor layer; forming an n-type electrode on the exposed portion of the n-type GaN-based compound semiconductor layer; forming a first electrode layer of Ag or an Ag-alloy on the patterned p-type GaN-based compound semiconductor layer; forming a second electrode layer of at least one selected from the group consisting of Ni, a Ni-alloy, Zn, a Zn-alloy, Cu, a Cu-alloy, Ru, Ir, and Rh on the first electrode layer; and annealing the resultant structure in which the second electrode layer has been formed.
It is preferable that the n-type electrode and the first electrode layer are formed using e-beam evaporation or thermal evaporation.
It is preferable that the annealing is performed for 10 seconds to 2 hours at a temperature of 200° C. to 700° C.
It is preferable that the annealing is performed under an oxygen atmosphere.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of fabricating a semiconductor light emitting device, including: sequentially stacking an n-type GaN-based compound semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a p-type GaN-based compound semiconductor layer on a substrate; sequentially patterning the p-type GaN-based compound semiconductor layer and the active layer to expose a portion of the n-type GaN-based compound semiconductor layer; forming an n-type electrode on the exposed portion of the n-type GaN-based compound semiconductor layer; forming a first electrode layer of Ag or an Ag-alloy on the patterned p-type GaN-based compound semiconductor layer; forming a second electrode layer of Ni or an Ni-alloy on the first electrode layer; forming a third electrode of at least one selected from the group consisting of Ni, a Ni-alloy, Zn, a Zn-alloy, Cu, a Cu-alloy, Ru, Ir, and Rh on the second electrode layer; and annealing the resultant structure in which the third electrode layer has been formed.
The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:
Hereinafter, a GaN-based III-V group compound semiconductor light emitting device, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and a method of fabricating the GaN-based III-V group compound semiconductor light emitting device will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In the drawings, the thicknesses of layers and regions are exaggerated for clarity.
A p-type electrode 20, which is a characteristic part of the present invention, is formed on the second compound semiconductor layer 16. The p-type electrode 20 includes a first electrode layer 22 which is formed of Ag or an Ag-alloy and a second electrode layer 24 which is formed on the first electrode layer 22. The second electrode layer 24 is formed of at least one of Ni, a Ni-alloy, Zn, a Zn-alloy, Cu, a Cu-alloy, Ru, Ir, and Rh.
Each of the first and second electrode layers 22 and 24 may be formed to the thickness of 0.1 nm to 200 nm, preferably, to the thickness of about 5 nm.
It is preferable that the transparent substrate 10 is formed of sapphire.
Meanwhile, an n-type electrode 30 is formed on the second region R2 of the first compound semiconductor layer 12.
The first and second electrode layers 22 and 24 may be annealed in an oxygen atmosphere, and thus at least portion of each of them may be changed into an oxide.
When a voltage greater than a threshold voltage necessary for light emission is applied to the p-type and n-type electrodes 20 and 30, the active layer 14 emits light. A portion of the light L1 emitted from the active layer 14 passes through the p-type electrode 20, and a portion of the light L2 passes through the transparent substrate 10, is reflected from a plate (not shown) disposed underneath the transparent substrate 10, and advances toward the p-type electrode 20.
A method of fabricating the GaN-based III-V group compound semiconductor light emitting device of
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The second metal layer 24 is formed on the first metal layer 22 using e-beam evaporation or thermal evaporation. The second metal layer 24 is formed of at least one of Ni, a Ni-alloy, Zn, a Zn-alloy, Cu, a Cu-alloy, Ru, Ir, and Rh. The second metal layer 24 may be formed to the thickness of 0.1 nm to 200 nm but preferably, to the thickness of about 5 nm.
The second photoresist layer pattern PR2 is then lifted off. Here, the first and second metal layers 22 and 24 on the second photoresist layer pattern PR2 are also removed. As a result, as shown in
Thereafter, the resultant structure in which patterning has been completed is annealed for 10 seconds to 2 hours at a temperature of 200° C. to 700° C. in an air or oxygen atmosphere. As a result, the p-type electrode 20 is formed on the surface of the p-type compound semiconductor layer 16 so as to form an ohmic contact with the p-type compound semiconductor layer 16.
In the meantime, the n-type electrode 30 may be formed after the second photoresist layer pattern PR2 is removed.
A p-type electrode 120, which is a characteristic part of the present invention, is formed on the p-GaN layer 116. The p-type electrode 120 includes a first electrode layer 122 which is formed of Ag or an Ag-alloy, a second electrode layer 124 which is formed on the first electrode layer 122, and a third electrode 126 which is formed on the second electrode layer 124. The second electrode layer 124 is formed of Ni or a Ni-alloy. The third electrode layer 126 is formed of at least one of Ni, a Ni-alloy, Zn, a Zn-alloy, Cu, a Cu-alloy, Ru, Ir, and Rh.
Each of the first, second, and third electrode layers 122, 124, and 126 may be formed to the thickness of 0.1 nm to 200 nm, preferably, to the thickness of 5 nm.
It is preferable that the transparent substrate 110 is formed of sapphire.
An n-type electrode 130 is formed on the second region R2 of the n-GaN layer 112.
A method of fabricating the GaN-based III-V group compound semiconductor light emitting device of
Processes of forming the n-GaN layer 112, the active layer 114, and the p-GaN layer 116, sequentially etching the p-GaN layer 116, the active layer 114, and the n-GaN layer 112, forming the n-type electrode 130 on the second region R2 of the n-GaN layer 112, and forming the second photoresit layer pattern PR2 in
The second and third metal layers 124, and 126 are sequentially stacked on the first metal layer 122. Here, the second metal layer 124 is formed of Ni or a Ni-alloy, and the third electrode layer 126 is formed of at least one of Ni, a Ni-alloy, Zn, a Zn-alloy, Cu, a Cu-alloy, Ru, Ir, and Rh.
Thereafter, the second photoresist layer pattern PR2 is removed. Here, the first, second, and third metal layers 122, 124, and 126 on the second photoresist layer pattern PR2 are also removed. Thus, as shown in
Next, the resultant structure in which patterning has been completed is annealed for 10 seconds to 2 hours at a temperature of 200° C. to 700° C. in an air atmosphere to form the p-type electrode 120 on the surface of the p-Gan layer 116 using the formation of an ohmic contact.
Referring to
Referring to
As described above, in a GaN-based III-V group compound semiconductor light emitting device according to the present invention, a p-type electrode shows an improved light transmittance although having a low resistance like a conventional Ni/Au electrode. Also, high-quality ohmic contact properties can be obtained.
While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2004-0020993 | Mar 2004 | KR | national |