Control of Photoelectrochemical (PEC) Etching by Modification of the Local Electrochemical Potential of the Semiconductor Structure
- 技术优势
- PEC etching is a viable method for producing specific geometries in the III-nitride material system, forming three-dimensional structures that would be extremely challenging to produce with gas-phase etching processes or more standard wet chemical etching. The existence of a controlled three-dimensional etch process can give rise to numerous useful device geometries. Specifically, an undercut geometry is desirable in several applications including but not limited to microdisk resonators, air-gap DBRs, semiconductor membranes and cantilevers, electrical and optical apertures, and in substrate removal.
- 技术应用
- Bandgap-selective lateral etching
- 详细技术说明
- This invention describes a scheme for fabricating III-nitride semiconductor structures wherein a highly selective photo-induced etch is achieved through strategic modification of the local electrochemical potential of the semiconductor structure relative to the electrolyte. This is accomplished through: The suitable placement of electrically resistive (unintentionally-doped, doped, alloyed) or electron-blocking layers in the semiconductor structure. The selective placement of the cathode in PEC etching, wherein the cathode acts as a "channel" for the controlled collection of photo-generated electrons from the semiconductor layers with which it is in contact. The use of a suitable light source during PEC etching, which enables the photo-generation of electrons and holes in layers with bandgap energies lower than the energy of the incident light. The etch will not proceed without photo-induced carriers. The light source may be a laser or a broad-spectrum source with/without a filter. The use of a suitable electrolyte solution during PEC etching, wherein the concentration and type of electrolyte determines the etch rate and etch selectivity.
- *Abstract
-
A method for locally controlling an electrical potential of a semiconductor structure or device, and thus locally controlling lateral and/or vertical photoelectrochemical (PEC) etch rates.
- *IP Issue Date
- Jun 23, 2009
- *Principal Investigation
-
Name: Elaine Haberer
Department:
Name: Evelyn Hu
Department:
Name: Shuji Nakamura
Department:
Name: Rajat Sharma
Department:
- 附加资料
- Patent Number: US7550395B2
Application Number: US2005263314A
Inventor: Hu, Evelyn L. | Nakamura, Shuji | Haberer, Elaine D. | Sharma, Rajat
Priority Date: 2 Nov 2004
Priority Number: US7550395B2
Application Date: 31 Oct 2005
Publication Date: 23 Jun 2009
IPC Current: H01L0021302 | H01L0021461 | H01L003310
US Class: 438746 | 257E21215
Assignee Applicant: The Regents of the University of California
Title: Control of photoelectrochemical (PEC) etching by modification of the local electrochemical potential of the semiconductor structure relative to the electrolyte
Usefulness: Control of photoelectrochemical (PEC) etching by modification of the local electrochemical potential of the semiconductor structure relative to the electrolyte
Summary: For fabricating e.g. micro disk resonators, air-gap DBRs, semiconductor membranes, and electrical and optical apertures.
Novelty: Photoelectrochemical (PEC) etching control for fabricating e.g. micro disk resonators involves modifying local electrochemical potential of semiconductor structure with respect to electrolyte
- 主要类别
- 电子
- 细分类别
- 半导体
- 申请号码
- 7550395
- 其他
-
Background
PEC etching uses above-bandgap illumination to generate carriers (specifically holes) needed to etch III-nitrides. The electrochemical potential of the semiconductor material surface relative to the electrolyte causes holes to be drawn toward the semiconductor-electrolyte interface in n-type (unintentionally-doped or doped) material, allowing them to participate in the electrochemical reactions necessary for material removal. Because the etching mechanism relies heavily on the absorption of incident light and the electrochemical potential of the semiconductor material relative to the electrolyte, PEC etching can be defect-selective, dopant-selective, and bandgap-selective. Most applications of PEC etching have pertained to vertical etching of the material, either through direct illumination of the material surface, or by illumination through a masking layer. However, specific descriptions of local control of the etch process through modifications of the electrochemical component of etching have not been presented. Previously published and patented techniques that apply to III-nitride PEC etching suffer from certain limitations.
Additional Technologies by these Inventors
- Backside-Illuminated Photoelectrochemical (Bipec) Etching
- Reduced Dislocation Density of Non-Polar GaN Grown by Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy
- Growth of Planar, Non-Polar, A-Plane GaN by Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy
- Improved Manufacturing of Semiconductor Lasers
- Cleaved Facet Edge-Emitting Laser Diodes Grown on Semipolar GaN
- Enhancing Growth of Semipolar (Al,In,Ga,B)N Films via MOCVD
- GaN-Based Thermoelectric Device for Micro-Power Generation
- Growth of High-Quality, Thick, Non-Polar M-Plane GaN Films
- Method for Growing High-Quality Group III-Nitride Crystals
- Growth of Planar Semi-Polar Gallium Nitride
- MOCVD Growth of Planar Non-Polar M-Plane Gallium Nitride
- Lateral Growth Method for Defect Reduction of Semipolar Nitride Films
- Low Temperature Deposition of Magnesium Doped Nitride Films
- Growth of Polyhedron-Shaped Gallium Nitride Bulk Crystals
- Phosphor-Free White Light Source
- Packaging Technique for the Fabrication of Polarized Light Emitting Diodes
- LED Device Structures with Minimized Light Re-Absorption
- III-V Nitride Device Structures on Patterned Substrates
- Growth of Semipolar III-V Nitride Films with Lower Defect Density
- Improved GaN Substrates Prepared with Ammonothermal Growth
- Enhanced Optical Polarization of Nitride LEDs by Increased Indium Incorporation
- Semipolar-Based Yellow, Green, Blue LEDs with Improved Performance
- Hexagonal Wurtzite Type Epitaxial Layer with a Low Alkali-Metal Concentration
- Photoelectrochemical Etching Of P-Type Semiconductor Heterostructures
- Photoelectrochemical Etching for Chip Shaping Of LEDs
- Highly Efficient Blue-Violet III-Nitride Semipolar Laser Diodes
- Method for Manufacturing Improved III-Nitride LEDs and Laser Diodes: Monolithic Integration of Optically Pumped and Electrically Injected III-Nitride LEDs
- Semi-polar LED/LD Devices on Relaxed Template with Misfit Dislocation at Hetero-interface
- Limiting Strain-Relaxation in III-Nitride Heterostructures by Substrate Patterning
- Suppression of Defect Formation and Increase in Critical Thickness by Silicon Doping
- High Efficiency Semipolar AlGaN-Cladding-Free Laser Diodes
- Low-Cost Zinc Oxide for High-Power-Output, GaN-Based LEDs (UC Case 2010-183)
- Low-Cost Zinc Oxide for High-Power-Output, GaN-Based LEDs (UC Case 2010-150)
- Nonpolar III-Nitride LEDs With Long Wavelength Emission
- Method for Increasing GaN Substrate Area in Nitride Devices
- Flexible Arrays of MicroLEDs using the Photoelectrochemical (PEC) Liftoff Technique
- Optimization of Laser Bar Orientation for Nonpolar Laser Diodes
- UV Optoelectronic Devices Based on Nonpolar and Semi-polar AlInN and AlInGaN Alloys
- Low-Droop LED Structure on GaN Semi-polar Substrates
- Improved Fabrication of Nonpolar InGaN Thin Films, Heterostructures, and Devices
- Growth of High-Performance M-plane GaN Optical Devices
- Method for Enhancing Growth of Semipolar Nitride Devices
- Transparent Mirrorless (TML) LEDs
- Technique for the Nitride Growth of Semipolar Thin Films, Heterostructures, and Semiconductor Devices
- Planar, Nonpolar M-Plane III-Nitride Films Grown on Miscut Substrates
- High-Efficiency, Mirrorless Non-Polar and Semi-Polar Light Emitting Devices
- High Light Extraction Efficiency III-Nitride LED
- Tunable White Light Based on Polarization-Sensitive LEDs
- Method for Improved Surface of (Ga,Al,In,B)N Films on Nonpolar or Semipolar Subtrates
- Improved Anisotropic Strain Control in Semipolar Nitride Devices
- III-Nitride Tunnel Junction with Modified Interface
- Hybrid Growth Method for Improved III-Nitride Tunnel Junction Devices
- Contact Architectures for Tunnel Junction Devices
- Internal Heating for Ammonothermal Growth of Group-III Nitride Crystals
- Methods for Fabricating III-Nitride Tunnel Junction Devices
- Multifaceted III-Nitride Surface-Emitting Laser
- Laser Diode System For Horticultural Lighting
- Fabricating Nitride Layers
- Vertical Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers with Continuous Wave Operation
- Laser Lighting System Incorporating an Additional Scattered Laser
Tech ID/UC Case
22656/2005-207-0
Related Cases
2005-207-0
- 国家/地区
- 美国
