Semiconductor structures having electrically insulating and conducting portions formed from an AlSb-alloy layer
Abstract
The semiconductor structure comprises a plurality of semiconductor layers formed on a substrate including at least one layer of a III-V compound semiconductor alloy comprising aluminum (Al) and antimony (Sb), with at least a part of the AlSb-alloy layer being chemically converted by an oxidation process to form superposed electrically insulating and electrically conducting portions. The electrically insulating portion formed from the AlSb-alloy layer comprises an oxide of aluminum (e.g., Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}), while the electrically conducting portion comprises Sb. A lateral oxidation process allows formation of the superposed insulating and conducting portions below monocrystalline semiconductor layers for forming many different types of semiconductor structures having particular utility for optoelectronic devices such as light-emitting diodes, edge-emitting lasers, vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, photodetectors and optical modulators (waveguide and surface normal), and for electronic devices such as heterojunction bipolar transistors, field-effect transistors and quantum-effect devices. The invention is expected to be particularly useful for forming light-emitting devices for use in the 1.3--1.6 {mu}m wavelength range, with the AlSb-alloy layer acting to define an active region of the device and to effectively channel an electrical current therein for efficient light generation. 10 figs.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 597152
- Patent Number(s):
- 5726462
- Application Number:
- PAN: 8-597,730
- Assignee:
- Sandia Corp., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 10 Mar 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 42 ENGINEERING NOT INCLUDED IN OTHER CATEGORIES; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS; ALUMINIUM ALLOYS; ANTIMONIDES; ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY; FABRICATION
Citation Formats
Spahn, O B, and Lear, K L. Semiconductor structures having electrically insulating and conducting portions formed from an AlSb-alloy layer. United States: N. p., 1998.
Web.
Spahn, O B, & Lear, K L. Semiconductor structures having electrically insulating and conducting portions formed from an AlSb-alloy layer. United States.
Spahn, O B, and Lear, K L. Tue .
"Semiconductor structures having electrically insulating and conducting portions formed from an AlSb-alloy layer". United States.
@article{osti_597152,
title = {Semiconductor structures having electrically insulating and conducting portions formed from an AlSb-alloy layer},
author = {Spahn, O B and Lear, K L},
abstractNote = {The semiconductor structure comprises a plurality of semiconductor layers formed on a substrate including at least one layer of a III-V compound semiconductor alloy comprising aluminum (Al) and antimony (Sb), with at least a part of the AlSb-alloy layer being chemically converted by an oxidation process to form superposed electrically insulating and electrically conducting portions. The electrically insulating portion formed from the AlSb-alloy layer comprises an oxide of aluminum (e.g., Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}), while the electrically conducting portion comprises Sb. A lateral oxidation process allows formation of the superposed insulating and conducting portions below monocrystalline semiconductor layers for forming many different types of semiconductor structures having particular utility for optoelectronic devices such as light-emitting diodes, edge-emitting lasers, vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, photodetectors and optical modulators (waveguide and surface normal), and for electronic devices such as heterojunction bipolar transistors, field-effect transistors and quantum-effect devices. The invention is expected to be particularly useful for forming light-emitting devices for use in the 1.3--1.6 {mu}m wavelength range, with the AlSb-alloy layer acting to define an active region of the device and to effectively channel an electrical current therein for efficient light generation. 10 figs.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Mar 10 00:00:00 EST 1998},
month = {Tue Mar 10 00:00:00 EST 1998}
}