Stauffer Chemical Company

Diego J Olego

Rozalie Schachter

John A Baumann

Paul M Raccah

William E Spicer

Harvey B Serreze

Marcello Viscogliosi

Lewis A Bunz

David G Brock

Pnictide thin films, particularly phosphorus, grown on III-V semiconductors, particularly InP, GaP, and GaAs, are amorphous and have a novel layer-like, puckered sheet-like local order. The thin films are typically 400 Angstroms thick and grown preferably by molecular beam deposition, although other processes such as vacuum evaporation, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition, and deposition from a liquid melt may be used. The layers are grown on the &lt;100&gt; &lt;110&gt;, and surfaces of the III-V crystals. The pnictide layer reduces the density of surface states, and allows the depletion layer to be modulated, the surface barrier reduced, the electron concentration at the surface increased, and there is a decrease in the surface recombination velocity and an increase in the photoluminescence intensity. The layers may be utilized in MIS and Metal-semiconductor (Schottky) devices for example to insulate and passivate MISFETS, to passivate MESFETS, to reduce the surface current component of the reverse bias dark current in P-I-N and avalanche diodes, and to improve performance of opto-electronic devices such as light emitting diodes, lasers, solar cells, photo cathodes and photo detectors. The pnictide layer may be applied to intermetallic and compound semiconductors having a pnictide component. The pnictides may be phosphorus, arsenic, antimony or bismuth, or combinations thereof.

Passivation and insulation of III-V devices with pnictides, particularly

Pnictide thin films, particularly phosphorus, grown on III-V semiconductors, particularly InP, GaP, and GaAs, are amorphous and have a novel layer-like, puckered sheet-like local order. The thin films are typically 400 Angstroms thick and grown preferably by molecular beam deposition, although other processes such as vacuum evaporation, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition, and deposition from a liquid melt may be used. The layers are grown on the &lt;100&gt; &lt;110&gt;, and &lt;111&gt; surfaces of the III-V crystals. The pnictide layer reduces the density of surface states, and allows the depletion layer to be modulated, the surface barrier reduced, the electron concentration at the surface increased, and there is a decrease in the surface recombination velocity and an increase in the photoluminescence intensity. The layers may be utilized in MIS and Metalsemiconductor (Schottky) devices for example to insulate and passivate MISFETS, to passivate MESFETS, to reduce the surface current component of the reverse bias dark current in P-I-N and avalanche diodes, and to improve performance of opto-electronic devices such as light emitting diodes, lasers, solar cells, photo cathodes and photo detectors. The pnictide layer may be applied to intermetallic and compound semiconductors having a pnictide component. The pnictides may be phosphorus, arsenic, antimony or bismuth, or combinations thereof.

Passivation of InP by plasma deposited phosphorus

The semiconductor layer of an opto-electronic device has one or more films of a pnictide rich material deposited thereon. The pnictide has a smaller reflective index than the semiconductor layer. These films provide a wave-guiding effect to light within the semiconductor layer in opto-electronic devices, such as solid state lasers and light emitting diodes and wave guides interconnecting such devices.

Use of pnictide films for wave-guiding in opto-electronic devices

Metal-insulator-semiconductor devices are formed on III-V semiconductors utilizing a pnictide rich insulating layer. The layer may be applied by vacuum evaporation, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition, and from a liquid melt. Gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, and gallium phosphide substrates are insulated with an alkali metal high pnictide polypnictide, preferably a polyphosphide, having the formula MP.sub.x where x is equal to or greater than 15, including new forms of phosphorus grown in the presence of an alkali metal where x is much greater than 15. A KP.sub.15 layer is preferred. They may also be insulated with a layer of a solid elemental pnictide, namely phosphorus, arsenic, antimony or bismuth applied by one of the above named processes. An elemental phosphorus layer is preferred. A silicon nitride, Si.sub.3 N.sub.4, layer may be added on top of the pnictide layer to increase the breakdown voltage of the insulating layer.

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Croton-on-Hudson, NY, United States of America

Diego J Olego