US 12,218,255 B2
High voltage gallium nitride vertical PN diode
Luke Yates, Albuquerque, NM (US); Brendan P. Gunning, Albuquerque, NM (US); Mary H. Crawford, Albuquerque, NM (US); Jeffrey Steinfeldt, Rio Rancho, NM (US); Michael L. Smith, Albuquerque, NM (US); Vincent M. Abate, Albuquerque, NM (US); Jeramy R. Dickerson, Edgewood, NM (US); Andrew M. Armstrong, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM (US); Andrew Binder, Albuquerque, NM (US); Andrew A. Allerman, Tijeras, NM (US); Robert J. Kaplar, Albuquerque, NM (US); Jack David Flicker, Albuquerque, NM (US); and Gregory W. Pickrell, Rio Rancho, NM (US)
Assigned to National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Filed by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Filed on Jan. 10, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/572,360.
Application 17/572,360 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/589,428, filed on Oct. 1, 2019, granted, now 11,227,844.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/743,287, filed on Oct. 9, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0165888 A1, May 26, 2022
Int. Cl. H01L 29/861 (2006.01); H01L 29/20 (2006.01); H01L 29/45 (2006.01); H01L 29/66 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 29/8611 (2013.01) [H01L 29/2003 (2013.01); H01L 29/452 (2013.01); H01L 29/66136 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A high voltage gallium nitride vertical PN diode, comprising:
a high-doped n-type gallium nitride substrate or contact layer;
a low-doped n-type gallium nitride drift layer epitaxially grown on the gallium nitride substrate, wherein the drift layer is greater than 10 microns in thickness and has a donor concentration of less than 2×1015/cm3;
a p-type region comprising one or more p-type layers epitaxially grown on the drift layer, thereby forming a PN junction with the drift layer;
an ohmic cathode contact deposited on the high-doped n-type gallium nitride substrate or contact layer;
an ohmic anode contact deposited on the p-type region; and
a step-etched multi-zone junction termination extension structure laterally surrounding the anode contact in the p-type region.