Semiconductor Structures with Rare-earths

Abstract

The present invention discloses structures to increase carrier mobility using engineered substrate technologies for a solid state device. Structures employing rare-earth compounds enable heteroepitaxy of different semiconductor materials of different orientations.

1 . A solid state device comprising a structure comprising;
 a first semiconductor region substantially single crystal of first crystallographic orientation and first composition;   a second region substantially single crystal of second crystallographic orientation and second composition; and   a third semiconductor region substantially single crystal of third crystallographic orientation and third composition separated from the first region by the second region; wherein the second region is in contact with the first and third regions and comprises a rare-earth metal compound such that the third crystallographic orientation is different from the first crystallographic orientation and wherein the first and third compositions are not the same and the second composition is described by [RE1] u [RE2] v [J1] x [J2] y  wherein [RE] is chosen from a group consisting of the lanthanide series plus yttrium; [J1] and [J2] are chosen from a group consisting of Oxygen (O), Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P), and 0≦v, y≦5, and 0<u, x≦5 wherein the composition of the second region proximate the first region is different from the composition of the second region proximate the third region.   
     
     
         2 . A solid state device of  claim 1  wherein the second region introduces a predetermined strain into the first and third regions and the strain in the second region proximate the first region is different from the strain in the second region proximate the third region. 
     
     
         3 . A solid state device of  claim 1  wherein the composition of the first or third region is chosen from Group III-V elements. 
     
     
         4 . A solid state device of  claim 1  wherein the first or third composition is chosen from a group consisting of Group II-VI elements, zinc oxide (ZnO), zinc-oxynitride (ZnON) and zinc-magnesium-oxide (ZnMgO). 
     
     
         5 . A solid state device of  claim 1  wherein the solid state device comprises at least one device chosen from a group consisting of field effect transistors, multiple gate field effect transistors, vertical gate field effect transistors, electronic memories, magnetic sensors and storage, semiconductor optical amplifiers, semiconductor photo-detectors, semiconductor lasers, bipolar transistors, CMOS devices, light emitting devices, solar cells, photo-voltaic devices and thermoelectric devices. 
     
     
         6 . A solid state device comprising a structure comprising;
 a first semiconductor region substantially single crystal of first crystallographic orientation and first composition;   a second region substantially single crystal of second crystallographic orientation and second composition chosen from a group consisting of the lanthanide series plus yttrium, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus; and   a third semiconductor region substantially single crystal of third crystallographic orientation and third composition separated from the first region by the second region; wherein the second region is in contact with the first and third regions and the first, second and third crystallographic orientations are different and wherein the first, second and third compositions are different such that the composition of the second region proximate the first region is different from the composition of the second region proximate the third region and the second region compositions are chosen such that the second region introduces a predetermined strain into the first and third regions and the strain in the first region is different from the strain in the third region.   
     
     
         7 . A solid state device of  claim 6  wherein the composition of the first or third region is chosen from Group IV elements. 
     
     
         8 . A solid state device of  claim 6  wherein the composition of the first or third region is chosen from Group III-V elements. 
     
     
         9 . A solid state device of  claim 6  wherein the composition of the first or third region is chosen from a group consisting of Group II-VI elements, zinc oxide (ZnO), zinc-oxynitride (ZnON) and zinc-magnesium-oxide (ZnMgO). 
     
     
         10 . A solid state device comprising a structure comprising;
 a first semiconductor region substantially single crystal of first crystallographic orientation and first composition;   a second region substantially single crystal of second crystallographic orientation and second composition chosen from a group consisting of the lanthanide series plus yttrium, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus; and   a third semiconductor region substantially single crystal of third crystallographic orientation and third composition separated from the first region by the second region; wherein the second region is in contact with the first and third regions and the first, second and third crystallographic orientations are different and wherein the first, second and third compositions are different such that the composition of the second region proximate the first region is different from the composition of the second region proximate the third region and the second region compositions are chosen such that the second region introduces a predetermined strain into the first and third regions and the strain in the first region is different from the strain in the third region and the compositions of the first and third regions are chosen from a group consisting of Group II, III, IV, V, VI elements, zinc oxide (ZnO), zinc-oxynitride (ZnON) and zinc-magnesium-oxide (ZnMgO).