Appeal 2006-2769
Application 09/846,980
I. APPEALED SUBJECT MATTER
The subject matter on appeal is directed to a method of producing
p-type III-V nitride layers in a light emitting diode (Specification 1 and 4).
Further details of the appealed subject matter are recited in representative
claims 1 and 31,1 which are reproduced below:
1. A method for manufacturing a p-type III-V nitride compound
semiconductor comprising:
growing in a chamber a III-V nitride compound semiconductor layer
at a first temperature while introducing acceptor impurities into said layer to
form an acceptor-doped layer, said chamber containing one or more gases
providing hydrogen such that said hydrogen passivates at least some of said
acceptor impurities;
cooling said acceptor-doped layer to a second temperature
significantly lower than said first temperature during a cool–down process;
preventing additional hydrogen from diffusing into said acceptor-
doped layer substantially during the cool-down process;
causing said acceptor-doped layer to be a p-type layer, having p-type
conductivity and a hold density between approximately 3x1015cm-3 and
1x1018cm-3, after said cool-down process; and
after said cooling, heating said p-type layer to a third temperature
greater than the second temperature and less than 625ºC to remove hydrogen
from said p-type later thereby increasing said hole density and lowering the
resistivity of said p-type layer.
1 The Appellants only argue the limitations recited in claims 1 and 31 in the
Brief and the Reply Brief (Br. 4-7 and Reply Br. 1-4).
2
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