US 7,320,897 B2
Electroluminescence device with nanotip diodes
Sheng Teng Hsu, Camas, Wash. (US); Tingkai Li, Vancouver, Wash. (US); and Wei-Wei Zhuang, Vancouver, Wash. (US)
Assigned to Sharp Laboratories of Amrica, Inc., Camas, Wash. (US)
Filed on Mar. 23, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/90,386.
Prior Publication US 2006/0214172 A1, Sep. 28, 2006
Int. Cl. H01L 21/66 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 438—20  [438/713; 977/834] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for fabricating a silicon (Si) nanotip electroluminescence (EL) diode, the method comprising:
forming a plurality of Si nanotip diodes, where each nanotip diode is p/n junction nanotip structure, as follows:
forming a reactive ion etching (RIE)-induced polymer grass overlying a top surface of the substrate;
using the RIE-induced polymer grass as a mask, etching areas of the substrate not covered by the mask as follows:
etching using SF6 and C4F8 chemistries;
etching exposed portions of a Si n+ layer; and
exposing regions of the underlying Si p-well; and
forming the nanotip diodes in areas of the substrate covered by the mask;
forming a Si oxide phosphor layer overlying the nanotip diodes as follows:
following the exposure of underlying regions of the p-well, removing the remaining RIE-induced polymer grass, exposing n+ Si regions;
thermally oxidizing the exposed n+ and exposed p-well Si regions;
growing 1 to 5 nanometers (nm) of silicon oxide; and
depositing silicon oxide overlying the thermally grown silicon oxide; and
forming a top electrode overlying the Si phosphor layer.