Patent ID: 8822311

Claim:
A method for fabricating a III-nitride semiconductor device, the method comprising: providing a III-nitride substrate of a first conductivity type and characterized by a first dopant concentration; forming a first III-nitride epitaxial layer of the first conductivity type coupled to the III-nitride substrate, wherein the first III-nitride epitaxial layer is characterized by a second dopant concentration less than the first dopant concentration; forming a second III-nitride epitaxial layer of a second conductivity type coupled to the first III-nitride epitaxial layer; removing a portion of the second III-nitride epitaxial layer to expose a portion of the first III-nitride epitaxial layer; implanting ions into an implanted region of the exposed portion of the first III-nitride epitaxial layer, the exposed portion of the first III-nitride epitaxial layer adjacent to a remaining portion of the second III-nitride epitaxial layer; forming a first metal structure coupled to the remaining portion of the second III-nitride epitaxial layer; and forming a second metal structure coupled to the III-nitride substrate; wherein a charge density in the implanted region is substantially lower than a charge density in the first III-nitride epitaxial layer.