Semiconductor multilayer film mirror, vertical cavity type light-emitting element using the mirror, and methods for manufacturing the mirror and the element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10116120-B2
Application number	US-201715836776-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2017
Priority date	Dec 13, 2016
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

A semiconductor multilayer film mirror is configured such that a pair of an InAlN-based semiconductor film and a GaN-based semiconductor film is layered a plurality of times in a cyclic fashion and the InAlN-based semiconductor film has an In composition of less than 18 at %. The semiconductor multilayer film mirror includes a thin GaN cap layer formed on the InAlN-based semiconductor film and an AlGaN layer formed on the thin GaN cap layer between each pair of the InAlN-based semiconductor film and the GaN-based semiconductor film.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor multilayer film mirror comprising:
a plurality of pairs of an InAlN-based semiconductor film and a GaN-based semiconductor film, where each pair of the InAlN-based semiconductor film and the GaN-based semiconductor film is layered in a cyclic fashion, the InAlN-based semiconductor film having an In composition of less than 18 at %; and
a thin GaN cap layer formed on the InAlN-based semiconductor film and an AlGaN layer formed on the thin GaN cap layer, between each pair of the InAlN-based semiconductor film and the GaN-based semiconductor film.

2. The semiconductor multilayer film mirror according to claim 1 , wherein the AlGaN layer has an Al composition satisfying at least a lattice mismatch rate of 0.12% or less with the InAlN-based semiconductor film.

3. The semiconductor multilayer film mirror according to claim 1 , wherein the AlGaN layer has a thickness of at least 3 nm or more.

4. The semiconductor multilayer film mirror according to claim 1 , wherein the AlGaN layer has a graded Al composition.

5. The semiconductor multilayer film mirror according to claim 1 , wherein the AlGaN layer has a layered structure having two or more layers.

6. The semiconductor multilayer film mirror according to claim 1 , wherein the thin GaN cap layer has a thickness of 1 nm or more and 5 nm or less.

7. A vertical cavity type light-emitting element comprising:
a semiconductor multilayer film mirror as a first reflecting mirror comprising: a plurality of pairs of an InAlN-based semiconductor film and a GaN-based semiconductor film, where each pair of the InAlN-based semiconductor film and the GaN-based semiconductor film is layered in a cyclic fashion, the InAlN-based semiconductor film having an In composition of less than 18 at %; and a thin GaN cap layer formed on the InAlN-based semiconductor film and an AlGaN layer formed on the thin GaN cap layer, between each pair of the InAlN-based semiconductor film and the GaN-based semiconductor film;
a first semiconductor layer formed of at least one semiconductor layer on the first reflecting mirror;
an active layer formed on the first semiconductor layer;
a second semiconductor layer formed on the active layer and including at least one semiconductor layer having a conductivity type opposite to that of the first semiconductor layer; and
a second reflecting mirror disposed on the second semiconductor layer so as to be opposed to the first reflecting mirror.

8. The vertical cavity type light-emitting element according to claim 7 , wherein the AlGaN layer has an Al composition satisfying at least a lattice mismatch rate of 0.12% or less with the InAlN-based semiconductor film.

9. The vertical cavity type light-emitting element according to claim 7 , wherein the AlGaN layer has a thickness of at least 3 nm or more.

10. The vertical cavity type light-emitting element according to claim 7 , wherein the AlGaN layer has a graded Al composition.

11. The vertical cavity type light-emitting element according to claim 7 , wherein the AlGaN layer has a layered structure having two or more layers.

12. The vertical cavity type light-emitting element according to claim 7 , wherein the thin GaN cap layer has a thickness of 1 nm or more and 5 nm or less.

13. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor multilayer film mirror by atmospheric pressure metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy, the method comprising:
a layering step of layering a pair of an InAlN-based semiconductor film and a GaN-based semiconductor film a plurality of times in a cyclic fashion, wherein
the layering step includes:
a step of growing the InAlN-based semiconductor film so that the InAlN-based semiconductor film has an In composition of less than 18 at %;
a step of forming a thin GaN cap layer after the step of growing the InAlN-based semiconductor film;
a step of growing an AlGaN layer after the step of growing the thin GaN cap layer; and
a step of growing the GaN-based semiconductor film after the step of growing the AlGaN layer.

14. A method for manufacturing a vertical cavity type light-emitting element by atmospheric pressure metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy, the method comprising:
a step of forming a semiconductor multilayer film mirror under atmospheric pressure, as a first reflecting mirror, comprising: a layering step of layering a pair of an InAlN-based semiconductor film and a GaN-based semiconductor film a plurality of times in a cyclic fashion, wherein the layering step includes:
a step of growing the InAlN-based semiconductor film so that the InAlN-based semiconductor film has an In composition of less than 18 at %;
a step of forming a thin GaN cap layer after the step of growing the InAlN-based semiconductor film;
a step of growing an AlGaN layer after the step of growing the thin GaN cap layer; and

a step of growing the GaN-based semiconductor film after the step of growing the AlGaN layer;
a step of forming a first semiconductor layer formed of at least one semiconductor layer on the first reflecting mirror;
a step of forming an active layer on the first semiconductor layer;
a step of forming a second semiconductor layer, including at least one semiconductor layer having a conductivity type opposite to that of the first semiconductor layer, on the active layer; and
a step of forming a second reflecting mirror on the second semiconductor layer so as to be opposed to the semiconductor multilayer film mirror.

Assignees

• Univ Meijo
• Stanley Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takeuchi Tetsuya
• Akasaki Isamu
• Tanaka Shinichi
• Tanaka Kazufumi

Classifications

• H01S5/343

  in AIIIBV compounds, e.g. AlGaAs-laser {, InP-based laser} · CPC title

• H01S2304/04

  MOCVD or MOVPE · CPC title

• H01S5/028

  Coatings {; Treatment of the laser facets, e.g. etching, passivation layers or reflecting layers} · CPC title

• H01S5/18347

  Mesa comprising active layer · CPC title

• H01S5/32341

  blue laser based on GaN or GaP · CPC title