Light emitting element and method of manufacturing light emitting element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12408484-B2
Application number	US-202318525242-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2023
Priority date	May 27, 2020
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a light emitting element includes: an n-side nitride semiconductor layer growing process in which an n-side nitride semiconductor layer is grown; an active layer growing process in which an active layer comprising a plurality of nitride semiconductor well layers and a plurality of nitride semiconductor barrier layers is grown on the n-side nitride semiconductor layer, wherein the active layer is configured to emit ultraviolet light; and a p-side nitride semiconductor layer growing process in which a p-side nitride semiconductor layer is grown on the active layer. The active layer growing process includes: a first barrier layer growing process, a second barrier layer growing process, and a well layer growing process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a light emitting element, the method comprising:
an n-side nitride semiconductor layer growing process in which an n-side nitride semiconductor layer is grown;
an active layer growing process in which an active layer comprising a plurality of nitride semiconductor well layers and a plurality of nitride semiconductor barrier layers is grown on the n-side nitride semiconductor layer, wherein the active layer is configured to emit ultraviolet light; and
a p-side nitride semiconductor layer growing process in which a p-side nitride semiconductor layer is grown on the active layer, wherein:
the active layer growing process comprises:
a first barrier layer growing process in which a first barrier layer is grown by using a source gas comprising an Al source gas, a Ga source gas, and an N source gas, wherein, in the first barrier layer growing process, a flow rate for the Al source gas is in a range of 0.5 sccm to 2 sccm, a flow rate for the Ga source gas is in a range of 20 sccm to 50 sccm, and a flow rate for the N source gas is in a range of 4 slm to 10 slm,
a second barrier layer growing process in which a second barrier layer is grown on the first barrier layer by using a source gas comprising an Al source gas, a Ga source gas, an In source gas, and an N source gas, wherein, in the second barrier layer growing process, a flow rate for the Al source gas is in a range of 0.5 sccm to 2 sccm, a flow rate for the Ga source gas is in a range of 20 sccm to 50 sccm, a flow rate for the N source gas is in a range of 4 slm to 10 slm, and a flow rate for the In source gas is in a range of 3 sccm to 15 sccm, and
a well layer growing process in which a well layer having a smaller band gap energy than the second barrier layer is grown on the second barrier layer by using a source gas comprising a Ga source gas and an N source gas.

2. The method of manufacturing a light emitting element according to claim 1 , wherein:
in the second barrier layer growing process, the flow rate for the In source gas is in a range of 5 sccm to 10 sccm.

3. The method of manufacturing a light emitting element according to claim 1 , wherein:
in the well layer growing process, the flow rate for the Ga source gas is in a range of 20 sccm to 50 sccm, the flow rate for the N source gas is in a range of 4 slm to 10 slm, and the flow rate for the In source gas is in a range of 6 sccm to 25 sccm.

4. The method of manufacturing a light emitting element according to claim 2 , wherein:
in the well layer growing process, the flow rate for the Ga source gas is in a range of 20 sccm to 50 sccm, the flow rate for the N source gas is in a range of 4 slm to 10 slm, and the flow rate for the In source gas is in a range of 6 sccm to 25 sccm.

5. The method of manufacturing a light emitting element according to claim 3 , wherein:
in the well layer growing process, the well layer is grown without introducing the Al source gas.

6. The method of manufacturing a light emitting element according to claim 4 , wherein:
in the well layer growing process, the well layer is grown without introducing the Al source gas.

7. The method of manufacturing a light emitting element according to claim 1 , wherein:
in the second barrier layer growing process, the second barrier layer is grown to a smaller thickness than a thickness of the first barrier layer.

8. The method of manufacturing a light emitting element according to claim 1 , wherein:
in the first barrier layer growing process, the first barrier layer is grown to a thickness in a range of 10 nm to 35 nm.

9. The method of manufacturing a light emitting element according to claim 1 , wherein:
in the second barrier layer growing process, the second barrier layer is grown to a thickness in a range of from 3 nm to 25 nm.

10. A method of manufacturing a light emitting element, the method comprising:
an n-side nitride semiconductor layer growing process in which an n-side nitride semiconductor layer is grown;
an active layer growing process in which an active layer comprising a plurality of nitride semiconductor well layers and a plurality of nitride semiconductor barrier layers is grown on the n-side nitride semiconductor layer, wherein the active layer is configured to emit ultraviolet light; and
a p-side nitride semiconductor layer growing process in which a p-side nitride semiconductor layer is grown on the active layer, wherein:
the active layer growing process comprises:
a first barrier layer growing process in which a first barrier layer is grown by using a source gas comprising an Al source gas, a Ga source gas, and an N source gas,
a second barrier layer growing process in which a second barrier layer is grown on the first barrier layer by using a source gas comprising an Al source gas, a Ga source gas, an In source gas, and an N source gas, and

a well layer growing process in which a well layer having a smaller band gap energy than the second barrier layer is grown on the second barrier layer by using a source gas comprising a Ga source gas and an N source gas, wherein:
flow rates for the Al source gas, the Ga source gas, and the N source gas in the second barrier layer growing process are identical to flow rates for the Al source gas, the Ga source gas, and the N source gas in the first barrier layer growing process.

11. The method of manufacturing a light emitting element according to claim 10 , wherein:
in the second barrier layer growing process, the second barrier layer is grown to a smaller thickness than a thickness of the first barrier layer.

12. The method of manufacturing a light emitting element according to claim 10 , wherein:
in the first barrier layer growing process, the first barrier layer is grown to a thickness in a range of 10 nm to 35 nm.

13. The method of manufacturing a light emitting element according to claim 10 , wherein:
in the first barrier layer growing process, the flow rate for the Al source gas is in a range of 0.5 sccm to 2 sccm, the flow rate for the Ga source gas is in a range of 20 sccm to 50 sccm, and the flow rate for the N source gas is in a range of 4 slm to 10 slm, and
in the second barrier layer growing process, the flow rate for the Al source gas is in a range of 0.5 sccm to 2 sccm, the flow rate for the Ga source gas is in a range of 20 sccm to 50 sccm, the flow rate for the N source gas is in a range of 4 slm to 10 slm, and the flow rate for the In source gas is in a range of 3 sccm to 15 sccm.

14. The method of manufacturing a light emitting element according to claim 13 , wherein:
in the second barrier layer growing process, the flow rate for the In source gas is in a range of 5 sccm to 10 sccm.

15. The method of manufacturing a light emitting element according to claim 13 , wherein:
in the well layer growing process, the flow rate for the Ga source gas is in a range of 20 sccm to 50 sccm, the flow rate for the N source gas is in a range of 4 slm to 10 slm, and the flow rate for the In source gas is in a range of 6 sccm to 25 sccm.

16. The method of manufacturing a light emitting element according to claim 15 , wherein:
in the well layer growing process, the well layer is grown without introducing the Al source gas.

17. The method of manufacturing a light emitting element according to claim 10 , wherein:
in the second barrier layer growing process, the second barrier layer is grown to a thickness in a range of from 3 nm to 25 nm.

Assignees

• Nichia Corp

Inventors

• Kondo Hiroki

Classifications

• H10H20/01335

  the light-emitting regions comprising nitride materials · CPC title

• H10H20/825 Primary

  containing nitrogen, e.g. GaN · CPC title

• H10H20/824

  comprising only Group III-V materials, e.g. GaP · CPC title

• H10H20/811

  having quantum effect structures or superlattices, e.g. tunnel junctions · CPC title

• H10H20/018

  Bonding of wafers · CPC title