Method for growing electron-blocking layer, epitaxial layer, and light-emitting diode chip

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12484341-B2
Application number	US-202318152912-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2023
Priority date	Nov 11, 2021
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

A method for growing an electron-blocking layer, an epitaxial layer, and an LED chip are provided in the present disclosure. The epitaxial layer includes an N-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, a P-type semiconductor layer, and an electron-blocking layer. The electron-blocking layer is disposed between the active layer and the P-type semiconductor layer, and the N-type semiconductor layer is disposed on one side of the active layer away from the electron-blocking layer. The electron-blocking layer includes a proximal aluminum barrier layer close to the active layer, a distal aluminum barrier layer close to the P-type semiconductor layer, and an indium well layer disposed between the proximal aluminum barrier layer and the distal aluminum barrier layer. The content of aluminum component in the distal aluminum barrier layer is lower than the content of aluminum component in the proximal aluminum barrier layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An epitaxial layer, comprising:
an N-type semiconductor layer; an active layer; a P-type semiconductor layer; and an electron-blocking layer, wherein the electron-blocking layer is disposed between the active layer and the P-type semiconductor layer, and the N-type semiconductor layer is disposed on one side of the active layer away from the electron-blocking layer; the electron-blocking layer comprising:
a proximal aluminum barrier layer close to the active layer;
a distal aluminum barrier layer close to the P-type semiconductor layer, a content of aluminum component in the distal aluminum barrier layer being lower than a content of aluminum component in the proximal aluminum barrier layer; and
an indium well layer disposed between the proximal aluminum barrier layer and the distal aluminum barrier layer;
at least one of the content of the aluminum component in the proximal aluminum barrier layer, the content of the aluminum component in the distal aluminum barrier layer, or a content of indium component in the indium well layer varies in a gradient manner, the proximal aluminum barrier layer comprises a first sub-layer, a second sub-layer, and a third sub-layer in sequence, and the first sub-layer is closest to the active layer, and from one side of the proximal aluminum barrier layer close to the active layer to one side of the proximal aluminum barrier layer away from the active layer, a content of the aluminum component in the first sub-layer gradually increases, a content of the aluminum component in the second sub-layer maintains unchanged, a content of the aluminum component in the third sub-layer gradually decreases, and peak values of the content of the aluminum component in the first sub-layer, the content of the aluminum component in the second sub-layer, and the content of the aluminum component in the third sub-layer are the same.

2 . The epitaxial layer of claim 1 , wherein the proximal aluminum barrier layer and the distal aluminum barrier layer each contain Aluminum Gallium Nitride (AlGaN).

3 . The epitaxial layer of claim 1 , wherein the indium well layer contains Indium Gallium Nitride (InGaN).

4 . The epitaxial layer of claim 1 , wherein the content of the aluminum component in the distal aluminum barrier layer is 45% to 75% of the content of the aluminum component in the proximal aluminum barrier layer.

5 . The epitaxial layer of claim 1 , wherein the gradient manner is a stepwise gradient.

6 . The epitaxial layer of claim 1 , wherein the gradient manner is a linear gradient.

7 . The epitaxial layer of claim 1 , wherein
the indium well layer comprises a fourth sub-layer and a fifth sub-layer in sequence, and the fourth sub-layer is closer to the active layer; and from one side of the indium well close to the active layer to one side of the indium well away from the active layer, a content of indium component in the fourth sub-layer gradually increases, and a content of indium component in the fifth sub-layer gradually decreases.

8 . The epitaxial layer of claim 1 , wherein
the distal aluminum barrier layer comprises a sixth sub-layer and a seventh sub-layer in sequence, and the sixth sub-layer is closer to the active layer; and from one side of the distal aluminum barrier close to the active layer to one side of the of the distal aluminum barrier away from the active layer, a content of aluminum component in the sixth sub-layer gradually increases, and a content of aluminum component in the seventh sub-layer gradually decreases.

9 . A light-emitting diode (LED) chip, comprising:
an N-type semiconductor layer; an active layer; a P-type semiconductor layer; an electron-blocking layer; an N-electrode electrically coupled with the N-type semiconductor layer; and a P-electrode electrically coupled with the P-type semiconductor layer, wherein the electron-blocking layer is disposed between the active layer and the P-type semiconductor layer, and the N-type semiconductor layer being disposed on one side of the active layer away from the electron-blocking layer; the electron-blocking layer comprising:
a proximal aluminum barrier layer close to the active layer;
a distal aluminum barrier layer close to the P-type semiconductor layer, a content of aluminum component in the distal aluminum barrier layer being lower than a content of aluminum component in the proximal aluminum barrier layer; and
an indium well layer disposed between the proximal aluminum barrier layer and the distal aluminum barrier layer,
at least one of the content of the aluminum component in the proximal aluminum barrier layer, the content of the aluminum component in the distal aluminum barrier layer, or a content of indium component in the indium well layer is in a gradient manner, the indium well layer comprises a fourth sub-layer and a fifth sub-layer in sequence, and the fourth sub-layer is closer to the active layer, and from one side of the indium well layer close to the active layer to one side of the indium well layer away from the active layer, indium component in the fourth sub-layer gradually increases, and indium component in the fifth sub-layer gradually decreases.

10 . The LED chip of claim 9 , wherein the gradient manner is a stepwise gradient.

11 . The LED chip of claim 9 , wherein
the proximal aluminum barrier layer comprises a first sub-layer, a second sub-layer, and a third sub-layer in sequence, and the first sub-layer is closest to the active layer; and from one side close of the proximal aluminum barrier layer to the active layer to one side of the proximal aluminum barrier layer away from the active layer, a content of a content of aluminum component in the first sub-layer gradually increases, a content of aluminum component in the second sub-layer maintains unchanged, a content of aluminum component in the third sub-layer gradually decreases, and peak values of the content of the aluminum component in the first sub-layer, the content of the aluminum component in the second sub-layer, and the content of the aluminum component in the third sub-layer are the same.

12 . The LED chip of claim 9 , wherein
the distal aluminum barrier layer comprises a sixth sub-layer and a seventh sub-layer in sequence, and the sixth sub-layer is closer to the active layer; and from one side of the distal aluminum barrier layer close to the active layer to one side of the distal aluminum barrier layer away from the active layer, a content of aluminum component in the sixth sub-layer gradually increases, and a content of aluminum component in the seventh sub-layer gradually decreases.

13 . A method for growing an electron-blocking layer, comprising:
growing a proximal aluminum barrier layer on a surface of an active layer away from an N-type semiconductor layer; growing an indium well layer on the proximal aluminum barrier layer; and growing a distal aluminum barrier layer on the indium well layer, a content of aluminum component in the distal aluminum barrier layer being lower than a content of aluminum component in the proximal aluminum barrier layer, wherein growing the proximal aluminum barrier layer on the surface of the active layer away from the N-type semiconductor layer comprises:
growing on the active layer a first sub-layer with a gradually increasing content of the aluminum component;
growing on the first sub-layer a second sub-layer with an unchanged content of the aluminum component; and
growing on the second sub-layer a third sub-layer with a gradually decreasing content of the aluminum component.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein gr

Assignees

• Chongqing Konka Photoelectric Tech Research Institute Co Ltd

Inventors

• Huang Zhaobin

Classifications

• H10H20/825

  containing nitrogen, e.g. GaN · CPC title

• H10H20/0137

  the light-emitting regions comprising nitride materials · CPC title

• H10H20/812

  within the light-emitting regions, e.g. having quantum confinement structures · CPC title

• H10H20/01335

  the light-emitting regions comprising nitride materials · CPC title

• H10H20/8162 Primary

  Current-blocking structures · CPC title