Light emitting device and projector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016190385-A1
Application number	US-201514757401-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 23, 2015
Priority date	Dec 24, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In a light emitting device, a second electrode is provided over a ridge portion having a constant width in a plan view, a second cladding layer includes an electrical connection region electrically connected to the second electrode, the active layer constitutes a light waveguide through which light is guided in a region overlapping the ridge portion in the plan view, the light waveguide is provided with a first light emission surface and a second light emission surface from which the light is emitted, and, in the plan view, a width of the electrical connection region at a central position equidistant from the first light emission surface and the second light emission surface is smaller than a width of an end of the electrical connection region in an extending direction of the light waveguide.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A light emitting device comprising:
a first cladding layer; an active layer provided on the first cladding layer, the active layer being configured to generate light in accordance with a current injected thereinto; a second cladding layer provided on the active layer, the second cladding layer including a ridge portion, the ridge portion being thicker than a remaining portion of the second cladding layer; and a first electrode and a second electrode that inject the current into the active layer, wherein the second electrode is provided over the ridge portion, wherein the ridge portion has a constant width in a plan view, wherein the second cladding layer includes an electrical connection region electrically connected to the second electrode, wherein the active layer constitutes a light waveguide through which the light is guided in a region overlapping the ridge portion in the plan view, wherein the light waveguide has a first light emission surface and a second light emission surface from which the light is emitted, and wherein, in the plan view, a width of the electrical connection region at a central position equidistant from the first light emission surface and the second light emission surface is smaller than a width of an end of the electrical connection region in an extending direction of the light waveguide.

2 . The light emitting device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a contact layer provided between the ridge portion and the second electrode, wherein, in the plan view, a width of the contact layer at the central position is smaller than a width of the contact layer at the end of the electrical connection region.

3 . The light emitting device according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in the plan view, a width of the electrical connection region increases toward the end of the electrical connection region from the central position.

4 . The light emitting device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light waveguide extends in a tilted direction with respect to a normal line of the first light emission surface and a normal line of the second light emission surface.

5 . The light emitting device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light waveguide is provided with:
a first region including the central position;
a second region including the first light emission surface; and
a third region including the second light emission surface,
wherein the second cladding layer includes a plurality of noncontact regions that are not electrically connected to the second electrode, wherein the plurality of noncontact regions intersect the light waveguide in the plan view, and wherein, in the plan view, a ratio of an area in which the plurality of noncontact regions overlap the first region to an area of the first region is greater than a ratio of an area in which the plurality of noncontact regions overlap the second region to an area of the second region, and is greater than a ratio of an area in which the plurality of noncontact regions overlap the third region to an area of the third region.

6 . A projector comprising:
the light emitting device according to claim 1 ; a light modulation device configured to modulate the light emitted from the light emitting device according to image information; and a projection device configured to project an image formed by the light modulation device.

7 . A projector comprising:
the light emitting device according to claim 2 ; a light modulation device configured to modulate the light emitted from the light emitting device according to image information; and a projection device configured to project an image formed by the light modulation device.

8 . A projector comprising:
the light emitting device according to claim 3 ; a light modulation device configured to modulate the light emitted from the light emitting device according to image information; and a projection device configured to project an image formed by the light modulation device.

9 . A projector comprising:
the light emitting device according to claim 4 ; a light modulation device configured to modulate the light emitted from the light emitting device according to image information; and a projection device configured to project an image formed by the light modulation device.

10 . A projector comprising:
the light emitting device according to claim 5 ; a light modulation device configured to modulate the light emitted from the light emitting device according to image information; and a projection device configured to project an image formed by the light modulation device.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Nishioka Hiroki

Classifications

• G03B21/005

  Projectors using an electronic spatial light modulator but not peculiar thereto · CPC title

• H01S5/22 Primary

  having a ridge or stripe structure · CPC title

• G03B21/2033 Primary

  LED or laser light sources · CPC title

• H10H20/831

  characterised by their shape · CPC title

• H10H20/819

  characterised by their shape, e.g. curved or truncated substrates · CPC title