Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9263639-B2
Application number	US-201414329809-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2014
Priority date	Jul 25, 2013
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

The present invention provides a Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device exhibiting improved emission output. The light-emitting device comprises an n-type contact layer on which an n-electrode is formed, a light-emitting layer, an n-type cladding layer formed between the light-emitting layer and the n-type contact layer. The n-type cladding layer has a structure of at least two layers including a first n-type cladding layer closer to the light-emitting layer and a second n-type cladding layer farther from the light-emitting layer than the first n-type cladding layer. The first n-type cladding layer has a Si concentration higher than that of the second n-type cladding layer, and the first n-type cladding layer has a thickness smaller than that of the second n-type cladding layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device having a plurality of Group III nitride semiconductor layers on a surface of Group III nitride semiconductor substrate, the light-emitting device comprising:
an n-type contact layer on which an n-electrode is formed, a light-emitting layer, an n-type cladding layer formed between the light-emitting layer and the n-type contact layer;
wherein the n-type cladding layer has a structure of at least two layers including a first n-type cladding layer closer to the light-emitting layer and a second n-type cladding layer farther from the light-emitting layer than the first n-type cladding layer; and
the first n-type cladding layer has a Si concentration higher than that of the second n-type cladding layer, and the first n-type cladding layer has a thickness smaller than that of the second n-type cladding layer.

2. The Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1 , wherein the pit density is 5.0×10 6 /cm 2 or less on a top surface opposite to the n-type cladding layer of the light-emitting layer.

3. The Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1 , wherein the pit diameter is 100 nm or less on a top surface opposite to the n-type cladding layer of the light-emitting layer.

4. The Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1 , wherein the second n-type cladding layer has a Si concentration of 1.0×10 18 /cm 3 to 5.0×10 18 /cm 3 .

5. The Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1 , wherein the second n-type cladding layer has a thickness of 100 nm to 500 nm.

6. The Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1 , wherein the first n-type cladding layer has a thickness of 5 nm to 50 nm.

7. The Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 6 , wherein the pit density is 5.0×10 6 /cm 2 or less on a top surface opposite to the n-type cladding layer of the light-emitting layer.

8. The Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 6 , wherein the pit diameter is 100 nm or less on a top surface opposite to the n-type cladding layer of the light-emitting layer.

9. The Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1 , wherein the first n-type cladding layer has a Si concentration of 1.0×10 19 /cm 3 to 2.5×10 19 /cm 3 .

10. The Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 9 , wherein the pit density is 5.0×10 6 /cm 2 or less on a top surface opposite to the n-type cladding layer of the light-emitting layer.

11. The Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 9 , wherein the pit diameter is 100 nm or less on a top surface opposite to the n-type cladding layer of the light-emitting layer.

12. The Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 9 , wherein the first n-type cladding layer has a thickness of 5 nm to 50 nm.

13. The Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 12 , wherein the second n-type cladding layer has a Si concentration of 1.0×10 18 /cm 3 to 5.0×10 18 /cm 3 .

14. The Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 12 , wherein the second n-type cladding layer has a thickness of 100 nm to 500 nm.

15. A Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device having a plurality of Group III nitride semiconductor layers on a surface of a substrate of a material different from Group III nitride semiconductor, the light-emitting device comprising:
an n-type contact layer on which an n-electrode is formed, a light-emitting layer, an n-type cladding layer formed between the light-emitting layer and the n-type contact layer;
wherein the pit density is 5.0×10 6 /cm 2 or less, and the pit diameter is 100 nm or less on a top surface opposite to the n-type cladding layer of the light-emitting layer;
the n-type cladding layer has a structure of at least two layers including a first n-type cladding layer closer to the light-emitting layer and a second n-type cladding layer farther from the light-emitting layer than the first n-type cladding layer; and
the first n-type cladding layer has a Si concentration higher than that of the second n-type cladding layer, and the first n-type cladding layer has a thickness smaller than that of the second n-type cladding layer.

16. The Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 15 , wherein the first n-type cladding layer has a Si concentration of 1.0×10 19 /cm 3 to 2.5×10 19 /cm 3 .

17. The Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 15 , wherein the first n-type cladding layer has a thickness of 5 nm to 50 nm.

18. The Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 15 , wherein the second n-type cladding layer has a Si concentration 1.0×10 18 /cm 3 to 5.0×10 18 /cm 3 .

19. The Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 15 , wherein the second n-type cladding layer has a thickness of 100 nm to 500 nm.

Assignees

• Toyoda Gosei Kk

Inventors

• Aoki Masato
• Saito Yoshiki

Classifications

• H10H20/0137

  the light-emitting regions comprising nitride materials · CPC title

• H10H20/8252

  characterised by the dopants · CPC title

• H10H20/8215 Primary

  characterised by crystalline imperfections, e.g. dislocations; characterised by the distribution of dopants, e.g. delta-doping · CPC title

• H10H20/8242 Primary

  characterised by the dopants · CPC title

• H01L33/0075

  Electricity · mapped topic