Light-emitting element and method for manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9484713-B2
Application number	US-201514735755-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2015
Priority date	Apr 18, 2007
Publication date	Nov 1, 2016
Grant date	Nov 1, 2016

Abstract

A light-emitting element includes a mesa structure in which a first compound semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, an active layer, and a second compound semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type are disposed in that order, wherein at least one of the first compound semiconductor layer and the second compound semiconductor layer has a current constriction region surrounded by an insulation region extending inward from a sidewall portion of the mesa structure; a wall structure disposed so as to surround the mesa structure; at least one bridge structure connecting the mesa structure and the wall structure, the wall structure and the bridge structure each having the same layer structure as the portion of the mesa structure in which the insulation region is provided; a first electrode; and a second electrode disposed on a top face of the wall structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light-emitting device comprising:
a light-emitting structure, wherein at least an upper portion of the light-emitting structure has a columnar configuration;
a surrounding structure surrounding the light-emitting structure;
at least two connecting structures, each of the at least two connecting structures being connected to the light-emitting structure and the surrounding structure, wherein at least two gaps are disposed between the light-emitting structure and the surrounding structure, and each of the gaps are extending along a side surface of the columnar configuration of the light emitting structure;
an upper electrode; and
a compound-semiconductor surface consisting of compound semiconductor material;
wherein the light-emitting structure comprises:
a light-emitting-structure active region having an active-region compositional layer configuration;
a light-emitting-structure first region disposed above a substrate of the light-emitting device and below the light-emitting-structure active region, the light-emitting structure first region having a first-region compositional layer configuration;
a light-emitting-structure second region disposed above the light-emitting-structure active region, the light-emitting-structure second region comprising:
a light-emitting-structure-second-region first portion having a second-region-first-portion compositional layer configuration;
a light-emitting-structure-second-region second portion; and
a light-emitting-structure-second-region third portion having a second-region-third-portion compositional layer configuration;
wherein the light-emitting-structure-second-region first portion is disposed above the light-emitting-structure active region and below the light-emitting-structure-second-region second portion;
wherein the light-emitting-structure-second-region second portion is disposed above the light-emitting-structure-second-region first portion and below the light-emitting-structure-second-region third portion, the light-emitting-structure-second-region second portion comprising a current-constriction region and a light-emitting-structure insulation region, the light-emitting-structure insulation region surrounding the current-constriction region; and
wherein the light-emitting-structure-second-region third portion is disposed above the light-emitting-structure-second-region second portion;
wherein each of the at least two connecting structures comprises:
a connecting-structure active region having the active-region compositional layer configuration;
a connecting-structure first region disposed above the substrate of the light-emitting device and below the connecting-structure active region, the connecting-structure first region having the first-region compositional layer configuration;
a connecting-structure second region disposed above the connecting-structure active region, the connecting-structure second region comprising:
a connecting-structure-second-region first portion having the second-region-first-portion compositional layer configuration;
a connecting-structure-second-region second portion; and
a connecting-structure-second-region third portion having the second-region-third-portion compositional layer configuration;
wherein the connecting-structure-second-region first portion is disposed above the connecting-structure active region and below the connecting-structure-second-region second portion;
wherein the connecting-structure-second-region second portion is disposed above the connecting-structure-second-region first portion and below the connecting-structure-second-region third portion, the connecting-structure-second-region second portion comprising a connecting-structure insulation region; and
wherein the connecting-structure-second-region third portion is disposed above the connecting-structure-second-region second portion;
wherein the surrounding structure comprises:
a surrounding-structure active region having the active-region compositional layer configuration;
a surrounding-structure first region disposed above the substrate of the light-emitting device and below the surrounding-structure active region, the surrounding-structure first region having the first-region compositional layer configuration;
a surrounding-structure second region disposed above the surrounding-structure active region, the surrounding-structure second region comprising:
a surrounding-structure-second-region first portion having the second-region-first-portion compositional layer configuration;
a surrounding-structure-second-region second portion; and
a surrounding-structure-second-region third portion having the second-region-third-portion compositional layer configuration;
wherein the surrounding-structure-second-region first portion is disposed above the surrounding-structure active region and below the surrounding-structure-second-region second portion;
wherein the surrounding-structure-second-region second portion is disposed above the surrounding-structure-second-region first portion and below the surrounding-structure-second-region third portion, the surrounding-structure-second-region second portion comprising a surrounding-structure insulation region; and
wherein the surrounding-structure-second-region third portion is disposed above the surrounding-structure-second-region second portion;
wherein the upper electrode is disposed directly on at least a portion of the compound-semiconductor surface, the compound-semiconductor surface corresponding to a surface of the second-region-third-portion compositional layer configuration; and
wherein, in a cross-section vertical to a surface of the substrate, the upper electrode is disposed at a lateral distance away from a projection of an outer edge of the current-constriction region onto an upper surface of the light-emitting-structure-second-region third portion.

2. A light-emitting device according to claim 1 , wherein the upper electrode is disposed directly on at least a portion of the compound-semiconductor surface corresponding to a region of the surrounding structure.

3. A light-emitting device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the active-region compositional layer configuration comprises two or more active-region compositional layers, each of the two or more active-region compositional layers consisting of compound semiconductor material;
the first-region compositional layer configuration comprises one or more first-region compositional layers, each of the one or more first-region compositional layers consisting of compound semiconductor material;
the second-region-first-portion compositional layer configuration comprises a second-region-first-portion compositional layer, the second-region-first-portion compositional layer consisting of compound semiconductor material;
the second-region-third-portion compositional layer configuration comprises one or more second-region-third-portion compositional layers, each of the one or more second-region-third-portion compositional layers consisting of compound semiconductor material;
the current-constriction region has a current-constriction-region compositional layer configuration, the current-constriction-region compositional layer configuration comprising a current-constriction-region compositional layer, the current-constriction-region compositional layer consisting of compound semiconductor material; and
the light-emitting-structure insulation region, the connecting-structure insulation region, and the surrounding-structure insulation region each has a same insulation-region compositional layer configuration, the insulation-region compositional layer configuration comprising an insulation-region compositional layer, the insulation-region compositional layer consisting of oxidized compound semiconductor material.

4. A light-emitting

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Oki Tomoyuki
• Masui Yuji
• Yamauchi Yoshinori
• Koda Rintaro
• Arakida Takahiro

Classifications

• H01S5/04252

  characterised by the material · CPC title

• H01S5/04254

  characterised by the shape · CPC title

• H01S5/34313

  with a well layer having only As as V-compound, e.g. AlGaAs, InGaAs · CPC title

• H01S5/18311

  using selective oxidation · CPC title

• H01S5/3432

  the whole junction comprising only (AI)GaAs · CPC title