# US 10,121,936 B2 · Optoelectronic semiconductor chip comprising a multi-quantum well comprising at least one high barrier layer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,121,936 B2 - Document ID: US10121936B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/645,813 - Filed: 2017-07-10 - Published: 2017-10-26 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-07-25 - Assignees: OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH - Applicants: OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH - Inventors: Ivar Tangring; Felix Ernst - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121936B2 ## CPC - H10H 20/812: within the light-emitting regions, e.g. having quantum confinement structures - H10H 20/825: containing nitrogen, e.g. GaN - H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS ## Abstract An optoelectronic semiconductor chip including a multi-quantum well including at least one high barrier layer is disclosed. In an embodiment, the chip includes a p-type semiconductor region, an n-type semiconductor region and an active layer suitable for emission of radiation arranged between the p-type region and the n-type region, wherein the active layer is in the form of a multiple quantum well structure. The multiple quantum well structure has a plurality of alternating quantum well layers and barrier layers, wherein a barrier layer arranged closer to the p-type region than to the n-type region is a high barrier layer having an electronic band gap Ehb that is larger than electronic band gaps Eb of other barrier layers, and wherein a quantum well layer that adjoins the high barrier layer on a side facing towards the p-type region has a thickness that is greater than thicknesses of other quantum well layers. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optoelectronic semiconductor chip comprising: a p-type semiconductor region; an n-type semiconductor region; and an active layer suitable for emission of radiation arranged between the p-type semiconductor region and the n-type semiconductor region, the active layer comprising a multiple quantum well structure, the multiple quantum well structure having a plurality of alternating quantum well layers and barrier layers, wherein a barrier layer arranged closer to the p-type semiconductor region than to the n-type semiconductor region is a high barrier layer having an electronic band gap Ehb that is larger than electronic band gaps Eb of other barrier layers, and wherein a quantum well layer that adjoins the high barrier layer on a side of the high barrier layer facing towards the p-type semiconductor region has a thickness that is greater than thicknesses of other quantum well layers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor chip according to claim 1, wherein the high barrier layer has a band gap Ehb for which the following applies: Ehb−Eb≥0.05 eV. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor chip according to claim 1, wherein the multiple quantum well structure has not more than 10 high barrier layers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The optoelectronic semiconductor chip according to claim 3, wherein first k barrier layers starting from the p-type semiconductor region are high barrier layers, where k is a number between 1 and 10. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor chip according to claim 1, wherein the multiple quantum well structure has just one high barrier layer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The optoelectronic semiconductor chip according to claim 5, wherein the high barrier layer is arranged between a quantum well layer that is a mth quantum well layer starting from the p-type semiconductor region and an immediately adjacent quantum well layer, where m is a number between 1 and 20. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The optoelectronic semiconductor chip according to claim 6, wherein m=1. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor chip according to claim 1, wherein the multiple quantum well structure has a plurality of high barrier layers that are arranged closer to the p-type semiconductor region than to the n-type semiconductor region. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor chip according to claim 1, wherein the high barrier layer and the other barrier layers each comprise InxAlyGa1-x-yP or InxAlyGa1-x-yN, where 0≤x≤1, 0≤y≤1 and x+y≤1, and wherein an aluminum content y of the high barrier layer is greater than an aluminum content y of the other barrier layers. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor chip according to claim 1, wherein the high barrier layer and the other barrier layers each comprise InxAlyGa1-x-yAs, where 0≤x≤1, 0≤y≤1 and x+y≤1, and wherein an aluminum content y of the high barrier layer is greater than an aluminum content y of the other barrier layers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor chip according to claim 1, wherein the chip includes at least 10 other barrier layers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The optoelectronic semiconductor chip according to claim 11, wherein the chip includes at least 20 other barrier layers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor chip according to claim 1, wherein the number of other barrier layers having the band gap Eb is at least 5 times as great as the number of high barrier layer(s) having the increased band gap Ehb. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor chip according to claim 1, wherein the number of other barrier layers having the band gap Eb is at least 10 times as great as the number of high barrier layer(s) having the increased band gap Ehb. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor chip according to claim 1, wherein a quantum well layer that adjoins the high barrier layer on a side facing towards the p-type semiconductor region has an electronic band gap Elw that is smaller than a band gap Ew of other quantum well layers. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor chip according to claim 1, wherein the multiple quantum well structure is suitable for the emission of radiation in a wavelength range from 550 nm to 640 nm. ### Claim 17 An optoelectronic semiconductor chip comprising: a p-type semiconductor region; an n-type semiconductor region; and an active layer suitable for emission of radiation arranged between the p-type semiconductor region and the n-type semiconductor region, the active layer comprising a multiple quantum well structure, the multiple quantum well structure having a plurality of alternating quantum well layers and barrier layers, wherein a barrier layer arranged closer to the p-type semiconductor region than to the n-type semiconductor region is a high barrier layer having an electronic band gap Ehb that is larger than electronic band gaps Eb of other barrier layers, wherein a quantum well layer that adjoins the high barrier layer on a side facing towards the p-type semiconductor region has a thickness that is greater than thicknesses of other quantum well layers, wherein the multiple quantum well structure has just one high barrier layer, and wherein the high barrier layer is arranged between a quantum well layer that is a mth quantum well layer starting from the p-type semiconductor region and an immediately adjacent quantum well layer, where m is a number between 1 and 20. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The optoelectronic semiconductor chip according to claim 17, wherein m=1.