# US 10,320,146 B2 · Semiconductor light-emitting element, manufacturing method of semiconductor light-emitting element, and semiconductor device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,320,146 B2 - Document ID: US10320146B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/633,363 - Filed: 2015-02-27 - Published: 2015-09-10 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2014-03-10 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Kota Tokuda; Takayuki Kawasumi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10320146B2 ## CPC - H01S 5/22: having a ridge or stripe structure - H01S 5/04256: {characterised by the configuration} - H01S 5/2214: {based on oxides or nitrides} - H01S 5/2226: {semiconductors with a specific doping} - H01S 5/3054: {p-doping} - H01S 5/3213: {asymmetric clading layers} - H01S 5/2009: {by using electron barrier layers} - H01S 5/34333: {with a well layer based on Ga(In)N or Ga(In)P, e.g. blue laser} - H01S 2304/04: MOCVD or MOVPE - H01S: DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL ## Abstract A semiconductor light-emitting element includes a laminated structure which has an active layer between a first conductivity-type semiconductor layer and a second conductivity-type semiconductor layer, a first semiconductor layer which includes at least the first conductivity-type semiconductor layer of the laminated structure, an insulation film which is formed on the first semiconductor layer and has an opening, and a second semiconductor layer which is formed on the insulation film and includes at least the second conductivity-type semiconductor layer of the laminated structure. The second semiconductor layer includes a first region facing the opening of the insulation film and a second region not facing the opening, and the second region has a portion with a higher impurity concentration than the first region. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor light-emitting element comprising: an active layer between a first semiconductor layer of first conductivity-type and a compound semiconductor layer of a second conductivity-type, the second conductivity-type is opposite to the first conductivity-type; an insulation film between the compound semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer of the second conductivity-type, a first region of the second semiconductor layer is adjacent a second region of the second semiconductor layer in a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor light-emitting element, wherein the second semiconductor layer is between the insulation film and a contact layer of the second conductivity-type, the contact layer is in direct physical contact with the first region at a boundary between the first region and the contact layer, wherein the first region extends into an opening in the insulation film to a boundary between the compound semiconductor layer and the first region, the insulation film surrounds the opening in the cross-sectional view, wherein a first boundary portion of the first region is at the boundary between the compound semiconductor layer and the first region, a concentration for an impurity of the second conductivity-type in the second region is higher than a concentration for an impurity of the second conductivity-type in the first boundary portion of the first region, and wherein a second boundary portion of the first region is at the boundary between the first region and the contact layer, the concentration for an impurity of the second conductivity-type in the second region is higher than a concentration for an impurity of the second conductivity-type in the second boundary portion of the first region. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the first boundary portion of the first region is in direct physical contact with the compound semiconductor layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the active layer is a quantum well layer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the insulation film comprises a silicon oxide. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the insulation film is in direct physical contact with the compound semiconductor layer and the second region. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the insulation film is between the compound semiconductor layer and the second region in a manner that prevents the second region from being in direct physical contact with the compound semiconductor layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the compound semiconductor layer is between the first semiconductor layer and the insulation film. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the second region surrounds the first region in the cross-sectional view. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the second region has a smaller electrical resistivity than the first region. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the first region is in direct physical contact with the compound semiconductor layer and the contact layer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the contact layer is between an electrode and the second semiconductor layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 11, wherein the contact layer is in direct physical contact with the electrode and the second semiconductor layer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the concentration for an impurity of the second conductivity-type in the second region is higher than a concentration for an impurity of the second conductivity-type throughout the first region. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the concentration for the impurity of the second conductivity-type throughout the second region is higher than the concentration for the impurity of the second conductivity-type throughout the first region. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of the concentration for an impurity of the second conductivity-type throughout the portion of the second region to the concentration for an impurity of the second conductivity-type throughout the portion of the first region is from 2 to 20. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the second semiconductor layer contains nitrogen (N) and at least one element of gallium (Ga), aluminum (Al), indium (In), and boron (B). ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, further comprising: another electrode electrically connected directly to the first semiconductor layer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A semiconductor device comprising: the semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1.