Solid-state light source with small area contact
AssigneeSensor Electronic Technology, Inc.
InventorsGrigory Simin, Michael Shur, Alexander Dobrinsky
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A contact for solid state light sources is described. The solid state light source can include an active region, such as a light emitting multiple quantum well, and a semiconductor layer, such as a p-type layer, from which carriers (e.g., holes) enter the active region. A contact can be located adjacent to the semiconductor layer and include a plurality of small area contacts extending only partially through the semiconductor layer. The plurality of small area contacts can have a characteristic lateral size at an interface between the small area contact and the semiconductor layer equal to or smaller than a characteristic depletion region width for the plurality of small area contacts.
Claims20
A solid state light source comprising:
- an active region;
- a contact for injecting holes into the active region;
- and
- a p-type layer located between the active region and the contact, wherein the contact includes:
- a plurality of small area contacts extending only partially through the p-type layer;
- and
- a set of electrodes physically connecting the plurality of small area contacts,
- wherein the plurality of small area contacts have a characteristic lateral size at an interface between the small area contact and the p-type layer equal to or smaller than a characteristic depletion region width located at the interface between the plurality of small area contacts and the p-type layer.
A solid state light source comprising:
- an active region;
- a contact;
- a semiconductor layer located between the active region and the contact, wherein the contact includes a plurality of small area contacts extending only partially through the semiconductor layer, wherein the plurality of small area contacts have a characteristic lateral size at an interface between the small area contact and the semiconductor layer equal to or smaller than a characteristic depletion region width located at the interface between the plurality of small area contacts and the semiconductor layer, wherein the plurality of small area contacts form a plurality of clusters, and wherein the characteristic lateral size is less than 0.1 microns;
- and
- a trench extending completely through at least the semiconductor layer in a spacing between at least two of the plurality of clusters.
A solid state light source comprising:
- a light emitting multiple quantum well active region having a p-type side and an n-type side;
- a p-type contact;
- and
- a p-type semiconductor layer located between the active region and the contact on the p-type side, wherein the p-type contact includes:
- a plurality of small area contacts extending only partially through the semiconductor layer, wherein the plurality of small area contacts have a characteristic lateral size at an interface between the small area contact and the semiconductor layer equal to or smaller than a characteristic depletion region width located at the interface between the plurality of small area contacts and the semiconductor layer, and wherein the characteristic lateral size is less than 0.1 microns;
- and
- a set of electrodes physically connecting the plurality of small area contacts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.