# US 10,873,174 B2 · Light-emitting element and method of manufacturing the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,873,174 B2 - Document ID: US10873174B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/345,803 - Filed: 2017-09-01 - Published: 2019-08-29 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-02 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Susumu Sato; Tatsushi Hamaguchi; Shoichiro Izumi; Noriyuki Futagawa; Masamichi Ito; Jugo Mitomo; Hiroshi Nakajima - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10873174B2 ## CPC - H01S 5/1039: {Details on the cavity length} - H01S 5/18388: {Lenses} - H01S 5/0267: {Integrated focusing lens (H01S5/18388 takes precedence)} - H01S 5/183: having only vertical cavities, e.g. vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers [VCSEL] - H01S 5/18305: {with emission through the substrate, i.e. bottom emission} - H01S 5/18327: {Structure being part of a DBR (H01S5/18391 takes precedence)} - H01S 5/18361: {Structure of the reflectors, e.g. hybrid mirrors} - H01S 5/18369: {based on dielectric materials} - H01S 5/18375: {based on metal reflectors} - H01S 5/18377: {comprising layers of different kind of materials, e.g. combinations of semiconducting with dielectric or metallic layers} - H01S 5/34333: {with a well layer based on Ga(In)N or Ga(In)P, e.g. blue laser} - H01S 5/02355: Fixing laser chips on mounts - H01S 5/0425: {Electrodes, e.g. characterised by the structure} - H01S 5/04253: {having specific optical properties, e.g. transparent electrodes} - H01S 5/18311: {using selective oxidation} - H01S 5/18341: {Intra-cavity contacts} - H01S 2301/166: Single transverse or lateral mode - H01S 2304/02: MBE - 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 light-emitting element includes: a laminated structure body 20 which is formed from a GaN-based compound semiconductor and in which a first compound semiconductor layer 21 including a first surface 21a and a second surface 21b that is opposed to the first surface 21a, an active layer 23 that faces the second surface 21b of the first compound semiconductor layer 21, and a second compound semiconductor layer 22 including a first surface 22a that faces the active layer 23 and a second surface 22b that is opposed to the first surface 22a are laminated; a first light reflection layer 41 that is provided on the first surface 21a side of the first compound semiconductor layer 21; and a second light reflection layer 42 that is provided on the second surface 22b side of the second compound semiconductor layer 22. The first light reflection layer 41 includes a concave mirror portion 43, and the second light reflection layer 42 has a flat shape. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A light-emitting element, comprising: a laminated structure body which is formed from a GaN-based compound semiconductor and in which a first compound semiconductor layer including a first surface and a second surface that is opposed to the first surface, an active layer that faces the second surface of the first compound semiconductor layer, and a second compound semiconductor layer including a first surface that faces the active layer and a second surface that is opposed to the first surface are laminated; a first light reflection layer that is provided on the first surface side of the first compound semiconductor layer; and a second light reflection layer that is provided on the second surface side of the second compound semiconductor layer, wherein the first light reflection layer includes a concave mirror portion, and the second light reflection layer has a flat shape, a current injection region and a current non-injection region that surrounds the current injection region are provided in the second compound semiconductor layer, and a shortest distance DCI from an area central point of the current injection region to a boundary between the current injection region and the current non-injection region satisfies the following Expression, DCI≥ω0/2 provided that, ω02≡(λ0/π){LOR(RDBR−LOR)}1/2 where λ0 represents a wavelength of light that is mainly emitted from the light-emitting element, LOR represents a resonator length, and RDBR represents a radius of curvature of the concave mirror portion of the first light reflection layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein when a resonator length is set as LOR, a relationship of 1×10−5 m≤ LOR is satisfied. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein when the first light reflection layer is cut out on a virtual plane including a lamination direction of the laminated structure body, a figure that is drawn by an interface, which faces the laminated structure body, of a part of the concave mirror portion of the first light reflection layer is a part of a circle or a part of a parabola. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The light-emitting element according to claim 1, further comprising: a mode loss operation portion that is provided on the second surface of the second compound semiconductor layer and constitutes a mode loss operation region that operates on an increase and a decrease of an oscillation mode loss; a second electrode that is formed on the second surface of the second compound semiconductor layer and on the mode loss operation portion; and a first electrode that is electrically connected to the first compound semiconductor layer, wherein the second light reflection layer is formed on the second electrode, a current injection region, a current non-injection/inner region that surrounds the current injection region, and a current non-injection/outer region that surrounds the current non-injection/inner region are formed in the laminated structure body, and an orthogonal projection image of the mode loss operation region and an orthogonal projection image of the current non-injection/outer region overlap each other. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein a radius r′DBR of an effective region in the concave mirror portion of the first light reflection layer satisfies a relationship of ω0≤r′DBR ≤20·ω0. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein a relationship of DCI≥ω0 is satisfied. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein a relationship of RDBR≤1×10−3 m is satisfied. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The light-emitting element according to claim 1, further comprising: a mode loss operation portion that is provided on the second surface of the second compound semiconductor layer and constitutes a mode loss operation region that operates on an increase and a decrease of an oscillation mode loss; a second electrode that is formed on the second surface of the second compound semiconductor layer and on the mode loss operation portion; and a first electrode that is electrically connected to the first compound semiconductor layer, wherein the second light reflection layer is formed on the second electrode, a current injection region, a current non-injection/inner region that surrounds the current injection region, and a current non-injection/outer region that surrounds the current non-injection/inner region are formed in the laminated structure body, and an orthogonal projection image of the mode loss operation region and an orthogonal projection image of the current non-injection/outer region overlap each other. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein at least two layers of light absorption material layers are formed in the laminated structure body including a second electrode to be parallel to a virtual plane that is occupied by the active layer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein a compound semiconductor substrate is disposed between the first surface of the first compound semiconductor layer and the first light reflection layer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The light-emitting element according to claim 10, wherein the compound semiconductor substrate is constituted by a GaN substrate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The light-emitting element according to claim 10, wherein the concave mirror portion of the first light reflection layer includes a base portion that is a protruding portion of the compound semiconductor substrate, and a multi-layer light reflection film that is formed on at least a partial surface of the base portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The light-emitting element according to claim 10, wherein the concave mirror portion of the first light reflection layer includes a base portion that is formed on the compound semiconductor substrate, and a multi-layer light reflection film that is formed on at least a partial surface of the base portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the first light reflection layer is formed on the first surface of the first compound semiconductor layer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein a value of heat conductivity of the laminated structure body is higher than a value of heat conductivity of the first light reflection layer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein when a radius of curvature of the concave mirror portion of the light-emitting element is set as RDBR, a relationship of RDBR≤1×10−3 m is satisfied. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein a convex portion is formed at the periphery of the first light reflection layer, and the first light reflection layer does not protrude from the convex portion. ### Claim 18 A method of manufacturing a light-emitting element, comprising the successive steps of: forming a laminated structure body which is formed from a GaN-based compound semiconductor and in which a first compound semiconductor layer including a first surface and a second surface that is opposed to the first surface, an active layer that faces the second surface of the first compound semiconductor layer, and a second compound semiconductor layer including a first surface that faces the active layer and a second surface that is opposed to the first surface are laminated on a compound semiconductor substrate; forming a second electrode and a second light reflection layer on the second compound semiconductor layer; fixing the second light reflection layer to a support substrate; thinning the compound semiconductor substrate; forming a base portion that is a protruding portion in an exposed surface of the compound semiconductor substrate, or forming the base portion that is the protruding portion on the exposed surface of the compound semiconductor substrate; and forming a first light reflection layer on at least a part of the base portion, and forming a first electrode that is electrically connected to the first compound semiconductor layer, wherein the base portion constitutes a concave mirror portion, and the second light reflection layer has a flat shape, wherein a current injection region and a current non-injection region that surrounds the current injection region are provided in the second compound semiconductor layer, and a shortest distance DCI from an area central point of the current injection region to a boundary between the current injection region and the current non-injection region satisfies the following Expression, DCI≥ω0/2 provided that, ω02≡(λ0/π){LOR(RDBR−LOR)}1/2 where λ0 represents a wavelength of light that is mainly emitted from the light-emitting element, LOR represents a resonator length, and RDBR represents a radius of curvature of the concave mirror portion.