# US 11,309,454 B2 · Deep ultraviolet LED and method for producing the same

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- Number: US 11,309,454 B2
- Document ID: US11309454B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/964,881
- Filed: 2019-01-25
- Published: 2021-02-04
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2018-01-26
- Assignees: Marubun Corporation; Shibaura Machine Co., Ltd.; Riken; Ulvac, Inc.; Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd.; Nippon Tungsten Co., Ltd.; Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.; Dowa Holdings Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Marubun Corporation; Shibaura Machine Co., Ltd.; Riken; Ulvac, Inc.; Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd.; Nippon Tungsten Co., Ltd.; Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.; Dowa Holdings Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Yukio Kashima; Eriko Matsuura; Mitsunori Kokubo; Takaharu Tashiro; Hideki Hirayama; Noritoshi Maeda; Masafumi Jo; Ryuichiro Kamimura; Yamato Osada; Kanji Furuta; Takeshi Iwai; Yohei Aoyama; Yasushi Iwaisako; Tsugumi Nagano; Yasuhiro Watanabe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309454B2

## CPC

- H10H 20/814: having reflecting means, e.g. semiconductor Bragg reflectors
- H10H 20/01335: {the light-emitting regions comprising nitride materials}
- H10H 20/812: within the light-emitting regions, e.g. having quantum confinement structures
- H10H 20/825: containing nitrogen, e.g. GaN
- H10H 20/835: {Reflective materials}
- H10H 20/841: Reflective coatings, e.g. dielectric Bragg reflectors
- H10H 20/032: {of electrodes}
- H10H 20/034: {of coatings}
- H10H 20/872: {Periodic patterns for optical field-shaping, e.g. photonic bandgap structures}
- H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS

## Abstract

A deep ultraviolet LED with a design wavelength λ, including a reflecting electrode layer (Au), a metal layer (Ni), a p-GaN contact layer, a p-block layer made of a p-AlGaN layer, an i-guide layer made of an AlN layer, a multi-quantum well layer, an n-AlGaN contact layer, a u-AlGaN layer, an AlN template, and a sapphire substrate that are arranged in this order from a side opposite to the sapphire substrate, in which the thickness of the p-block layer is 52 to 56 nm, a two-dimensional reflecting photonic crystal periodic structure having a plurality of voids is provided in a region from the interface between the metal layer and the p-GaN contact layer to a position not beyond the interface between the p-GaN contact layer and the p-block layer in the thickness direction of the p-GaN contact layer, the distance from an end face of each of the voids in the direction of the sapphire substrate to the interface between the multi-quantum well layer and the i-guide layer satisfies λ/2n1Deff (where λ is the design wavelength and n1Deff is the effective average refractive index of each film of the stacked structure from the end face of each void to the i-guide layer) in the perpendicular direction, the distance being in the range of 53 to 57 nm, the two-dimensional reflecting photonic crystal periodic structure has a photonic band gap that opens for TE polarized components, and provided that the period a of the two-dimensional reflecting photonic crystal periodic structure satisfies a Bragg condition with respect to light with the design wavelength λ, the order m of a formula of the Bragg condition: mλ/n2Deff=2a (where m is the order, λ is the design wavelength, n2Deff is the effective refractive index of two-dimensional photonic crystals, and a is the period of the two-dimensional photonic crystals) satisfies 2≤m≤4, and the radius of each void is R, R/a satisfies 0.30≤R/a≤0.40.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A deep ultraviolet LED with a design wavelength λ, comprising a reflecting electrode layer (Au), a metal layer (Ni), a p-GaN contact layer, a p-block layer made of a p-AlGaN layer, an i-guide layer made of an AlN layer, a multi-quantum well layer, an n-AlGaN contact layer, a u-AlGaN layer, an AlN template, and a sapphire substrate that are arranged in this order from a side opposite to the sapphire substrate,
wherein:
a thickness of the p-block layer is 52 to 56 nm,
a two-dimensional reflecting photonic crystal periodic structure having a plurality of voids is provided in a region from an interface between the metal layer and the p-GaN contact layer to a position not beyond an interface between the p-GaN contact layer and the p-block layer in a thickness direction of the p-GaN contact layer,
a distance from an end face of each of the voids in a direction of the sapphire substrate to an interface between the multi-quantum well layer and the i-guide layer satisfies λ/2n1Deff (where λ is the design wavelength and n1Deff is the effective average refractive index of each film of the stacked structure from the end face of each void to the i-guide layer) in a perpendicular direction, the distance being in a range of 53 to 57 nm,
the two-dimensional reflecting photonic crystal periodic structure has a photonic band gap that opens for TE polarized components, and
provided that a period a of the two-dimensional reflecting photonic crystal periodic structure satisfies a Bragg condition with respect to light with the design wavelength λ, an order m of a formula of the Bragg condition: mλ/n2Deff=2a (where m is the order, λ is the design wavelength, n2Deff is an effective refractive index of two-dimensional photonic crystals, and a is the period of the two-dimensional photonic crystals) satisfies 2≤m≤4, and a radius of each void is R, R/a satisfies 0.30≤R/a≤0.40.

### Claim 2

A deep ultraviolet LED with a design wavelength λ, comprising a reflecting electrode layer (Au), a metal layer (Ni), a p-AlGaN contact layer transparent to light with the wavelength λ, a p-block layer made of a p-AlGaN layer, an i-guide layer made of an AlN layer, a multi-quantum well layer, an n-AlGaN contact layer, a u-AlGaN layer, an AlN template, and a sapphire substrate that are arranged in this order from a side opposite to the sapphire substrate,
wherein:
a thickness of the p-block layer is 44 to 48 nm,
a two-dimensional reflecting photonic crystal periodic structure having a plurality of voids is provided in a region from an interface between the metal layer and the p-AlGaN contact layer to a position not beyond an interface between the p-AlGaN contact layer and the p-block layer in a thickness direction of the p-AlGaN contact layer,
a distance from an end face of each of the voids in a direction of the sapphire substrate to an interface between the multi-quantum well layer and the i-guide layer satisfies λ/2n1Deff (where λ is the design wavelength and n1Deff is the effective average refractive index of each film of the stacked structure from the end face of each void to the i-guide layer) in a perpendicular direction, the distance being in a range of 53 to 61 nm,
the two-dimensional reflecting photonic crystal periodic structure has a photonic band gap that opens for TE polarized components, and
provided that a period a of the two-dimensional reflecting photonic crystal periodic structure satisfies a Bragg condition with respect to light with the design wavelength λ, an order m of a formula of the Bragg condition: mλ/n2Deff=2a (where m is the order, λ is the design wavelength, n2Deff is an effective refractive index of two-dimensional photonic crystals, and a is the period of the two-dimensional photonic crystals) satisfies 1≤m≤4, and a radius of each void is R, R/a satisfies 0.20R/a0.40.

### Claim 3

A deep ultraviolet LED with a design wavelength λ, comprising a reflecting electrode layer (Rh), a p-AlGaN contact layer transparent to light with the wavelength λ, a p-block layer made of a p-AlGaN layer, an i-guide layer made of an AlN layer, a multi-quantum well layer, an n-AlGaN contact layer, a u-AlGaN layer, an AlN template, and a sapphire substrate that are arranged in this order from a side opposite to the sapphire substrate,
wherein:
a thickness of the p-block layer is 44 to 48 nm,
a two-dimensional reflecting photonic crystal periodic structure having a plurality of voids is provided in a region from an interface between the reflecting electrode layer and the p-AlGaN contact layer to a position not beyond an interface between the p-AlGaN contact layer and the p-block layer in a thickness direction of the p-AlGaN contact layer,
a distance from an end face of each of the voids in a direction of the sapphire substrate to an interface between the multi-quantum well layer and the i-guide layer satisfies λ/2n1Deff (where λ is the design wavelength and n1Deff is the effective average refractive index of each film of the stacked structure from the end face of each void to the i-guide layer) in a perpendicular direction, the distance being in a range of 53 to 61 nm,
the two-dimensional reflecting photonic crystal periodic structure has a photonic band gap that opens for TE polarized components, and
provided that a period a of the two-dimensional reflecting photonic crystal periodic structure satisfies a Bragg condition with respect to light with the design wavelength λ, an order m of a formula of the Bragg condition: mλ/n2Deff=2a (where m is the order, λ is the design wavelength, n2Deff is an effective refractive index of two-dimensional photonic crystals, and a is the period of the two-dimensional photonic crystals) satisfies 1≤m≤4 and a radius of each void is R, R/a satisfies 0.20R/a0.40.

### Claim 4

A method for producing a deep ultraviolet LED with a design wavelength λ, comprising:
preparing a stacked structure formed on a sapphire substrate as a substrate for growth, the stacked structure including a reflecting electrode layer, a metal layer, a p-GaN contact layer, a p-block layer made of a p-AlGaN layer transparent to light with the wavelength λ, an i-guide layer made of an AlN layer, a multi-quantum well layer, an n-AlGaN contact layer, a u-AlGaN layer, and an AlN template that are arranged in this order from a side opposite to the sapphire substrate, the p-block layer being formed to a thickness of 52 to 56 nm through crystal growth;
forming a two-dimensional reflecting photonic crystal periodic structure having a plurality of voids in a region from an interface between the metal layer and the p-GaN contact layer to a position not beyond an interface between the p-GaN contact layer and the p-block layer in a thickness direction of the p-GaN contact layer, each of the voids being formed in a position such that a distance from an end face of the void in a direction of the sapphire substrate to an interface between the multi-quantum well layer and the i-guide layer is 53 to 57 nm;
preparing a mold for forming the two-dimensional reflecting photonic crystal periodic structure;
forming a resist layer on the p-GaN contact layer and imprinting a structure of the mold to the resist layer through nanoimprinting;
partially etching the p-GaN contact layer using the resist layer as a mask, thereby forming a two-dimensional photonic crystal periodic structure;
forming the metal layer in this order on the two-dimensional reflecting photonic crystal structure through oblique deposition; and
forming the reflecting electrode layer on the metal layer.

### Claim 5

A method for producing a deep ultraviolet LED with a design wavelength λ, comprising:
forming a stacked structure on a sapphire substrate as a substrate for growth, the stacked structure including a reflecting electrode layer, a metal layer, a p-AlGaN contact layer transparent to light with the wavelength λ, a p-block layer made of a p-AlGaN layer, an i-guide layer made of an AlN layer, a multi-quantum well layer, an n-AlGaN contact layer, a u-AlGaN layer, and an AlN template that are arranged in this order from a side opposite to the sapphire substrate, the p-block layer being formed to a thickness of 44 to 48 nm through crystal growth;
forming a two-dimensional reflecting photonic crystal periodic structure having a plurality of voids in a region from an interface between the metal layer and the p-AlGaN contact layer to a position not beyond an interface between the p-AlGaN contact layer and the p-block layer in a thickness direction of the p-AlGaN contact layer, each of the voids being formed in a position such that a distance from an end face of the void in a direction of the substrate for growth to an interface between the multi-quantum well layer and the i-guide layer is 53 to 61 nm;
preparing a mold for forming the two-dimensional reflecting photonic crystal periodic structure;
forming a resist layer on the p-AlGaN contact layer and imprinting a structure of the mold to the resist layer through nanoimprinting;
partially etching the p-AlGaN contact layer using the resist layer as a mask, thereby forming a two-dimensional photonic crystal periodic structure;
forming the metal layer on the two-dimensional reflecting photonic crystal structure through oblique deposition; and
forming the reflecting electrode layer on the metal layer.

### Claim 6

A method for producing a deep ultraviolet LED with a design wavelength λ, comprising:
forming a stacked structure on a sapphire substrate as a substrate for growth, the stacked structure including a reflecting electrode layer, a p-AlGaN contact layer transparent to light with the wavelength λ, a p-block layer made of a p-AlGaN layer, an i-guide layer made of an AlN layer, a multi-quantum well layer, an n-AlGaN contact layer, a u-AlGaN layer, and an AlN template that are arranged in this order from a side opposite to the sapphire substrate, the p-block layer being formed to a thickness of 44 to 48 nm through crystal growth;
forming a two-dimensional reflecting photonic crystal periodic structure having a plurality of voids in a region from an interface between the reflecting electrode and the p-AlGaN contact layer to a position not beyond an interface between the p-AlGaN contact layer and the p-block layer in a thickness direction of the p-AlGaN contact layer;
forming each of the voids in a position such that a distance from an end face of the void in a direction of the substrate for growth to an interface between the multi-quantum well layer and the i-guide layer is 53 to 61 nm;
preparing a mold for forming the two-dimensional reflecting photonic crystal periodic structure;
forming a resist layer on the p-AlGaN contact layer and imprinting a structure of the mold to the resist layer through nanoimprinting;
partially etching the p-AlGaN contact layer using the resist layer as a mask, thereby forming a two-dimensional photonic crystal periodic structure; and
forming the reflecting electrode layer on the two-dimensional reflecting photonic crystal structure through oblique deposition.