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US 12,684,899 B2Granted
III-nitride LED with UV emission by auger carrier injection
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsVincent Rienzi, Christian J. Zollner, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura
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Abstract
A III-nitride LED with simultaneous visible and ultraviolet (UV) emission, in which the visible emission is due to conventional InGaN active region mechanisms and the UV emission occurs due to Auger carrier injection into a UV light emitting region, such as impurity-doped AlGaN. The primary application for the III-nitride LED is general airborne pathogen inactivation to prevent the transmission of airborne-mediated pathogens while being safe for humans.
Claims15
A device, comprising:
- a III-nitride-based light emitting structure having both a visible light emitting region and an ultraviolet (UV) light emitting region, wherein:
- the visible light emitting region is an InGaN active region emitting violet and/or blue light;
- the UV light emitting region is an impurity-doped AlGaN and the impurity-doped AlGaN comprises one or more p-type or n-type AlGaN layers;
- and
- Auger recombination processes lead to generation of high-energy hot carriers in the InGaN active region and the hot carriers transport into the impurity-doped AlGaN layers where the hot carriers recombine to emit UV light.
2 more elements
A method, comprising:
- fabricating a III-nitride-based light emitting structure having both a visible light emitting region and an ultraviolet (UV) light emitting region, wherein:
- the visible light emitting region is an InGaN active region emitting violet and/or blue light;
- the UV light emitting region comprises impurity-doped AlGaN and the impurity-doped AlGaN comprises one or more p-type or n-type AlGaN layers;
- and
- Auger recombination processes lead to generation of high-energy hot carriers in the InGaN active region and the hot carriers transport into the impurity-doped AlGaN where the hot electrons recombine to emit UV light.
2 more elements
A device, comprising:
- a III-nitride-based ultraviolet (UV) light emitting structure, wherein:
- a large energy bandgap material is grown on or above or below a small energy bandgap material;
- the small energy bandgap material is an InGaN-based material;
- the large energy bandgap material is an AlGaN-based material;
- the large energy bandgap material is an emitting layer or active layer of the structure;
- and
- the small energy bandgap material generates high energy electrons or holes through Auger processes that are injected into the large energy bandgap material where the high energy electrons or holes recombine to emit UV light.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.