# US 2013/0156060 A1 · Laser diode device and method of manufacturing laser diode device

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- Number: US 2013/0156060 A1
- Document ID: US20130156060A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/707,911
- Filed: 2012-12-07
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-15
- Assignees: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.; Sony Corporation
- Inventors: Noriyuki Futagawa; Hiroshi Nakajima; Katsunori Yanashima; Takashi Kyono; Masahiro Adachi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130156060A1

## CPC

- H01S 5/2206: {based on III-V materials}
- B82Y 20/00: Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
- H01S 5/04254: {characterised by the shape}
- H01S 5/320275: {semi-polar orientation}
- H01S 5/34333: {with a well layer based on Ga(In)N or Ga(In)P, e.g. blue laser}
- H01S 5/04252: {characterised by the material}
- H01S 5/2009: {by using electron barrier layers}
- H01S 5/22: having a ridge or stripe structure
- H01S 5/2201: {in a specific crystallographic orientation}
- H01S 2301/176: Specific passivation layers on surfaces other than the emission facet
- 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
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES

## Abstract

A laser diode device includes: a semiconductor substrate including a semi-polar surface, the semiconductor substrate being formed of a hexagonal III-nitride semiconductor; an epitaxial layer including a light emitting layer, the epitaxial layer being formed on the semi-polar surface of the semiconductor substrate, and the epitaxial layer including a ridge section; a first electrode formed on a top surface of the ridge section; an insulating layer covering the epitaxial layer in an adjacent region of the ridge section and a side surface of the ridge section, the insulating layer covering part or all of side surfaces of the first electrode continuously from the epitaxial layer; a pad electrode formed to cover a top surface of the first electrode and the insulating layer, the pad electrode being electrically connected to the first electrode; and a second electrode formed on a surface, of the semiconductor substrate, opposite to the semi-polar surface.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A laser diode device comprising:
a semiconductor substrate including a semi-polar surface, the semiconductor substrate being formed of a hexagonal III-nitride semiconductor;
an epitaxial layer including a light emitting layer, the epitaxial layer being formed on the semi-polar surface of the semiconductor substrate, and the epitaxial layer including a ridge section;
a first electrode formed on a top surface of the ridge section;
an insulating layer covering the epitaxial layer in an adjacent region of the ridge section and a side surface of the ridge section, the insulating layer covering part or all of side surfaces of the first electrode continuously from the epitaxial layer;
a pad electrode formed to cover a top surface of the first electrode and the insulating layer, the pad electrode being electrically connected to the first electrode; and
a second electrode formed on a surface, of the semiconductor substrate, opposite to the semi-polar surface.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The laser diode device according to claim 1, wherein the insulating layer is configured of an insulating material including one or more of SiO2, SiN, Al2O3, and ZrO2.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The laser diode device according to claim 2, wherein an end surface on a first electrode side of the insulating layer is positioned not to reach the top surface of the first electrode.

### Claim 4

A method of manufacturing a laser diode device, the method comprising:
preparing a semiconductor substrate including a semi-polar surface, the semiconductor substrate being formed of a hexagonal III-nitride semiconductor;
forming an epitaxial layer on the semi-polar surface of the semiconductor substrate, the epitaxial layer including a light emitting layer of the laser diode device;
etching the epitaxial layer to a predetermined depth thereof through a mask, and forming a ridge section in a shape of a stripe;
forming a first electrode in a region corresponding to the ridge section before the forming of the ridge section, or forming the first electrode on a top surface of the ridge section after the forming of the ridge section;
forming an insulating material layer on a surface of the epitaxial layer including a top surface of the first electrode;
etching the insulating material layer, and thereby forming an insulating layer, the insulating layer covering the epitaxial layer in an adjacent region of the ridge section and a side surface of the ridge section, and the insulating layer covering part or all of side surfaces of the first electrode continuously from the epitaxial layer;
forming a pad electrode, the pad electrode covering a top surface of the first electrode and the insulating layer, the pad electrode being electrically connected to the first electrode; and
forming a second electrode on a surface, of the semiconductor substrate, opposite to the semi-polar surface.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of manufacturing a laser diode device according to claim 4, wherein
the first electrode is formed before the forming of the ridge section, and
the ridge section is formed by etching with use of the first electrode as the mask.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of manufacturing a laser diode device according to claim 5, wherein
the etching of the insulating material layer is performed by using a resist film including an opening section as a mask, the opening section having a size with which the insulating material layer formed on the top surface of the first electrode is exposed and the insulating material layer formed on a top surface of the adjacent region of the ridge section is not exposed.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of manufacturing a laser diode device according to claim 6, wherein
the etching of the insulating material layer is stopped after the top surface of the first electrode is exposed and before the epitaxial layer is exposed.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of manufacturing a laser diode device according to claim 7, wherein the insulating layer is formed of an insulating material including one or more of SiO2, SiN, Al2O3, and ZrO2.