# US 2014/0151728 A1 · Led with improved injection efficiency

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- Number: US 2014/0151728 A1
- Document ID: US20140151728A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/175,623
- Filed: 2014-02-07
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2009-11-25
- Assignees: Toshiba Techno Center Inc.
- Applicants: Toshiba Techno Center Inc.
- Inventors: Steven LESTER; Jeff RAMER; Jun WU; Ling ZHANG
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151728A1

## CPC

- H10H 20/82: Roughened surfaces, e.g. at the interface between epitaxial layers
- H10H 20/00: Individual inorganic light-emitting semiconductor devices having potential barriers, e.g. light-emitting diodes [LED]
- H10H 20/812: within the light-emitting regions, e.g. having quantum confinement structures
- H10H 20/819: characterised by their shape, e.g. curved or truncated substrates
- H10H 20/8215: {characterised by crystalline imperfections, e.g. dislocations; characterised by the distribution of dopants, e.g. delta-doping}
- H10H 20/825: containing nitrogen, e.g. GaN
- H10P 14/24: using chemical vapour deposition [CVD]
- H10P 14/2901: {Materials}
- H10P 14/2925: {Surface structures}
- H10P 14/3216: {Nitrides}
- H10P 14/3242: {Structure}
- H10P 14/3251: {consisting of three or more layers}
- H10P 14/3416: {Nitrides}
- H10P 14/36: {characterised by treatments done before the formation of the materials}
- H10H 20/01335: {the light-emitting regions comprising nitride materials}
- H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A light emitting device and method for making the same is disclosed. The light-emitting device includes an active layer sandwiched between a p-type semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer. The active layer emits light when holes from the p-type semiconductor layer combine with electrons from the n-type semiconductor layer therein. The active layer includes a number of sub-layers and has a plurality of pits in which the side surfaces of a plurality of the sub-layers are in contact with the p-type semiconductor material such that holes from the p-type semiconductor material are injected into those sub-layers through the exposed side surfaces without passing through another sub-layer. The pits can be formed by utilizing dislocations in the n-type semiconductor layer and etching the active layer using an etching atmosphere in the same chamber used to deposit the semiconductor layers without removing the partially fabricated device.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-12. (canceled)

### Claim 13

A light emitting device comprising:
an n-type semiconductor layer, the n-type semiconductor layer including random dislocations;
an active layer comprising a plurality of sub-layers on the n-type semiconductor layer, the active layer including pits located on the random dislocations, a plurality of the sub-layers having sidewalls that are bounded by the pits and exposed to the pits;
a p-type semiconductor layer over the active layer, the p-type semiconductor layer extending into the pits and contacting the exposed sidewalls of the sub-layers; and
contact electrodes configured to apply a potential difference between the p-type semiconductor layer and the n-type semiconductor layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The light emitting device of claim 13, wherein the n-type semiconductor layer is formed on a substrate, the n-type semiconductor layer having a lattice constant that is different from that of a substrate, the difference giving rise to dislocations.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The light emitting device of claim 14, wherein the n-type semiconductor layer includes dislocations of a density between 107 cm−2 and 1010 cm−2.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The light emitting device of claim 13, wherein the active layer is formed on a c-plane facet of a material in a GaN family of materials.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The light emitting device of claim 13, wherein holes are injected from the p-type semiconductor layer into the active layer, and the active layer and the p-type semiconductor layer are formed so that at least 10 percent of the holes are injected from the p-type semiconductor layer into the active layer through the exposed sidewalls of the sub-layers.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The light emitting device of claim 13, wherein the n-type semiconductor layer and the p-type semiconductor layer comprise GaN family materials.

### Claim 19

A light emitting device comprising:
an n-type semiconductor layer, the n-type semiconductor layer including random dislocations;
an active layer comprising a plurality of sub-layers on the n-type semiconductor layer, the active layer including pits located on the random dislocations, a plurality of the sub-layers having sidewalls that are bounded by the pits;
a p-type semiconductor layer over the active layer, the p-type semiconductor layer extending into the pits and contacting the sidewalls of the sub-layers; and
contact electrodes configured to apply a potential difference between the p-type semiconductor layer and the n-type semiconductor layer.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The light emitting device of claim 19, wherein the n-type semiconductor layer is formed on a substrate, the n-type semiconductor layer having a lattice constant that is different from that of a substrate, the difference giving rise to dislocations.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The light emitting device of claim 20, wherein the n-type semiconductor layer includes dislocations of a density between 107 cm−2 and 1010 cm−2.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The light emitting device of claim 19, wherein the active layer is formed on a c-plane facet of a material in a GaN family of materials.

### Claim 23 (depends on 19)

The light emitting device of claim 19, wherein holes are injected from the p-type semiconductor layer into the active layer, and the active layer and the p-type semiconductor layer are formed so that at least 10 percent of the holes are injected from the p-type semiconductor layer into the active layer through the sidewalls of the sub-layers.

### Claim 24 (depends on 19)

The light emitting device of claim 19, wherein the n-type semiconductor layer and the p-type semiconductor layer comprise GaN family materials.