US 6,072,196 A · semiconductor light emitting devices

Abstract

Nitrogen-containing III-V alloy semiconductor materials have both a conduction band offset .DELTA.Ec and a valence band offset .DELTA.Ev large enough for the practical applications to light emitting devices. The semiconductor materials are capable of providing laser diodes, having excellent temperature characteristics with emission wavelengths in the red spectral region and of 600 nm or smaller, and high brightness light emitting diodes with emission wavelengths in the visible spectral region. The light emitting device is fabricated on an n-GaAs substrate, which has the direction normal to the substrate surface is misoriented by 15.degree. from the direction normal to the (100) plane toward the [011] direction. On the substrate, there disposed by MOCVD, for example, are an n-GaAs buffer layer, an n-(Al.sub.0.7 Ga.sub.0.3).sub.0.51 In.sub.0.49 P cladding layer, an (Al.sub.0.2 Ga.sub.0.8).sub.0.49 In.sub.0.51 N.sub.0.01 P.sub.0.99 active layer, a p-(Al.sub.0.7 Ga.sub.0.3).sub.0.51 In.sub.0.49 P cladding layer, and a p-GaAs contact layer.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A semiconductor light emitting device comprising:

a semiconductor substrate, and at least one active layer of a nitrogen-containing III-V alloy semiconductor disposed thereon, said at least one active layer having the formula:
(Al.sub.x Ga.sub.1-x).sub.y In.sub.1-y N.sub.z P.sub.1-z,
wherein 0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1, 0.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.1, and 0<z<1;
and
a cladding layer or a light guide of (Al.sub.a Ga.sub.1-a).sub.b In.sub.1-b P with 0.ltoreq.a.ltoreq.1 and 0<b<1, which has a band gap energy larger than that of said at least one active layer, and is lattice-matched to GaAs.

2 more elements

A semiconductor light emitting device comprising:

a GaAs substrate, and at least one active layer of a nitrogen-containing III-V alloy semiconductor disposed thereon, said at least one active layer, having the formula:
(Al.sub.x Ga.sub.1-x).sub.y In.sub.1-y N.sub.z P.sub.1-z
with 0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1, 0.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.1, and 0<z<1, the active layer having a nitrogen concentration of equal to or greater more than about 3.times.10.sup.19 cm.sup.-3, and having a thickness of less than a critical thickness, sufficient to obviate the occurance of misfit dislocations between said active layer and said GaAs substrate;
and
a cladding layer or a light guide of (Al.sub.a Ga.sub.1-a).sub.b In.sub.1-b P with 0.ltoreq.a.ltoreq.1 and 0<b<1, which has a band gap energy larger than that of said at least one active layer, and is lattice-matched to GaAs.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

semiconductor light emitting devices

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semiconductor light emitting devices

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21