# US 8,541,794 B2 · Nitride semiconductor light-emitting devices

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- Number: US 8,541,794 B2
- Document ID: US8541794B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/570,907
- Filed: 2009-09-30
- Published: 2010-02-04
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 1997-01-09
- Assignees: Nichia Chemical Industries, Ltd.
- Applicants: Shinichi Nagahama; Masayuki Senoh; Shuji Nakamura
- Inventors: Shinichi Nagahama; Masayuki Senoh; Shuji Nakamura
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8541794B2

## CPC

- H10H 20/825: containing nitrogen, e.g. GaN
- B82Y 20/00: Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
- H01S 5/32341: {blue laser based on GaN or GaP}
- H10H 20/811: having quantum effect structures or superlattices, e.g. tunnel junctions
- H10H 20/812: within the light-emitting regions, e.g. having quantum confinement structures
- H01S 5/3054: {p-doping}
- H01S 5/3216: {quantum well or superlattice cladding layers}
- H01S 2301/173: The laser chip comprising special buffer layers, e.g. dislocation prevention or reduction
- H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- 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

## Abstract

A nitride semiconductor device including a light emitting device comprises a n-type region of one or more nitride semiconductor layers having n-type conductivity, a p-type region of one or more nitride semiconductor layers having p-type conductivity and an active layer between the n-type region and the p-type region. In such devices, there is provided with a super lattice layer comprising first layers and second layers which are nitride semiconductors having a different composition respectively. The super lattice structure makes working current and voltage of the device lowered, resulting in realization of more efficient devices.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A nitride semiconductor device comprising an n-side semiconductor region comprising nitride semiconductor layers, a p-side semiconductor region comprising nitride semiconductor layers and an active layer of a nitride semiconductor between said n-side semiconductor region and said p-side semiconductor region, the active layer having a multiple quantum well structure comprising nitride semiconductor layers containing In,
wherein said n-side semiconductor region has an n-side super lattice layer comprising one or more first nitride semiconductor layers and one or more second nitride semiconductor layers each having a different composition and each of said first nitride semiconductor layers and each of said second nitride semiconductor layers being laminated alternately, said n-side super lattice layer comprising at least three layers laminated in the order of the first nitride semiconductor layer, the second nitride semiconductor layer and the first nitride semiconductor layer, or in the order of the second nitride semiconductor layer, the first nitride semiconductor layer and the second nitride semiconductor layer,
wherein said p-side semiconductor region has a p-side super lattice layer comprising one or more third nitride semiconductor layers and one or more fourth nitride semiconductor layers each having a different composition and each of said third nitride semiconductor layers and each of said fourth nitride semiconductor layers being laminated alternately, the third nitride semiconductor layers being made of a nitride semiconductor containing Al.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the third nitride semiconductor layers are made of AlXGa1-XN (0<X≦1) and the fourth nitride semiconductor layer are made of AlYGa1-YN (0≦Y≦1, Y<X) or InZGa1-ZN (0≦Z≦1).

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the fourth nitride semiconductor layer are made of InZGa1-ZN (0≦Z≦1).

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the first nitride semiconductor layers are made of AlXGa1-XN (0<X≦1) and the second nitride semiconductor layer are made of AlYGa1-YN (0≦Y≦1, Y<X) or InZGa1-ZN (0≦Z≦1).

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the n-side super lattice layer has a thickness larger than that of the p-side super lattice layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein layers of one party of the third semiconductor layers and the fourth semiconductor layers have a thickness of 100 angstroms or less.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein the fourth semiconductor layers are made of GaN.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein p-side nitride semiconductor region comprises a p-side cladding layer and a p-side contact layer having a thickness of not more than 500 angstroms, the p-side cladding layer being the p-side super lattice layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein layers of one party of the first semiconductor layers and the second semiconductor layers have a thickness of 100 angstroms or less.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the second semiconductor layers are made of GaN.

### Claim 11 (depends on 4)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 4, further comprising a substrate, a first buffer layer, a second buffer layer and an n-side contact layer, wherein the second buffer layer or the n-side contact layer is said n-side super lattice layer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein layers of one party of the third semiconductor layers and the fourth semiconductor layers have a thickness of 100 angstroms or less.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the fourth semiconductor layers are made of GaN.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein p-side nitride semiconductor region comprises a p-side cladding layer and a p-side contact layer having a thickness of not more than 500 angstroms, the p-side cladding layer being the p-side super lattice layer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein layers one party of the first semiconductor layers and the second semiconductor layers have a thickness of 100 angstroms or less.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein the second semiconductor layers are made of GaN.

### Claim 17 (depends on 4)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the first semiconductor layers arc made of GaN and the second semiconductor layers are made of InGaN.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein the n-side super lattice layer contacts with the active layer.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 18, wherein layers of one party of the third semiconductor layers and the fourth semiconductor layers have a thickness of 100 angstroms or less.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein the fourth semiconductor layers are made of GaN.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 20, wherein p-side nitride semiconductor region comprises a p-side cladding layer and a p-side contact layer having a thickness of not more than 500 angstroms, the p-side cladding layer being the p-side super lattice layer.

### Claim 22 (depends on 18)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 18, wherein layers of one party of the first semiconductor layers and the second semiconductor layers have a thickness of 100 angstroms or less.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 22, wherein the second semiconductor layers are made of GaN.

### Claim 24 (depends on 2)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the first nitride semiconductor layers are made of AlXGa1-XN (0<X≦1), the fourth nitride semiconductor layers are made of AlYGa1-YN (0≦Y≦1, Y<X) and the second nitride semiconductor layers are made of AlYGa1-YN (0≦Y≦1, Y<X) or InZGa1-ZN (0≦Z≦1).

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 24, wherein the n-side super lattice layer has a thickness larger than that of the p-side super lattice layer.

### Claim 26 (depends on 24)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 24, further comprising a substrate, a first buffer layer, a second buffer layer and an n-side contact layer, wherein the second buffer layer or the n-side contact layer is said n-side super lattice layer.

### Claim 27 (depends on 24)

The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 24 wherein the first semiconductor layers are made of GaN and the second semiconductor layers are made of InGaN.