# US 8,569,738 B2 · Semiconductor light emitting device, wafer, method for manufacturing semiconductor light emitting device, and method for manufacturing wafer

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- Number: US 8,569,738 B2
- Document ID: US8569738B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/876,685
- Filed: 2010-09-07
- Published: 2011-09-22
- Granted: 2013-10-29
- Earliest claimed: 2010-03-17
- Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
- Applicants: Mitsuhiro Kushibe; Yasuo Ohba; Kei Kaneko; Hiroshi Katsuno; Shinji Yamada
- Inventors: Mitsuhiro Kushibe; Yasuo Ohba; Kei Kaneko; Hiroshi Katsuno; Shinji Yamada
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8569738B2

## CPC

- H10H 20/812: within the light-emitting regions, e.g. having quantum confinement structures
- H10H 20/825: containing nitrogen, e.g. GaN
- H10H 20/01335: {the light-emitting regions comprising nitride materials}
- H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS

## Abstract

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes a first layer, a second layer, and a light emitting portion. The first layer includes at least one of n-type GaN and n-type AlGaN. The second layer includes p-type AlGaN. The light emitting portion has a single quantum well structure. The single quantum well structure includes a first barrier layer, a second barrier layer, and a well layer. The first barrier layer is provided between the first layer and the second layer and includes Alx1Ga1-x1-y1Iny1N (0<x1, 0≦y1, x1+y1<1). The second barrier layer is provided between the first barrier layer and the second layer and includes Alx2Ga1-x2-y2Iny2N (0<x2, 0≦y2, x2+y2<1). The well layer is provided between the first barrier layer and the second barrier layer, includes Alx0Ga1-x0-y0Iny0N (0≦x0, 0<y0, x0+y0<1, y1<y0, y2<y0), and is configured to emit near ultraviolet light.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor light emitting device comprising:
a first layer including at least one of n-type GaN and n-type AlGaN;
a second layer including p-type AlGaN;
a light emitting portion provided between the first layer and the second layer, the light emitting portion having a single quantum well structure; and
a first stacked structural body provided between the first layer and the light emitting portion;
the single quantum well structure including,
a first barrier layer including Alx1Ga1-x1-y1Iny1N (0<x1, 0<y1, x1+y1<1),
a second barrier layer provided between the first barrier layer and the second layer and including Alx2Ga1-x2-y2Iny2N (0<x2, 0≦y2, x2+y2<1), and
a well layer provided between the first barrier layer and the second barrier layer; including Alx0Ga1-x0-y0Iny0N (0≦x0, 0<y0, x0+y0<1, y1<y0, y2<y0);
the first stacked structural body including,
a plurality of third layers including AlGaInN, each of the plurality of third layers having a thickness smaller than a thickness of the first barrier layer and smaller than a thickness of the second barrier layer, and
a plurality of fourth layers alternately stacked with the plurality of third layers and including GaInN, each of the plurality of fourth layers having a thickness smaller than a thickness of the well layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein the well layer has a thickness of not smaller than 4.5 nanometers and not larger than 9 nanometers.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein the well layer has a thickness of not smaller than 5 nanometers and not larger than 7 nanometers.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein sum of total thickness of the plurality of fourth layers and the thickness of the well layer is not smaller than 25 nanometers and not larger than 45 nanometers.

### Claim 5

A semiconductor light emitting device comprising:
a first layer including at least one of n-type GaN and n-type AlGaN;
a second layer including p-type AlGaN;
a light emitting portion provided between the first layer and the second layer, the light emitting portion having a single quantum well structure; and
a second stacked structural body provided between the first layer and the light emitting portion;
the single quantum well structure including,
a first barrier layer including Alx1Ga1-x1-y1Iny1N (0<x1, 0≦y1, x1+y1<1),
a second barrier layer provided between the first barrier layer and the second layer and including Alx2Ga1-x2-y2Iny2N (0<x2, 0≦y2, x2+y2<1), and
a well layer provided between the first barrier layer and the second barrier layer, including Alx0Ga1-x0-y0Iny0N (0≦x0, 0<y0, x0+y0<1, y1<y0, y2<y0);
the second stacked structural body including,
a plurality of fifth layers including GaN, each of the plurality of fifth layers having a thickness smaller than a thickness of the first barrier layer and smaller than a thickness of the second barrier layer, and
a plurality of sixth layers alternately stacked with the plurality of fifth layers and including GaInN, each of the plurality of sixth layers having a thickness smaller than a thickness of the well layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a second stacked structural body provided between the first layer and the first stacked structural body,
the second stacked structural body including:
a plurality of fifth layers including GaN, each of the plurality of fifth layers having a thickness smaller than the thickness of the first barrier layer and smaller than the thickness of the second barrier layer; and
a plurality of sixth layers alternately stacked with the plurality of fifth layers and including GaInN, each of the plurality of sixth layers having a thickness smaller than the thickness of the well layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The device according to claim 6, wherein
the first barrier layer has a Si concentration higher than a Si concentration in the first stacked structural body,
the second stacked structural body has a Si concentration lower than the Si concentration in the first stacked structural body, and
the second layer has a Si concentration lower than the Si concentration in the second stacked structural body.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, further including:
a substrate, a major surface of the substrate being a c-plane of a sapphire layer;
a single crystal buffer layer provided between the substrate and the first layer, the single crystal buffer layer including Alx3Ga1-x3N (0.8≦x3≦1); and
a GaN layer provided between the single crystal buffer layer and the first layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein
the first layer is provided between the first stacked structural body and a GaN layer formed on a substrate made of sapphire, and
the substrate is removed.

### Claim 10

A wafer comprising:
a first layer including at least one of n-type GaN and n-type AlGaN;
a second layer including p-type AlGaN;
a light emitting portion provided between the first layer and the second layer, the light emitting portion having a single quantum well structure; and
a first stacked structural body provided between the first layer and the light emitting portion;
the single quantum well structure including,
a first barrier layer including Alx1Ga1-x1-y1Iny1N (0<x1, 0≦y1, x1+y1<1),
a second barrier layer provided between the first barrier layer and the second layer and including Alx2Ga1-x2-y2Iny2N (0<x2, 0<y2, x2+y2<1), and
a well layer provided between the first barrier layer and the second barrier layer, including Alx0Ga1-x0-y0Iny0N (0≦x0, 0<y0, x0+y0<1, y1<y0, y2<y0);
the first stacked structural body including,
a plurality of third layers including AlGaInN, each of the plurality of third layers having a thickness smaller than a thickness of the first barrier layer and smaller than a thickness of the second barrier layer, and
a plurality of fourth layers alternately stacked with the plurality of third layers and including GaInN, each of the plurality of fourth layers having a thickness smaller than a thickness of the well layer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The wafer according to claim 10, wherein the well layer has a thickness of not smaller than 4.5 nanometers and not larger than 9 nanometers.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The wafer according to claim 10, wherein the well layer has a thickness of not smaller than 5 nanometers and not larger than 7 nanometers.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The wafer according to claim 10, wherein sum of total thickness of the plurality of fourth layers and the thickness of the well layer is not smaller than 25 nanometers and not larger than 45 nanometers.

### Claim 14

A wafer comprising:
a first layer including at least one of n-type GaN and n-type AlGaN;
a second layer including p-type AlGaN;
a light emitting portion provided between the first layer and the second layer, the light emitting portion having a single quantum well structure; and
a second stacked structural body provided between the first layer and the light emitting portion;
the single quantum well structure including,
a first barrier layer including Alx1Ga1-x1-y1Iny1N (0<x1, 0≦y1, x1+y1<1);
a second barrier layer provided between the first barrier layer and the second layer and including Alx2Ga1-x2-y2Iny2N (0<x2, 0≦y2, x2+y2<1), and
a well layer provided between the first barrier layer and the second barrier layer, including Alz0Ga1-x0-y0Iny0N (0≦x0, 0<y0, x0+y0<1, y1<y0, y2<y0);
the second stacked structural body including,
a plurality of fifth layers including GaN, each of the plurality of fifth layers having a thickness smaller than thickness of the first barrier layer and smaller than a thickness of the second barrier layer, and
a plurality of sixth layers alternately stacked with the plurality of fifth layers and including GaInN, each of the plurality of sixth layers having a thickness smaller than a thickness of the well layer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The wafer according to claim 10, further comprising:
a second stacked structural body provided between the first layer and the first stacked structural body,
the second stacked structural body including:
a plurality of fifth layers including GaN, each of the plurality of fifth layers having a thickness smaller than the thickness of the first barrier layer and smaller than the thickness of the second barrier layer; and
a plurality of sixth layers alternately stacked with the plurality of fifth layers and including GaInN, each of the plurality of sixth layers having a thickness smaller than the thickness of the well layer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting portion is configured to emit near ultraviolet light.

### Claim 17 (depends on 5)

The device according to claim 5, wherein the light emitting portion is configured to emit near ultraviolet light.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The wafer according to claim 10, wherein the light emitting portion is configured to emit near ultraviolet light.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The wafer according to claim 14, wherein the light emitting portion is configured to emit near ultraviolet light.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, further comprising
a p-side electrode being reflective, the second layer being provided between the p-side electrode and the first layer.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein
the first layer is provided between the light emitting portion and a GaN layer formed on a substrate, and
the substrate is removed.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The device according to claim 21, wherein the substrate is made of sapphire.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein
a band gap of the well layer is smaller than a band gap of the first barrier layer, smaller than a bandgap of the second barrier layer, smaller than a bandgap of the first layer, and smaller than a bandgap of the second layer.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein
a band gap of the well layer is smallest among band gaps of semiconductor layers included in the device.

### Claim 25 (depends on 5)

The device according to claim 5, further comprising
a p-side electrode being reflective, the second layer being provided between the p-side electrode and the first layer.

### Claim 26 (depends on 5)

The device according to claim 5, wherein
the first layer is provided between the light emitting portion and a GaN layer formed on a substrate, and
the substrate is removed.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The device according to claim 26, wherein the substrate is made of sapphire.

### Claim 28 (depends on 5)

The device according to claim 5, wherein
a band gap of the well layer is smaller than a band gap of the first barrier layer, smaller than a bandgap of the second barrier layer, smaller than a bandgap of the first layer, and smaller than a bandgap of the second layer.

### Claim 29 (depends on 5)

The device according to claim 5, wherein
a band gap of the well layer is smallest among band gaps of semiconductor layers included in the device.