A semiconductor light emitting device

Claim 2

A semiconductor light emitting device in which a first growth layer of a low refractive index, . a second growth layer of a high refractive index ultimately serving as an active layer and a third growth layer of a low refractive index are formed on a semiconductor compound substrate having formed therein a stripe-form hollow, characterised in that a current confining barrier is set up around the hollow and in that the first growth layer, an intermediate layer of a high refractive index and a layer of a low refractive index are disposed on the surface of the substrate except in the hollow to establish a specified light oscillation mode cooperating with another light oscillation mode established by the active layer, so that emmisive light is essentially confined due to a difference in the effective refractive index between the part of the active layer overlying the hollow and other parts of the active layer.

Claim 3

A semiconductor light emitting device which comprises a first semiconductor layer; a second semiconductor layer joined to one side of the first semiconductor layer and having a larger forbidden band width than that of the first semiconductor layer; a third semiconductor layer joined to the other side of the first semiconductor layer, having a larger forbidden band width than that of the first semiconductor layer, opposite in conductivity type to the second semiconductor layer and having a projecting portion formed en the opposite side thereof from the first semi- coneuctor layer; a fourth semiconductor layer joined to the third semiconductor layer excepting the projecting portion thereof; a fifth semiconductor layer joined to the fourth semiconductor layer; and a sixth semiconductor layer joined-to the fifth semiconductor layer and theprojecting portion, and in which the fifth semiconductor layer has a larger forbidden band width than the fourth and sixth semiconductor layers and is opposite in conductivity type to the third and sixth semiconductor layers; the forbidden band width of the fourth semiconductor layer is smaller than the forbidden band width of the third semiconductor layer; the thickness of the projecting portion of the third semiconductor layer is large enough to confine light from the first semiconductor layer between it and the sixth semiconductor layer; and the thickness of the third layer, excepting the projecting portion thereofis small enough to permit the light from the first semiconductor layer to ooze out to the fourth semiconductor layer.

Claim 4

A semiconductor light emitting device which comprises a first semiconductor layer; a second semiconductor layer joined to one side of the first semiconductor layer and having a larger forbidden band width than that of the first semiconductor layer; a third semiconductor layer joined to the other side of the first semiconductor layer, having a larger forbidden band width than that of the first semiconductor layer, opposite in conductivity type to the second semiconductor layer and having a projecting portion formed en the opposite side thereof from the first semi- coneuctor layer; a fourth semiconductor layer joined to the third semiconductor layer excepting the projecting portion thereof; a fifth semiconductor layer joined to the fourth semiconductor layer; and a sixth semiconductor layer joined-to the fifth semiconductor layer and theprojecting portion, and in which the fifth semiconductor layer has a larger forbidden band width than the fourth and sixth semiconductor layers and is opposite in conductivity type to the third and sixth semiconductor layers; the forbidden band width of the fourth semiconductor layer is smaller than the forbidden band width of the third semiconductor layer; the thickness of the projecting portion of the third semiconductor layer is large enough to confine light from the first semiconductor layer between it and the sixth semiconductor layer; and the thickness of the third layer, excepting the projecting portion thereofis small enough to permit the light from the first semiconductor layer to ooze out to the fourth semiconductor layer.

Claim 5

A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 2, wherein the fourth semiconductor layer is a Ga 1-x Al x As (0.1)>x≥0) layer.

Claim 6

A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the thickness of the fourth semiconductor layer is less than four times the thickness of the first semiconductor layer.

Claim 7

A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the thickness h of the intermediate layer of the high refractive index is 0.1 to 0.4 µm.

Claim 8

A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1 or 5, wherein the thickness 1 of the first growth layer on the intermediate layer is 0.2 to 0.5 µm.

Claim 9

A semiconductor light emitting device which comprises a semiconductor substrate; a first clad layer of low refractive index disposed on the substrate; an active layer of high refractive index disposed on the first clad layer; a second clad layer of low refractive index disposed on the active layer; a first semiconductor layer disposed on the second clad layer outside a light emitting stripe of the device; a second semiconductor layer disposed on the second clad layer and on the first semiconductor layer, and in which the first semiconductor layer is thinner than the second semiconductor layer and has a higher refractive index than the second clad layer and the second semiconductor layer, and the second semiconductor layer is of opposite conductivity type to the second clad layer.

Claim 10

A semiconductor light emitting device which comprises a semiconductor substrate; a first clad layer of low refractive index disposed on the substrate; an active layer of high refractive index disposed on the first clad layer; a second clad layer of low refractive index disposed on the active layer; a first semiconductor layer disposed on the second clad layer outside a light emitting stripe of the device; a second semiconductor layer disposed on the second clad layer and on the first semiconductor layer, and in which the first semiconductor layer is thinner than the second semiconductor layer and has a higher refractive index than the second clad layer and the second semiconductor layer, and the second semiconductor layer is of opposite conductivity type to the second clad layer.