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US5488233A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Semiconductor light-emitting device with compound semiconductor layer

Assignee: Toshiba Corp
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Filing: 1994-03-11
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Granted: 1996-01-30
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Expires: 2014-03-11
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Abstract

Abstract This invention provides a semiconductor light-emitting device including a semiconductor substrate consisting of a compound semiconductor of elements in the third and fifth groups of the period table, a first compound semiconductor layer formed directly on at least a portion of the semiconductor substrate and consisting of a compound semiconductor containing at least In and P, and a second compound semiconductor formed directly on the first compound semiconductor layer and consisting of a compound semiconductor of elements in the second and sixth groups of the periodic table. With this arrangement, it is possible to sufficiently prevent the occurrence of defects in the interface between the semiconductor substrate and the second compound semiconductor layer consisting of the compound semiconductor of the elements in the second and sixth groups of the periodic table.

Inventors

  • 👤 Masayuki Ishikawa
  • 👤 Yukie Nishikawa
  • 👤 Shinji Saito
  • 👤 Peter J. Parbrook
  • 👤 Masaaki Onomura
  • 👤 Koichi Nitta
  • 👤 Genichi Hatakoshi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-06 02:44
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10H; H10H20/00; H10H20/80; H10H20/81; H10H20/822; H10H20/823; B; B82; B82Y; B82Y20/00; H01; H01S; H01S5/00; H01S5/30; H01S5/34; H01S5/347; H10H20/01; H10H20/011; H10H20/012; H10H20/0125; H01S5/20; H01S5/2054; H01S5/2081; H01S5/209; H01S5/22; H01S5/223; H01S5/2238; H01S5/305; H01S5/3077

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim 84 words
A semiconductor light-emitting device comprising: a semiconductor substrate consisting of a compound semiconductor of elements in the third and fifth groups of the periodic table; a first compound semiconductor layer formed directly on at least a portion of said semiconductor substrate and consisting of a compound semiconductor containing at least In and P; and a second compound semiconductor formed directly on said first compound semiconductor layer and consisting of a compound semiconductor of elements in the second and sixth groups of the periodic table.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 84 words
A semiconductor light-emitting device comprising: a semiconductor substrate consisting of a compound semiconductor of elements in the third and fifth groups of the periodic table; a first compound semiconductor layer formed directly on at least a portion of said semiconductor substrate and consisting of a compound semiconductor containing at least In and P; and a second compound semiconductor formed directly on said first compound semiconductor layer and consisting of a compound semiconductor of elements in the second and sixth groups of the periodic table.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 39 words
A device according to claim 1, wherein said compound semiconductor of elements in the third and fifth groups of the periodic table is one compound semiconductor selected from the group consisting of GaAs, GaP, InP, GaAsP, InGaAs, and GaSb.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 31 words
A device according to claim 1, wherein said compound semiconductor containing at least In and P is one compound semiconductor selected from the group consisting of InP, InGaP, InGaAlP, and InAlP.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 57 words
A device according to claim 1, wherein said compound semiconductor of elements in the second and sixth groups of the periodic table is a compound semiconductor made of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Cd, Zn, and Mg and at least one element selected from the group consisting of Te, Se, and S.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 139 words
A semiconductor light-emitting device comprising: a semiconductor substrate consisting of a compound semiconductor of elements in the third and fifth groups of the periodic table; a first compound semiconductor layer formed directly on at least a portion of said semiconductor substrate, consisting of a compound semiconductor containing at least In and P, and patterned into a stripe; a second compound semiconductor layer formed directly on said first compound semiconductor layer and consisting of a compound semiconductor of elements in the second and sixth groups of the periodic table; a first cladding layer formed on said second compound semiconductor layer; a quantum well layer formed on said first cladding layer; a second cladding layer formed on said quantum well layer; a gap layer formed on said second cladding layer; and electrodes formed on said semiconductor substrate and said gap layer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 139 words
A semiconductor light-emitting device comprising: a semiconductor substrate consisting of a compound semiconductor of elements in the third and fifth groups of the periodic table; a first compound semiconductor layer formed directly on at least a portion of said semiconductor substrate, consisting of a compound semiconductor containing at least In and P, and patterned into a stripe; a second compound semiconductor layer formed directly on said first compound semiconductor layer and consisting of a compound semiconductor of elements in the second and sixth groups of the periodic table; a first cladding layer formed on said second compound semiconductor layer; a quantum well layer formed on said first cladding layer; a second cladding layer formed on said quantum well layer; a gap layer formed on said second cladding layer; and electrodes formed on said semiconductor substrate and said gap layer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 23 words
A device according to claim 5, wherein said first compound semiconductor layer has a three-layered structure having two layers sandwiching a wide-gap layer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 39 words
A device according to claim 5, wherein said compound semiconductor of elements in the third and fifth columns of the periodic table is one compound semiconductor selected from the group consisting of GaAs, GaP, InP, GaAsP, InGaAs, and GaSb.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 31 words
A device according to claim 5, wherein said compound semiconductor containing at least In and P is one compound semiconductor selected from the group consisting of InP, InGaP, InGaAlP, and InAlP.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 57 words
A device according to claim 5, wherein said compound semiconductor of elements in the second and sixth groups of the periodic table is a compound semiconductor made of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Cd, Zn and Mg and at least one element selected from the group consisting of Te, Se, and S.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 123 words
A semiconductor light-emitting device, comprising: a semiconductor substrate; and a compound semiconductor layer, formed on said semiconductor substrate, for emitting light upon being injected with a current, wherein a composition of said compound semiconductor layer is selected, in a graph showing a relationship between a bandgap energy and a lattice constant, from a composition range on a line segment connecting intersections between a region and a straight line indicating a lattice constant of the material of said semiconductor substrate when a material of said semiconductor substrate is determined, said region being formed by characteristic values of compounds each consisting of one element selected from the group consisting of Cd, Zn and Mg, and an element in the sixth group of the periodic table.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 123 words
A semiconductor light-emitting device, comprising: a semiconductor substrate; and a compound semiconductor layer, formed on said semiconductor substrate, for emitting light upon being injected with a current, wherein a composition of said compound semiconductor layer is selected, in a graph showing a relationship between a bandgap energy and a lattice constant, from a composition range on a line segment connecting intersections between a region and a straight line indicating a lattice constant of the material of said semiconductor substrate when a material of said semiconductor substrate is determined, said region being formed by characteristic values of compounds each consisting of one element selected from the group consisting of Cd, Zn and Mg, and an element in the sixth group of the periodic table.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 27 words
A device according to claim 10, wherein the material of said semiconductor substrate is one material selected from the group consisting of GaP, GaAs, InP, and GaSb.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 30 words
A device according to claim 10, wherein the element in the sixth group of the periodic table is one element selected from the group consisting of S, Se, and Te.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 44 words
A device according to claim 10, wherein said compound, consisting of one element selected from the group consisting of Cd, Zn, and Mg and an element in the sixth group of the periodic table, is Cd 1-x-y Zn x Mg y Se (0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦1).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 15 words
A device according to claim 10, wherein the material of said semiconductor substrate is InP.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 34 words
A device according to claim 10, wherein a first cladding layer is formed between said semiconductor substrate and said compound semiconductor layer, and a second cladding layer is formed on said compound semiconductor layer.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 124 words
A device according to claim 15, wherein said first and second cladding layers consist of Cd 1-x-y Zn x Mg y Se (0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦1), and a composition of said Cd 1-x-y Zn x Mg y Se is selected, in a graph showing a relationship between a bandgap energy and a lattice constant, from a composition range on a line segment connecting intersections between a region and a straight line indicating a lattice constant of the material of said semiconductor substrate when a material of said semiconductor substrate is determined, said region being formed by characteristic values of compounds each consisting of one element selected from the group consisting of Cd, Zn and Mg, and an element in the sixth group of the periodic table.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 135 words
A semiconductor light-emitting device comprising: a semiconductor substrate consisting of a compound semiconductor of elements in the third and fifth groups of the periodic table; a first compound semiconductor layer formed directly on at least a portion of said semiconductor substrate and consisting of a compound semiconductor containing at least In and P; and a second compound semiconductor formed directly on said first compound semiconductor layer and consisting of a compound semiconductor of elements in the second and sixth groups of the periodic table, wherein in said second compound semiconductor, a carrier concentration in a portion except for a portion for performing current confinement is set to be higher than a carrier concentration in the portion for performing current confinement in order to lower a hetero barrier between said first and second compound semiconductor layers.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 135 words
A semiconductor light-emitting device comprising: a semiconductor substrate consisting of a compound semiconductor of elements in the third and fifth groups of the periodic table; a first compound semiconductor layer formed directly on at least a portion of said semiconductor substrate and consisting of a compound semiconductor containing at least In and P; and a second compound semiconductor formed directly on said first compound semiconductor layer and consisting of a compound semiconductor of elements in the second and sixth groups of the periodic table, wherein in said second compound semiconductor, a carrier concentration in a portion except for a portion for performing current confinement is set to be higher than a carrier concentration in the portion for performing current confinement in order to lower a hetero barrier between said first and second compound semiconductor layers.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 78 words
A device according to claim 17, wherein said semiconductor substrate has a (100) plane and a plane inclined from the (100) plane within a range of 10° to 40° in a or direction, current confinement is performed on the inclined plane, and a carrier concentration of said first compound semiconductor layer on the plane inclined from the (100) plane is set to be higher than a carrier concentration of said first compound semiconductor layer on the (100) plane.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 30 words
A device according to claim 17, wherein said first compound semiconductor has a bandgap intermediate between a bandgap of said semiconductor substrate and a bandgap of said second compound semiconductor.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 34 words
A device according to claim 17, wherein said semiconductor substrate consists of GaAs, and said first compound semiconductor layer consists of one compound semiconductor selected from the group consisting of InGaP, InGaAlP, and InAlP.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 78 words
A device according to claim 17, wherein said semiconductor substrate has a (100) plane and a plane inclined from the (100) plane within a range of 10° to 40° in a or direction, current confinement is performed on the inclined plane, and a carrier concentration of said second compound semiconductor layer on the plane inclined from the (100) plane is set to be higher than a carrier concentration of said second compound semiconductor layer on the (100) plane.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 36 words
A device according to claim 17, wherein said compound semiconductor of elements in the second and sixth groups of the periodic table is one compound semiconductor selected from the group consisting of ZnSe, znCdSe, and ZnSSe.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 36 words
A device according to claim 17, wherein a conductivity type of said first compound semiconductor layer is p-type, and a conductivity type of said second compound semiconductor layer is p-type doped with nitrogen as an impurity.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 71 words
A semiconductor light-emitting device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; and a compound semiconductor layer, formed on said semiconductor substrate, for emitting light upon being injected with a current, wherein said semiconductor substrate and said compound semiconductor layer have lattice constants which are the same, and said semiconductor compound layer comprises Cd, Zn, Mg and only one element selected from the group consisting of elements in the sixth group of the periodic table.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 71 words
A semiconductor light-emitting device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; and a compound semiconductor layer, formed on said semiconductor substrate, for emitting light upon being injected with a current, wherein said semiconductor substrate and said compound semiconductor layer have lattice constants which are the same, and said semiconductor compound layer comprises Cd, Zn, Mg and only one element selected from the group consisting of elements in the sixth group of the periodic table.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4992837A Cited
US5010376A Cited
US5268918A Cited
US5319219A Cited
US5375136A Cited
US5373521A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1999-01-29 1999-07-31 2000-01-30 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2003-01-29 2003-07-31 2004-01-30 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2007-01-29 2007-07-31 2008-01-30 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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