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US6005258A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Light-emitting semiconductor device using group III Nitrogen compound having emission layer doped with donor and acceptor impurities

Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co Ltd
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Filing: 1997-02-26
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Granted: 1999-12-21
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Expires: 2017-02-26
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Abstract

Abstract A light-emitting semiconductor device (10) consecutively includes a sapphire substrate (1), an AlN buffer layer (2), a silicon (Si) doped GaN n + -layer (3) of high carrier (n-type) concentration, a Si-doped (Al x3 Ga 1-x3 ) y3 In 1-y3 N n + -layer (4) of high carrier (n-type) concentration, a zinc (Zn) and Si-doped (Al x2 Ga 1-x2 ) y2 In 1-y2 N emission layer (5), and a Mg-doped (Al x1 Ga 1-x1 ) y1 In 1-y1 N p-layer (6). The AlN layer (2)--is 500 Å in thickness. The GaN N + -layer (3) is about 2.0 μm in thickness and has an electron concentration of about 2×10 18 /cm 3 . The n + -layer (4) is about 2.0 μm in thickness and has an electron concentration of about 2×10 18 /cn 3 . The emission layer (5) is about 0.5 μm in thickness. The p-layer 6 is about 1.0 μm in thickness and has a hole concentration of about 2×10 17 /cm 3 . Nickel electrodes (7, 8) are connected to the p-layer (6) and n + -layer (4), respectively. A groove (9) electrically insulates the electrodes (7, 8) from each other. The composition ration of Al, Ga, and In in each of the layers (4, 5, 6) is selected to meet the lattice constant of GaN in the n + -layer (3). The LED (10) is designed to improve luminous intensity and to obtain a purer blue color.

Inventors

  • 👤 Katsuhide Manabe
  • 👤 Hisaki Kato
  • 👤 Michinari Sassa
  • 👤 Shiro Yamazaki
  • 👤 Makoto Asai
  • 👤 Naoki Shibata
  • 👤 Masayoshi Koike

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 22:52
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10H; H10H20/00; H10H20/80; H10H20/81; H10H20/822; H10H20/824; H10H20/825; H10H20/01; H10H20/011; H10H20/013; H10H20/0133; H10H20/01335; H10H20/811; H10H20/8252; H10H20/83; H10H20/831; H10H20/832; H10H20/8312; H10H20/8314

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim 117 words
A light-emitting semiconductor device of group III nitride compound comprising: an n-layer of n-type conduction comprising gallium nitride GaN; an emission layer of gallium indium nitride satisfying the formula Al x1 Ga y1 In 1-x1-y1 N (0≦x1≦1, 0≦y≦1, 0≦x1+y1≦1) formed on said n-layer; a p-layer of p-type conduction formed on said emission layer, said p-layer comprising aluminum gallium nitride satisfying the formula Al x2 Ga 1-x2 N, wherein 0<x2<1; a contact layer of p-type conduction formed on said p-layer, said contact layer comprising gallium nitride; and bandwidth of said n-layer is narrower than bandwidth of said p-layer and potential barrier of valence band of said n-layer is lower than potential barrier of conduction band of said p-layer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 117 words
A light-emitting semiconductor device of group III nitride compound comprising: an n-layer of n-type conduction comprising gallium nitride GaN; an emission layer of gallium indium nitride satisfying the formula Al x1 Ga y1 In 1-x1-y1 N (0≦x1≦1, 0≦y≦1, 0≦x1+y1≦1) formed on said n-layer; a p-layer of p-type conduction formed on said emission layer, said p-layer comprising aluminum gallium nitride satisfying the formula Al x2 Ga 1-x2 N, wherein 0<x2<1; a contact layer of p-type conduction formed on said p-layer, said contact layer comprising gallium nitride; and bandwidth of said n-layer is narrower than bandwidth of said p-layer and potential barrier of valence band of said n-layer is lower than potential barrier of conduction band of said p-layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 18 words
The light-emitting semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein said emission layer is doped with acceptor and donor impurities.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 33 words
The light-emitting semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein said semiconductor device further comprises a contact layer of p-type conduction formed between said p-layer and said nickel electrode, said contact layer comprising gallium nitride.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 16 words
A light-emitting semiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising a nickel electrode contacting said contact layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 115 words
A light-emitting semiconductor device of group III nitride compound satisfying the formula Al x Ga y In 1-x-y N, wherein 0≦x≦1, and 0≦y≦1, and 0≦x+y≦1, said semiconductor device comprising: an n-layer of n-type conduction; an emission layer formed on said n-layer comprising one of gallium nitride and an aluminum compound satisfying the formula Al x3 Ga y3 In 1-x3-y3 N, wherein 0<x3≦1, 0≦y3≦1, and 0≦x3+y3≦1; and a p-layer of p-type conduction formed on said emission layer; and wherein said emission layer is doped with acceptor and donor impurities, and wherein a junction between said n-layer and said emission layer and a junction between said emission layer and said p-layer, respectively, forms a hetero junction structure.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 115 words
A light-emitting semiconductor device of group III nitride compound satisfying the formula Al x Ga y In 1-x-y N, wherein 0≦x≦1, and 0≦y≦1, and 0≦x+y≦1, said semiconductor device comprising: an n-layer of n-type conduction; an emission layer formed on said n-layer comprising one of gallium nitride and an aluminum compound satisfying the formula Al x3 Ga y3 In 1-x3-y3 N, wherein 0<x3≦1, 0≦y3≦1, and 0≦x3+y3≦1; and a p-layer of p-type conduction formed on said emission layer; and wherein said emission layer is doped with acceptor and donor impurities, and wherein a junction between said n-layer and said emission layer and a junction between said emission layer and said p-layer, respectively, forms a hetero junction structure.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 19 words
The light-emitting semiconductor device of claim 5, wherein said semiconductor device further comprises a nickel electrode contacting said p-layer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 33 words
The light-emitting semiconductor device of claim 6, wherein said semiconductor device further comprises a contact layer of p-type conduction formed between said p-layer and said nickel electrode, said contact layer comprising gallium nitride.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 70 words
A light-emitting semiconductor device comprising: an n-layer of n-type conduction comprising gallium nitride; an emission layer formed on said n-layer comprising gallium indium nitride satisfying the formula Ga x1 In 1-x1 N, wherein 0<x1<1, said emission layer being doped with silicon and zinc; and a p-layer of p-type conduction formed on said emission layer, said p-layer comprising aluminum gallium nitride satisfying the formula Al x2 Ga 1-x2 N, wherein 0<x2<1.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 70 words
A light-emitting semiconductor device comprising: an n-layer of n-type conduction comprising gallium nitride; an emission layer formed on said n-layer comprising gallium indium nitride satisfying the formula Ga x1 In 1-x1 N, wherein 0<x1<1, said emission layer being doped with silicon and zinc; and a p-layer of p-type conduction formed on said emission layer, said p-layer comprising aluminum gallium nitride satisfying the formula Al x2 Ga 1-x2 N, wherein 0<x2<1.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 34 words
The light-emitting semiconductor device of claim 8, wherein said semiconductor device further comprises a contact layer of p-type conduction formed on said p-layer, said contact layer having a narrower band gap than said p-layer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 14 words
The light-emitting semiconductor device of claim 9, wherein said contact layer comprises gallium nitride.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 33 words
The light-emitting semiconductor device of claim 8, wherein a concentration of said silicon doped into said emission layer is in a range of 1×10 17 /cm 3 to 1×10 20 /cm 3 .
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 33 words
The light-emitting semiconductor device of claim 8, wherein a concentration of said zinc doped into said emission layer is in a range of 1×10 17 /cm 3 to 1×10 20 /cm 3 .
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 20 words
The light-emitting semiconductor device of claim 8, wherein said semiconductor device further comprises a nickel electrode contacting said contact layer.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

JPH0410665A Cited
US5281830A Cited
US5247533A Cited
JPH04321280A Cited
EP0607435A1 Cited
EP0599224A1 Cited
US5578839A Cited
EP0622858A2 Cited

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