Light emitting diode with light emitting layer containing nitrogen and phosphorus

• US 10,147,840 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2016
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lumileds LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lumileds LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Turcotte, Stephane
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Armando
• Application Number:
  US15/195,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20160308088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0025 comprising only AIIIBV compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0062 for devices with an active region comprising only III-V compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0075 comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/06 within the light emitting region, e.g. quantum confinement structure or tunnel barrier
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/12 with a stress relaxation structure, e.g. buffer layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/30 containing only elements of Group III and Group V of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include an n-type region, a p-type region, and a light emitting layer disposed between the n-type region and the p-type region. The light emitting layer is a III-V material comprising nitrogen and phosphorus. The device also includes a graded region disposed between the light emitting layer and one of the p-type region and the n-type region. The composition of materials in the graded region is graded.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a substrate;

a p-type region disposed on the substrate;

an n-type region;

a III-V material light emitting layer, that comprises nitrogen and phosphorus, disposed between the n-type region and the p-type region;

a graded region disposed between the light emitting layer and the n-type region, the graded region including a composition that is graded;

a first contact comprising a mirror and conductive dots embedded in the mirror, the first contact disposed on the substrate; and

a second contact disposed on the n-type region.

2. The device of claim 1 including the light emitting layer being InGaN_xP₁₋

x, where 0<

X≤

0.03.

3. The device of claim 1 including the light emitting layer has a composition that when forward biased emits light having a peak wavelength in a range of green to red.

4. The device of claim 1 including the graded region being a first graded region, the device further comprising a second graded region disposed between the light emitting layer and the p-type region, the second graded region including a composition that is graded.

5. The device of claim 1 including the composition in the graded region being graded from a composition of GaP in a portion of the graded region closest to the n-type region to a composition of AlGaP in a portion of the graded region closest to the light emitting layer.

6. The device of claim 1 including the n-type region and the p-type region being GaP.

7. The device of claim 1 including the substrate being p-type GaP.

8. The device of claim 1 including the first contact that comprises a reflective metal.

9. The device of claim 8 including the reflective metal being a full sheet of AuZn.

10. The device of claim 1 including:

the mirror that comprises a layer of SiO₂ in direct contact with the substrate and a layer of Ag disposed on the layer of SiO₂; and

the conductive dots being AuZn.

11. The device of claim 1 further comprising a second mirror, the conductive dots being disposed between the second mirror and the substrate.

12. The device of claim 11 including the second mirror that is one of metal, Ag, and Al.

13. A device comprising:

a p-type region;

an n-type region;

a III-V material light emitting layer, that comprises nitrogen and phosphorus, disposed between the n-type region and the p-type region;

a p-type graded region disposed between the light emitting layer and the p-type region, including a composition in the graded region that is graded;

a first contact disposed in electrical contact with the p-type region and the first contact disposed in contact with the p-type graded region; and

a second contact disposed on the n-type region, the first and second contacts are formed on a same side of the device.

14. The device of claim 13 further comprising an etched mesa that exposes a surface of a p-type layer on which the first contact is formed.

15. The device of claim 13 including the light emitting layer being InGaN_xP₁₋

x, where 0<

X≤

0.03.

16. The device of claim 13 including the light emitting layer that has a composition that when forward biased emits light having a peak wavelength in a range of green to red.

17. A device comprising:

a substrate;

a p-type region disposed on the substrate;

an n-type region;

a III-V material light emitting layer, that comprises nitrogen and phosphorus, disposed between the n-type region and the p-type region;

a graded region disposed between the light emitting layer and the n-type region, the graded region including a composition that is graded;

a first contact comprising a reflective metal, the first contact disposed on the substrate; and

a second contact disposed on the n-type region.