System and method for light-emitting devices on lattice-matched metal substrates

• US 10,263,144 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2016
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robbie J. Jorgenson
• Original Assignee: Robbie J. Jorgenson
• Inventors: Jorgenson, Robbie J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bachner, Robert G
• Application Number:
  US15/294,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20170110626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/005 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/105 with a resonant cavity structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/465 with a resonant cavity structure

Abstract

Light-emitting devices and methods, wherein, in some embodiments, the devices each include a first mirror having a first face, wherein the first mirror includes a metal and, in some embodiments, is a grown-epitaxial metal mirror (GEMM); and an epitaxial structure, wherein the epitaxial structure is lattice matched with and in contact with at least a first portion of the first face of the first mirror, wherein the epitaxial structure includes an active region configured to emit light at a wavelength λ, and wherein the active region is located a first non-zero distance away from the first face of the first mirror such that there is plasmonic coupling between the active region and the first mirror.

Claims

1. A light-emitting device comprising:

a first mirror having a first face, wherein the first mirror includes a metal and is a grown-epitaxial metal mirror (GEMM);

an epitaxial structure, wherein the epitaxial structure is lattice matched with and in contact with at least a first portion of the first face of the first mirror, wherein the epitaxial structure includes an active region configured to emit light at a wavelength λ

, wherein the active region is located a first non-zero distance away from the first face of the first mirror such that there is plasmonic coupling between the active region and the first mirror, wherein the epitaxial structure has a first index-of-refraction value;

a second mirror having a first face in contact with the epitaxial structure and having a second face, wherein the second mirror includes a metal; and

a dielectric material in contact with the second face of the second mirror, wherein the dielectric material has a second index-of-refraction value that is greater than the first index-of-refraction value of the epitaxial structure.

2. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the active region has a first face, and a second face opposite the first face of the active region, and wherein the epitaxial structure further includes:

an n-type group III-nitride layer positioned between the first mirror and the first face of the active region; and

a p-type group III-nitride structure in contact with at least a portion of the second face of the active region.

3. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the metal of the first mirror includes Hf_xZr_1-x, where x is between 0 and 1, inclusive.

4. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the first distance is approximately one-fourth (¼

) of the wavelength λ

.

5. The light-emitting device of claim 1, further comprising:

a third mirror in contact with the epitaxial structure, wherein the third mirror includes a metal and is a grown-epitaxial metal mirror (GEMM).

6. The light-emitting device of claim 1, further comprising:

a third mirror in contact with the epitaxial structure, wherein the third mirror includes a metal and is a grown-epitaxial metal mirror (GEMM), and wherein the first mirror and the third mirror are vertically separated by a distance of approximately one-half (½

) of the wavelength λ

.

7. The light-emitting device of claim 1, further comprising:

a third mirror in contact with the epitaxial structure, wherein the third mirror includes a metal and is a grown-epitaxial metal mirror (GEMM), wherein the first mirror is partially transparent, and wherein a thickness of the third mirror is greater than a thickness of the first mirror.

8. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the second mirror and at least a portion of the dielectric material are embedded within the epitaxial structure.

9. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the first mirror is one of a plurality of GEMM layers in contact with the epitaxial structure including the first mirror, a second GEMM layer, and a third GEMM layer, wherein each one of the plurality of GEMM layers is partially transparent.

11. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the first mirror is one of a plurality of GEMM layers in contact with the epitaxial structure including the first mirror, a second GEMM layer, and a third GEMM layer.

12. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the first mirror is one of a plurality of GEMM layers in contact with the epitaxial structure including the first mirror, a second GEMM layer, and a third GEMM layer, wherein a width of the second GEMM layer is approximately one-half (½

) of the wavelength λ

.

13. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the first mirror is one of a plurality of GEMM layers in contact with the epitaxial structure including the first mirror, a second GEMM layer, and a third GEMM layer, wherein the second GEMM layer and the third GEMM layer are vertically separated by a distance of approximately one-half (½

) of the wavelength λ

.

10. A light-emitting device comprising:

a first mirror having a first face, wherein the first mirror includes a metal and is a grown-epitaxial metal mirror (GEMM);

an epitaxial structure, wherein the epitaxial structure is lattice matched with and in contact with at least a first portion of the first face of the first mirror, wherein the epitaxial structure includes an active region configured to emit light at a wavelength λ

, wherein the active region is located a first non-zero distance away from the first face of the first mirror such that there is plasmonic coupling between the active region and the first mirror, wherein the epitaxial structure has a first index-of-refraction value;

a second mirror, wherein the second mirror is embedded within the epitaxial structure, wherein the second mirror includes a metal; and

a dielectric material, wherein the dielectric material has a second index-of-refraction value that is greater than the first index-of-refraction value of the epitaxial structure, and wherein the dielectric material covers at least a portion of a surface of the epitaxial structure.

14. The light-emitting device of claim 10, wherein the metal of the first mirror includes Hf_xZr_1-x, where x is between 0 and 1, inclusive.

15. The light-emitting device of claim 10, wherein the first distance is approximately one-fourth (¼

) of the wavelength λ

.

16. A light-emitting device comprising:

a first mirror having a first face, wherein the first mirror includes a metal and is a grown-epitaxial metal mirror (GEMM);

a second mirror, wherein the second mirror has a first width;

an epitaxial structure, wherein the epitaxial structure is in contact with at least a first portion of the first face of the first mirror, wherein the epitaxial structure includes an active region configured to emit light at a wavelength λ

, wherein the light emitted by the active region is laterally confined to a second width that is smaller than the first width of the second mirror, wherein the epitaxial structure has a first index-of-refraction value, wherein the second mirror has a first face and a second face, wherein the first face of the second mirror is in contact with the epitaxial structure, wherein the second mirror includes a metal; and

a dielectric material in contact with the second face of the second mirror, wherein the dielectric material has a second index-of-refraction value that is greater than the first index-of-refraction value of the epitaxial structure.

17. The light-emitting device of claim 16, further comprising:

a third mirror in contact with the epitaxial structure, wherein the third mirror includes a metal and is a grown-epitaxial metal mirror (GEMM), and wherein the first mirror and the third mirror are vertically separated by a distance of approximately one-half (½

) of the wavelength λ

.

18. The light-emitting device of claim 16, wherein the metal of the first mirror includes Hf_xZr_1-x, where x is between 0 and 1, inclusive.

19. The light-emitting device of claim 16, wherein the active region has a first face, and a second face opposite the first face of the active region, and wherein the epitaxial structure further includes:

an n-type group III-nitride layer positioned between the first mirror and the first face of the active region; and

a p-type group III-nitride structure in contact with at least a portion of the second face of the active region.

20. The light-emitting device of claim 16, wherein the second mirror and at least a portion of the dielectric material are embedded within the epitaxial structure.