Light emitting diode

• US 10,475,963 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2018
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbH (5N Plus, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbH (5N Plus, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lauermann, Thomas, Koestler, Wolfgang, Fuhrmann, Bianca
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, David S
• Application Number:
  US15/919,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20180261726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 257 13
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/304 Mechanical treatment, e.g. grinding, polishing, cutting H01L21/30625 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3043 Making grooves, e.g. cutting
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76 Making of isolation regions between components
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0066 relating to arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0083 Periodic patterns for optical field-shaping in or on the semiconductor body or semiconductor body package, e.g. photonic bandgap structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0062 for devices with an active region comprising only III-V compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/06 within the light emitting region, e.g. quantum confinement structure or tunnel barrier
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/10 with a light reflecting structure, e.g. semiconductor Bragg reflector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/14 with a carrier transport control structure, e.g. highly-doped semiconductor layer or current-blocking structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/145 with a current-blocking structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/22 Roughened surfaces, e.g. at the interface between epitaxial layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/30 containing only elements of Group III and Group V of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/38 with a particular shape

Abstract

A light-emitting diode with a stacked structure, having a first region and a second region and a third region, wherein all three regions have a substrate and an n-doped lower cladding layer and an active layer generating electromagnetic radiation, wherein the active layer includes a quantum well structure, and a p-doped upper cladding layer, and the first region additionally has a tunnel diode formed on the upper cladding layer and composed of a p+ layer and an n+ layer, and an n-doped current distribution layer. The current distribution layer and the n-doped contact layer are covered with a conductive trace. At least the lower cladding layer, the active layer, the upper cladding layer, the tunnel diode, and the current distribution layer are monolithic in design. The second region has a contact hole with a bottom region.

Claims

1. A light-emitting diode having a stacked structure composed predominantly of III-V semiconductor layers, the light-emitting diode comprising:

a first region and a second region and a third region, wherein the first, second, and third regions comprise;

a substrate, an n-doped lower cladding layer, an active layer generating electromagnetic radiation, and a p-doped upper cladding layer, wherein the active layer includes a quantum well structure;

a tunnel diode that is formed on the upper cladding layer and is composed of a p⁺ layer and an n⁺ layer, wherein the p⁺ layer of the tunnel diode includes a III arsenide, and the n⁺ layer of the tunnel diode includes a III phosphide;

an n-doped current distribution layer, wherein the current distribution layer includes a III arsenide; and

an n-doped contact layer, wherein the n-doped contact includes a III arsenide, the n-doped contact layer being covered with a conductive trace,

wherein at least the lower cladding layer, the active layer, the upper cladding layer, the tunnel diode, and the current distribution layer are monolithic in design,

wherein the second region and the third region do not have or in part do not have the additional layers of the first region,

wherein the second region has a contact hole with a bottom region,

wherein an injection barrier is provided in the bottom region of the contact hole and formed in a planar manner in the upper cladding layer or at the surface of the upper cladding layer or above the upper cladding layer in order to suppress a current flow opposite the stacking direction,

wherein a conductive trace is provided with which the injection barrier is covered, and

wherein the third region is textured, the texture having recesses that extend through the current distribution layer and through the n⁺ layer of the tunnel diode.

2. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein an AlGaAs layer is formed in the region of the bottom of the contact hole and in the recesses of the texture.

3. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the injection barrier includes a p-n junction or an insulation layer.

4. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein a mirror layer is arranged between the substrate and the lower cladding layer.

5. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein a bottom of the stacked structure is formed of the substrate or of a contact layer joined to the substrate.

6. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the recesses extend through the tunnel diode to the upper cladding layer.

7. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the recesses in the shape of truncated polyhedrons.

8. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the recesses have a trough-shaped cross-section.

9. The light-emitting diode according to claim 8, wherein the recesses have undercuts.

10. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the lower cladding layer and the upper cladding layer include a III arsenide.