Semiconductor light emitting device and method for producing the same

• US 20010017874A1
• Filed: 02/09/2001
• Published: 08/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ishida, Masaya
• Granted Patent: US 6,806,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 372/45
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/06 within the light emitting region, e.g. quantum confinement structure or tunnel barrier
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/40 Materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/305 characterised by the doping materials used in the laser structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3054 p-doping
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/34333 with a well layer based on Ga(In)N or Ga(In)P, e.g. blue laser

Abstract

A seamiconductor light emitting device comprises: a substrate; an n-type layer provided on the substrate and made of a nitride semiconductor material; a multiple quantum well structure active layer including a plurality of well layers each made of In_xGa_(1-x-y)Al_yN (O≦x, O≦y, x+y<1) and a plurality of barrier layers each made of In_sGa_(1-s-t)Al_tN (O≦s, O≦t, s+t<1), the multiple quantum well structure active layer being provided on the n-type layer; and a p-type layer provided on the multiple quantum well structure active layer and made of a nitride semiconductor material. The p-type layer contains hydrogen, and the hydrogen concentration of the p-type layer is greater than or equal to about 1×10¹⁶ atoms/cm³ and less than or equal to about 1×10¹⁹ atoms/cm³.

Claims

1. A semiconductor light emitting device comprising:

a substrate;

an n-type layer provided on the substrate and made of a nitride semiconductor material;

a multiple quantum well structure active layer including a plurality of well layers each made of In_xGa_(1-x-y)Al_yN (O≦

x, O≦

y, x+y<

1) and a plurality of barrier layers each made of In_sGa_(1-s-t)Al_tN (O≦

s, O≦

t, s+t<

1), the multiple quantum well structure active layer being provided on the n-type layer; and

a p-type layer provided on the multiple quantum well structure active layer and made of a nitride semiconductor material, wherein the p-type layer contains hydrogen, and the hydrogen concentration of the p-type layer is greater than or equal to about 1×

10¹⁶ atoms/cm³ and less than or equal to about 1×

10¹⁹ atoms/cm³.

2. A semiconductor light emitting device according to

claim 1

, wherein the p-type layer contains Mg, and the Mg concentration of the p-type layer is greater than or equal to about 4×

10¹⁹ atoms/cm³ and less than or equal to about 1×

10²¹ atoms/cm³.

3. A semiconductor light emitting device according to

claim 1

, further comprising a p-type electrode for applying a voltage via the p-type layer to the multiple quantum well structure active layer, wherein the p-type electrode contains atoms selected from the group consisting of Pd, Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb and Ta.

4. A semiconductor light emitting device according to

claim 2

, further comprising a p-type electrode for applying a voltage via the p-type layer to the multiple quantum well structure active layer, wherein the p-type electrode -contains atoms selected from the group consisting of Pd, So, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb and Ta.

5. A semiconductor light emitting device according to

claim 1

, the hydrogen concentration of the n-type layer is less than or equal to 1×

10¹⁷ atoms/cm³.

6. A semiconductor light emitting device according to

claim 4

, the hydrogen concentration of the n-type layer is less than or equal to 1×

10¹⁷ atoms/cm³.

7. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim l, further comprising a layer including Al, wherein the p-type layer is provided, via the layer including Al, on the multiple quantum well structure active layer.

8. A semiconductor light emitting device according to

claim 7

, the layer including Al has a thickness of about 5 nm or more.

9. A method for producing a semiconductor light emitting device, the method comprising the steps of:

growing a nitride semiconductor material on a substrate to form an n-type layer;

forming a multiple quantum well structure active layer including a plurality of well layers each made of In_xGa_(1-x-y)Al_yN (O≦

x, O≦

y, x+y<

1) and a plurality of barrier layers each made of In_sGa_(1-s-t)Al_tN (O≦

s, O≦

t, s+t<

1), the multiple quantum well structure active layer being provided on the n-type layer; and

growing a nitride semiconductor material on the multiple quantum well structure active layer to form a p-type layer, wherein the step of growing the p-type layer includes the step of growing a nitride semiconductor material in an atmosphere not containing hydrogen gas while keeping a temperature of the substrate at a first growth temperature.

10. A method according to

claim 9

, wherein the step of forming the p-type layer further includes the step of lowering the temperature of the substrate from the first growth temperature to about 400°

C. in the atmosphere not containing hydrogen gas after the step of growing the nitride semiconductor material in the atmosphere not containing hydrogen gas.