Nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device and method for producing the same

• US 20010030329A1
• Filed: 01/12/2001
• Published: 10/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
• 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: Araki, Masahiro, Ogawa, Atsushi, Yuasa, Takayuki, Ueta, Yoshihiro, Tsuda, Yuhzoh
• Granted Patent: US 7,064,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/103
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/16 with a particular crystal structure or orientation, e.g. polycrystalline, amorphous or porous
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2304/04 MOCVD or MOVPE
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2304/12 Pendeo epitaxial lateral overgrowth [ELOG], e.g. for growing GaN based blue laser diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0207 Substrates having a special shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2201 in a specific crystallographic orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3054 p-doping
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/320275 semi-polar orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/32341 blue laser based on GaN or GaP
• 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 nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device includes: a GaN substrate having a crystal orientation which is tilted away from a <0001> direction by an angle which is equal to or greater than about 0.05° and which is equal to or less than about 2°, and a semiconductor multilayer structure formed on the GaN substrate, wherein the semiconductor multilayer structure includes: an acceptor doping layer containing a nitride compound semiconductor; and an active layer including a light emitting region.

Claims

1. A nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device comprising:

a GaN substrate having a crystal orientation which is tilted away from a <

0001>

direction by an angle which is equal to or greater than about 0.05° and

which is equal to or less than about 2°

, and

a semiconductor multilayer structure formed on the GaN substrate,

wherein the semiconductor multilayer structure includes;

an acceptor doping layer containing a nitride compound semiconductor; and

an active layer including a light emitting region.

2. A nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device according to

claim 1

, wherein the acceptor doping layer comprises Ga_xIn_yAl₁₋

(x+y)N (where 0≦

x≦

1;

0≦

y≦

1; and

0≦

x+y≦

1).

3. A nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device according to

claim 1

, wherein the GaN substrate has a crystal orientation which is tilted away from a <

0001>

direction in a <

11-20>

or <

1-100>

direction.

4. A nitrite compound semiconductor light emitting device according to

claim 1

, wherein the acceptor doping layer exhibits a p-type conductivity as grown.

5. A nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device according to

claim 1

, wherein the GaN substrate and the active layer are formed so as to be apart from each other by a distance which is equal to or greater than about 1 μ

m.

6. A nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device according to

claim 1

, wherein the active layer has a quantum well structure, and the active layer has an averaged surface roughness which is equal to or less than a thickness of a well layer in the quantum well structure.

7. A nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device according to

claim 1

, wherein the active layer includes at least one well layer and at least one barrier layer.

8. A method for producing the nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device according to

claim 7

, wherein the method comprises:

after at least one of the at least one well layer and the at least one barrier layer has been formed, observing a wait period during which no other layers are formed, the wait period having a predetermined length.

9. A method according to

claim 8

, wherein the predetermined length of the wait period is equal to or greater than about 1 second and is equal to or less than about 60 minutes.

10. A method according to

claim 8

, further comprising:

supplying a carrier gas into a chamber, in which the GaN substrate is placed, during the wait period after at least one of the at least one well layer and the at least one barrier layer has been formed, the carrier gas comprising nitrogen as a main component.

11. A method according to

claim 8

, further comprising:

supplying a carrier gas and a group V gas into a chamber, in which the GaN substrate is placed, during the wait period after at least one of the at least one well layer and the at least one barrier layer has been formed, the carrier gas comprising nitrogen as a main component.