Optical information processing equipment and semiconductor light emitting device suitable therefor

• US 20020031153A1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: USHIO Opto Semiconductors, Inc. (Ushio Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atsuko Niwa, Makoto Okai, Takao Kuroda, Takeshi Shimano, Tsukuru Ohtoshi
• Inventors: Ohtoshi, Tsukuru, Okai, Makoto, Kuroda, Takao, Niwa, Atsuko, Shimano, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,639,925 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: H01S 5/3202 grown on specifically orientated substrates, or using orientation dependent growth
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/320275 semi-polar orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3407 characterised by special barrier layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/343 in AIIIBV compounds, e.g. AlGaAs-laser , InP-based laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/34333 with a well layer based on Ga(In)N or Ga(In)P, e.g. blue laser

Abstract

An information processor of a high reliability and a high recording density, and a blue color, blue-violet color and violet color based semiconductor light emitting device operable at a low threshold current density, used for the same, are provided. An optical information processor of a high reliability and a high recording density enables a moving picture, such as a high-definition television picture, to be recorded and reproduced satisfactorily. A barrier layer in a quantum-well active layer of a semiconductor light emitting device is doped with n-type impurities at a high density. Alternatively, the face orientation of a quantum-well active layer of a semiconductor light emitting device is a plane inclined from the (0001) plane, whereby the threshold current value of the semiconductor light emitting device can be decreased. The semiconductor light emitting device is typified by a gallium nitride based compound semiconductor laser device.

Claims

1. A semiconductor light emitting device comprising:

at least a quantum-well active layer region made from a wurtzite type semiconductor material,

wherein a crystal growth direction of said quantum-well active layer region is parallel to an axis which is inclined 15°

or more from the [0001] axis (c-axis) or an axis equivalent thereto.

2. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1,

wherein said quantum-well active layer region constitutes part of a semiconductor laser resonator.

3. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1,

wherein said strained quantum-well active layer region constitutes part of a semiconductor laser resonator, and

wherein an end surface of said semiconductor laser resonator is parallel to a plane containing both the crystal growth axis of said strained quantum-well active layer region and the [0001] axis (c-axis).

4. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1,

wherein said strained quantum-well active layer region constitutes part of a semiconductor laser resonator, and

wherein an end surface of said semiconductor laser resonator is parallel to a plane containing both the crystal growth axis of said quantum-well active layer region and the [0001] axis (c-axis), and is equivalent to the (-1,2,-1,0) plane.

5. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1,

wherein said strained quantum-well active layer region constitutes part of a semiconductor laser resonator, and

wherein an end surface of said semiconductor laser resonator is parallel to a plane containing both the crystal growth axis of said strained quantum-well active layer region and the [0001] axis (c-axis), and is equivalent to the (-1,0,-1,0) plane.

6. A semiconductor light emitting device comprising:

at least a strained quantum-well active layer region made from a wurtzite type semiconductor material,

wherein a crystal growth direction of said strained quantum-well active layer region is parallel to an axis which is inclined 5°

to 70°

from the [0001] axis (c-axis) or an axis equivalent thereto.

7. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 6,

wherein said strained quantum-well active layer region constitutes part of a semiconductor laser resonator.

8. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 6,

wherein said strained quantum-well active layer region constitutes part of a semiconductor laser resonator, and

wherein an end surface of said semiconductor laser resonator is parallel to a plane containing both the crystal growth axis of said strained quantum-well active layer region and the [0001] axis (c-axis).

9. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 6,

wherein said strained quantum-well active layer region constitutes part of a semiconductor laser resonator, and

wherein an end surface of said semiconductor laser resonator is parallel to a plane containing both the crystal growth axis of said quantum-well active layer region and the [0001] axis (c-axis), and is equivalent to the (-1,2,-1,0) plane.

10. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 6,

wherein said strained quantum-well active layer region constitutes part of a semiconductor laser resonator, and

wherein an end surface of said semiconductor laser resonator is parallel to a plane containing both the crystal growth axis of said strained quantum-well active layer region and the [0001] axis (c-axis), and is equivalent to the (-1,0,-1,0) plane.

11. A semiconductor light emitting device comprising:

at least a strained quantum-well active layer region made from a wurtzite type semiconductor material, wherein a crystal growth direction of said strained quantum-well active layer region is parallel to an axis which is inclined 10°

to 60°

from the [0001] axis (c-axis) or an axis equivalent thereto.

12. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 11,

wherein said strained quantum-well active layer region constitutes part of a semiconductor laser resonator.

13. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 11,

wherein said strained quantum-well active layer region constitutes part of a semiconductor laser resonator, and

wherein an end surface of said semiconductor laser resonator is parallel to a plane containing both the crystal growth axis of said strained quantum-well active layer region and the [0001] axis (c-axis).

14. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 11,

wherein said strained quantum-well active layer region constitutes part of a semiconductor laser resonator, and

wherein an end surface of said semiconductor laser resonator is parallel to a plane containing both the crystal growth axis of said strained quantum-well active layer region and the [0001] axis (c-axis), and is equivalent to the (-1,2,-1,0) plane.

15. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 11,

wherein said strained quantum-well active layer region constitutes part of a semiconductor laser resonator, and

wherein an end surface of said semiconductor laser resonator is parallel to a plane containing both the crystal growth axis of said strained quantum-well active layer region and the [0001] axis (c-axis), and is equivalent to the (-1,0,-1,0) plane.

17. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 16,

wherein said strained quantum-well active layer region constitutes part of a semiconductor laser resonator.

18. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 16,

wherein said strained quantum-well active layer region constitutes part of a semiconductor laser resonator, and

wherein an end surface of said semiconductor laser resonator is parallel to a plane containing both the crystal growth axis of said strained quantum-well active layer region and the [0001] axis (c-axis).

19. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 16,

wherein said strained quantum-well active layer region constitutes part of a semiconductor laser resonator, and

wherein an end of surface of said semiconductor laser resonator is parallel to a plane containing both the crystal growth axis of said strained quantum-well active layer region and the [0001] axis (c-axis), and is equivalent to the (-1,2,-1,0) plane.

20. A semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 16,

wherein said strained quantum-well active layer region constitutes part of a semiconductor laser resonator, and

wherein an end surface of said semiconductor laser resonator is parallel to a plane containing both the crystal growth axis of said strained quantum-well active layer region and the [0001] axis (c-axis), and is equivalent to the (-1,0,-1,0) plane.

16. A semiconductor light emitting device comprising:

at least a strained quantum-well active layer region made from a wurtzite type semiconductor material,

wherein a crystal growth direction of said strained quantum-well active layer region is parallel to an axis which is inclined 20°

to 55°

from the [0001] axis (c-axis) or an axis equivalent thereto.