Light emitting device and process for producing the same

• US 20020160544A1
• Filed: 06/26/2002
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Atsushi Toda, Katsuya Shirai, Shigeru Kojima, Yoshifumi Mori
• Original Assignee: Atsushi Toda, Katsuya Shirai, Shigeru Kojima, Yoshifumi Mori
• Inventors: Shirai, Katsuya, Toda, Atsushi, Kojima, Shigeru, Mori, Yoshifumi
• Application Number:
  US10/180,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20020160544A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/20
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/08 with a plurality of light emitting regions, e.g. laterally discontinuous light emitting layer or photoluminescent region integrated within the semiconductor body H01L27/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/18 within the light emitting region
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/26 Materials of the light emitting region
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/32341 blue laser based on GaN or GaP
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/805 Electrodes

Abstract

There is provided a light emitting device and a process for producing the same in that the light emission efficiency is high, the range of selection of the material is broad, and a device array of a large area can be formed. On a substrate 11 comprising quartz glass, an n-type clad layer 12 comprising a non-single crystal body of n-type AlGaN, a light emitting layer 13 containing plural microcrystals 13a comprising ZnO, and a p-type clad layer 14 comprising a non-single crystal body of p-type BN are laminated in this order. Between the n-type clad layer 12 and the p-type clad layer 14, an insulating layer 15 is formed to fill the gap among the microcrystals 13a to prevent a leaking electric current. The insulating layer 15 is formed by oxidizing the surface of the n-type clad layer 12. Because the light emitting layer 13 contains the plural microcrystals 13a having an increased crystallinity, the light emission efficiency is increased, the range of selection of the materials of the light emitting layer 13, the n-type clad layer 12, the p-type clad layer 14 and the substrate 11 is broadened, and a device array of a large area can be formed.

Claims

1. A process for producing a light emitting device, comprising:

forming a first conductive type layer;

forming a layer of microcrystals on the first conductive type layer, where the layer of microcrystals comprises a semiconductor; and

forming a second conductive type layer on the layer of microcrystals.

2. A process for producing a light emitting device as described in claim 1, where the microcrystals have a crystalline particle diameter of 100 nm or less.

3. A process for producing a light emitting device as described in claim 1, after the step of forming a layer of microcrystals, the process further comprising:

heat-treating the microcrystals in an atmosphere containing oxygen to form an inorganic semiconductor body containing oxygen.

4. A process for producing a light emitting device as described in claim 3, where heat-treating the microcrystals includes performing a plasma treatment.

5. A process for producing a light emitting device as described in claim 1, after the step of forming a layer of microcrystals, the process further comprising:

heat-treating the microcrystals in an atmosphere containing nitrogen.

6. A process for producing a light emitting device as described in claim 5, where heat-treating the microcrystals includes performing a plasma treatment.

7. A process for producing a light emitting device as described in claim 1, after the step of forming a layer of microcrystals, the process further comprising:

heat-treating the microcrystals in an atmosphere containing hydrogen.

8. A process for producing a light emitting device as described in claim 7, where heat-treating the microcrystals includes performing a plasma treatment.

9. A process for producing a light emitting device as described in claim 1, where at least one of the first conductive type layer and the second conductive type layer includes a non-single crystalline inorganic semiconductor body.

10. A process for producing a light emitting device as described in claim 1, where at least one of the first conductive type layer and the second conductive type layer includes at least one of an organic semiconductor and a conductive resin.

11. A process for producing a light emitting device as described in claim 1, further comprising:

forming an insulating layer between the first conductive type layer and the second conductive type layer to prevent contact between the first conductive type layer and the second conductive type layer.

12. A process for producing a light emitting device as described in claim 11, where the first conductive type layer includes an inorganic semiconductor body containing nitrogen and forming the insulating layer includes oxidizing a surface of the insulating layer.

13. A process for producing a light emitting device as described in claim 11, where the first conductive type layer includes an inorganic semiconductor body containing oxygen and forming the insulating layer includes nitriding a surface of the insulating layer.

14. A process for producing a light emitting device as described in claim 1, where the first conductive type layer, the layer of microcrystals, and the second conductive type layer are stacked on a substrate.

15. A process for producing a light emitting device as described in claim 14, further comprising:

forming a diffusion preventing layer on the substrate; and

forming the first conductive type layer on the substrate through the diffusion preventing layer.

16. A process for producing a light emitting device as described in claim 14, further comprising:

forming an auxiliary electrode on the substrate; and

forming the first conductive type layer on the substrate through the auxiliary electrode.

17. A process for producing a light emitting device as described in claim 1, further comprising:

forming a pair of reflectors to define a cavity.

18. A process for producing a light emitting device, comprising:

forming a first conductive type clad layer;

forming a light emitting layer on the first conductive type clad layer, where the light emitting layer comprises a plurality of microcrystals;

forming an insulating layer on the first conductive type clad layer, where the insulating layer defines a thickness that is less than a thickness of the light emitting layer; and

forming a second conductive type clad layer on the first conductive type clad layer through the light emitting layer and the insulating layer.