Polychromatic LED's and related semiconductor devices

• US 20060124918A1
• Filed: 12/09/2004
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Haase, Michael A., Miller, Thomas J., Sun, Xiaoguang
• Granted Patent: US 7,745,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/14
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0008 having p-n or hi-lo junctions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/06 within the light emitting region, e.g. quantum confinement structure or tunnel barrier
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/28 containing only elements of Group II and Group VI of the Periodic Table

Abstract

A semiconductor device is provided comprising a first potential well located within a pn junction and a second potential well not located within a pn junction. The potential wells may be quantum wells. The semiconductor device is typically an LED, and may be a white or near-white light LED. The semiconductor device may additionally comprise a third potential well not located within a pn junction. The semiconductor device may additionally comprise absorbing layers surrounding or closely or immediately adjacent to the second or third quantum wells. In addition, graphic display devices and illumination devices comprising the semiconductor device according to the present invention are provided.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising a first potential well located within a pn junction and a second potential well not located within a pn junction.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 additionally comprising an absorbing layer closely adjacent to said potential second well.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 additionally comprising an absorbing layer immediately adjacent to said second potential well.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 2 wherein said first potential well has a first transition energy, wherein said second potential well has a second transition energy, and wherein said absorbing layer has an absorbing layer band gap energy less than or equal to said first transition energy and greater than said second transition energy.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 3 wherein said first potential well has a first transition energy, wherein said second potential well has a second transition energy, and wherein said absorbing layer has an absorbing layer band gap energy less than or equal to said first transition energy and greater than said second transition energy.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 additionally comprising a third potential well not located within a pn junction.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 6 additionally comprising a first absorbing layer immediately adjacent to said second potential well and a second absorbing layer immediately adjacent to said third potential well.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 7 wherein said first potential well has a first transition energy, wherein said second potential well has a second transition energy, wherein said third potential well has a third transition energy, wherein said first absorbing layer has a first absorbing layer band gap energy less than or equal to said first transition energy and greater than said second transition energy, and wherein said second absorbing layer has a second absorbing layer band gap energy less than or equal to said first transition energy and greater than said third transition energy.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 wherein said first potential well is a quantum well and wherein said second potential well is a quantum well.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 2 wherein said first potential well is a quantum well and wherein said second potential well is a quantum well.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 3 wherein said first potential well is a quantum well and wherein said second potential well is a quantum well.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 4 wherein said first potential well is a quantum well and wherein said second potential well is a quantum well.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 5 wherein said first potential well is a quantum well and wherein said second potential well is a quantum well.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 6 wherein said first potential well is a quantum well, wherein said second potential well is a quantum well, and wherein said third potential well is a quantum well.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 7 wherein said first potential well is a quantum well, wherein said second potential well is a quantum well, and wherein said third potential well is a quantum well.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 8 wherein said first potential well is a quantum well, wherein said second potential well is a quantum well, and wherein said third potential well is a quantum well.

17. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 which is an LED.

18. The semiconductor device according to claim 2 which is an LED.

19. The semiconductor device according to claim 3 which is an LED.

20. The semiconductor device according to claim 4 which is an LED.

21. The semiconductor device according to claim 5 which is an LED.

22. The semiconductor device according to claim 6 which is an LED.

23. The semiconductor device according to claim 7 which is an LED.

24. The semiconductor device according to claim 8 which is an LED.

25. The semiconductor device according to claim 9 which is an LED.

26. The semiconductor device according to claim 10 which is an LED.

27. The semiconductor device according to claim 11 which is an LED.

28. The semiconductor device according to claim 12 which is an LED.

29. The semiconductor device according to claim 13 which is an LED.

30. The semiconductor device according to claim 14 which is an LED.

31. The semiconductor device according to claim 15 which is an LED.

32. The semiconductor device according to claim 16 which is an LED.

33. The semiconductor device according to claim 24 wherein said first transition energy corresponds to green, blue or violet wavelength visible light, wherein said second transition energy corresponds to yellow, green or blue wavelength visible light, wherein said third transition energy corresponds to red, orange or yellow wavelength visible light.

34. The semiconductor device according to claim 24 wherein said first transition energy corresponds to blue or violet wavelength visible light, wherein said second transition energy corresponds to yellow or green wavelength visible light, wherein said third transition energy corresponds to red or orange wavelength visible light.

35. The semiconductor device according to claim 21 wherein said first transition energy corresponds to ultraviolet wavelength light and wherein said second transition energy corresponds to visible wavelength light.

36. The semiconductor device according to claim 21 wherein said first transition energy corresponds to visible wavelength light and wherein said second transition energy corresponds to infrared wavelength light.

37. The semiconductor device according to claim 32 wherein said first transition energy corresponds to green, blue or violet wavelength visible light, wherein said second transition energy corresponds to yellow, green or blue wavelength visible light, wherein said third transition energy corresponds to red, orange or yellow wavelength visible light.

38. The semiconductor device according to claim 32 wherein said first transition energy corresponds to blue or violet wavelength visible light, wherein said second transition energy corresponds to yellow or green wavelength visible light, wherein said third transition energy corresponds to red or orange wavelength visible light.

39. The semiconductor device according to claim 29 wherein said first transition energy corresponds to ultraviolet wavelength light and wherein said second transition energy corresponds to visible wavelength light.

40. The semiconductor device according to claim 29 wherein said first transition energy corresponds to visible wavelength light and wherein said second transition energy corresponds to infrared wavelength light.

41. A graphic display device comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 1.

42. An illumination device comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 1.

43. A graphic display device comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 21.

44. An illumination device comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 21.

45. A graphic display device comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 24.

46. An illumination device comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 24.

47. A graphic display device comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 29.

48. An illumination device comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 29.

49. A graphic display device comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 32.

50. An illumination device comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 32.

51. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 which is a magenta-emitting LED.

52. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 which is a cyan-emitting LED.

53. A liquid crystal display comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 1.

54. A liquid crystal display comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 33, wherein said first, second and third transition energies are matched to the color filters of the liquid crystal display.