III-Nitride Compound Semiconductor Light Emitting Device

• US 20080283865A1
• Filed: 03/25/2005
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Epivalley Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Epivalley Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Eun Hyun, Yoo, Tae-Kyung
• Granted Patent: US 7,923,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/103
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02167 the material being a silicon carbide not containing oxygen, e.g. SiC, SiC:H or silicon carbonitrides H01L21/02126 and H01L21/0214 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02447 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0254 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3148 Silicon Carbide layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/318 composed of nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3185 of siliconnitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/02 characterised by the semiconductor bodies
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/22 Roughened surfaces, e.g. at the interface between epitaxial layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/40 Materials therefor

Abstract

The present invention relates a III-nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device in which a first layer composed of a carbon-containing compound layer, such as an n-type or p-type silicon carbide (SiC), silicon carbon nitride (SiCN) or carbon nitride layer (CN) layer, is formed on the p-type III-nitride semiconductor layer of the existing III-nitride semiconductor light emitting device, and a second layer composed of a III-nitride semiconductor layer with a given thickness is formed on the first layer.

Claims

1. A III-nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device including an n-type III-nitride semiconductor layer, an active layer made of III-nitride semiconductor and deposited over the n-type III-nitride semiconductor layer, a p-type III-nitride semiconductor layer deposited over the active layer made of III-nitride semiconductor, and a p-side electrode deposited over the p-type III-nitride semiconductor layer, the light emitting device comprising:

a first layer composed of a carbon-containing compound layer, the first layer interposed between the p-type III-nitride semiconductor layer and the p-side electrode and grown on the p-type III-nitride semiconductor layer; and

a second layer composed of a III-nitride semiconductor layer, the second layer grown after the first layer is grown.

2. The III-nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the second layer is composed of a plurality of islands.

3. The III-nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the first layer is one selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide (Si_aC_b;

a,b≠

0), silicon carbon nitride (Si_cC_dN_e;

c,d,e≠

0) and carbon nitride (C_fN_g;

f,g≠

0).

4. The III-nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device of claim 3, wherein the n-type III-nitride semiconductor layer, the active layer made of III-nitride semiconductor, the p-type III-nitride semiconductor layer, and the second layer is composed of Al(x)Ga(y)In(1-x-y)N (0≦

x≦

1, 0≦

y≦

1, 0≦

x+y≦

1), and wherein the second layer is grown in a form of a plurality of islands due to different material characteristics between the first layer and the second layer.

5. The III-nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device of claim 3, wherein the second layer is a p-type III-nitride semiconductor layer.

6. The III-nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device of claim 4, wherein the second layer is made of a p-type Al(x)Ga(y)In(1-x-y)N (0≦

x≦

1, 0≦

y≦

1, 0≦

x+y≦

1).

7. The III-nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device of any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the first layer is in a thickness of 5 Å

to 1000 Å

.

8. The III-nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device of any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the growth temperature of the first layer is 500°

C. to 1,100°

C.

9. The III-nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device of any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the first layer is a p-type carbon-containing compound layer.

10. The III-nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device of any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the first layer is an n-type carbon-containing compound layer.

11. The III-nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device of any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the first layer is formed as a nonuniform layer.

12. The III-nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device of any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the first layer is formed as a uniform layer.

13. The III-nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device of any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the second layer is in a thickness of 100 Å

to 5000 Å

.

14. The III-nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device of claim 6, further comprising:

a third layer made of Al(x)Ga(y)In(1-x-y)N (0≦

x≦

1, 0≦

y≦

1, 0≦

x+y≦

1) and grown after the second layer is grown.

15. The III-nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device of claim 14, wherein the third layer is in a thickness of 5 Å

to 200 Å

.

16. The III-nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device of any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the p-side electrode is made of any one selected from the group consisting of nickel, gold, silver, chrome, titanium, platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, aluminum, tin, ITO, indium, tantalum, copper, cobalt, iron, ruthenium, zirconium, tungsten, and molybdenum.

17. The III-nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device of claim 3, wherein the silicon source for growing the first layer is any one selected from the group consisting of SiH₄, Si₂H₈, and DTBSi, the carbon source for growing the first layer is any one selected from the group consisting of CH₄, C₂H₄, and CBr₄, and the nitrogen source for growing the first layer is any one selected from the group consisting of NH₃, and Hydrazine-based source material.

18. A III-nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device comprising:

a substrate 10;

a buffer layer 11 deposited on the substrate 10;

an n-type Al(x)Ga(y)In(1-x-y)N (0≦

x≦

1, 0≦

y≦

1, 0≦

x+y≦

1) layer 12 deposited on the buffer layer 11;

an Al(x)Ga(y)In(1-x-y)N (0≦

x≦

1, 0≦

y≦

1, 0≦

x+y≦

1) active layer 13 deposited on the n-type Al(x)Ga(y)In(1-x-y)N (0≦

x≦

1, 0≦

y≦

1, 0≦

x+y≦

1) layer 12;

an p-type Al(x)Ga(y)In(1-x-y)N (0≦

x≦

1, 0≦

y≦

1, 0≦

x+y≦

1) layer 14 deposited on the Al(x)Ga(y)In(1-x-y)N (0≦

x≦

1, 0≦

y≦

1, 0≦

x+y≦

1, active layer 13;

a first layer 20 made of one selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide (Si_aC_b;

a,b≠

0), silicon carbon nitride (Si_cC_dN_e;

c,d,e≠

0) and carbon nitride (C_fN_g;

f,g≠

0), and grown on the p-type Al(x)Ga(y)In(1-x-y)N (0≦

x≦

1, 0≦

y≦

1, 0≦

x+y≦

1) layer 14;

a second layer 21 made of p-type Al(x)Ga(y)In(1-x-y)N (0≦

x≦

1, 0≦

y≦

1, 0≦

x+y≦

1), composed of a plurality of islands for increasing external quantum efficiency, and grown after the first layer 20 is grown;

a p-side electrode 17 deposited on the second layer; and

,

an n-side electrode 18 deposited on the n-type Al(x)Ga(y)In(1-x-y)N (0≦

x≦

1, 0≦

y≦

1, 0≦

x+y≦

1) layer 12.

19. The III-nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device of claim 18, wherein the p-type Al(x)Ga(y)In(1-x-y)N (0≦

x≦

1, 0≦

y≦

1, 0≦

x+y≦

1) layer 14 and the second layer 21 made of p-type Al(x)Ga(y)In(1-x-y)N (0≦

x≦

1, 0≦

y≦

1, 0≦

x+y≦

1)are made of GaN.

20. The III-nitride compound semiconductor light emitting device of claim 18, wherein the light emitting device is a light emitting diode.