III-Nitride Semiconductor Light Emitting Device

• US 20090152578A1
• Filed: 08/21/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Epivalley Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Epivalley Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Chang Myung
• Granted Patent: US 7,915,636 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/96
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/02 characterised by the semiconductor bodies
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/025 Physical imperfections, e.g. particular concentration or distribution of impurities
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/22 Roughened surfaces, e.g. at the interface between epitaxial layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a III-nitride semiconductor light emitting device which improves external quantum efficiency by using a p-type nitride semiconductor layer with a rough surface, the p-type nitride semiconductor layer including: a first nitride semiconductor layer with a first doping concentration, a second nitride semiconductor layer with a second doping concentration lower than the first doping concentration and with the rough surface, and a third nitride semiconductor layer with a higher doping concentration than a second doping concentration.

Claims

1. A III-nitride semiconductor light emitting device, comprising:

an active layer for generating light by recombination of electrons and holes;

an n-type nitride semiconductor layer positioned on one side of the active layer; and

a p-type nitride semiconductor layer positioned on the other side of the active layer to be opposite to the n-type nitride semiconductor layer, and including a first nitride semiconductor layer with a first doping concentration, a second nitride semiconductor layer with a second doping concentration lower than the first doping concentration and with a rough surface, and a third nitride semiconductor layer with a higher doping concentration than a second doping concentration.

2. The III-nitride semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the first nitride semiconductor layer is positioned with respect to the active layer so as to prevent electrons from being transferred from the active layer.

3. The III-nitride semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the third nitride semiconductor layer covers the second nitride semiconductor layer, maintaining the contour of the rough surface.

4. The III-nitride semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1, comprising a p-side electrode electrically contacting the third nitride semiconductor layer.

5. The III-nitride semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the first nitride semiconductor layer is grown at a first growth temperature, the second nitride semiconductor layer is grown at a second growth temperature, and the third nitride semiconductor layer is grown at a third growth temperature, the second nitride semiconductor layer being grown at a lower temperature than the first temperature and the third temperature to have the rough surface.

6. The III-nitride semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the first nitride semiconductor layer has a first thickness, the second nitride semiconductor layer has a second thickness, and the third nitride semiconductor layer has a third thickness, the second thickness being larger than the first thickness and the third thickness.

7. The III-nitride semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the first nitride semiconductor layer is positioned with respect to the active layer so as to prevent electrons from being transferred from the active layer, the third nitride semiconductor layer covers the second nitride semiconductor layer, maintaining the contour of the rough surface, the first nitride semiconductor layer has a first thickness, the second nitride semiconductor layer has a second thickness, and the third nitride semiconductor layer has a third thickness, the second thickness being larger than the first thickness and the third thickness.

8. The III-nitride semiconductor light emitting device of claim 7, comprising a p-side electrode for covering the third nitride semiconductor layer.

9. The III-nitride semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1, wherein a dopant of the p-type nitride semiconductor layer is Mg.

10. The III-nitride semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the second nitride semiconductor layer is undoped.

11. A III-nitride semiconductor light emitting device, comprising:

an active layer for generating light by recombination of electrons and holes;

an n-side electrode for supplying the electrons to the active layer;

a p-side electrode for supplying the holes to the active layer;

an n-type nitride semiconductor layer electrically contacting the n-side electrode; and

a p-type nitride semiconductor layer electrically contacting the p-side electrode, and including a first nitride semiconductor layer with a first doping concentration, a second nitride semiconductor layer with a lower doping concentration than the first doping concentration and with a rough surface, and a third nitride semiconductor layer positioned between the second nitride semiconductor layer and the p-side electrode to lower a contact resistance between the p-side electrode and the p-type nitride semiconductor layer.