SEMICONDUCTOR LIGHT-EMITTING DEVICE

• US 20140014998A1
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Published: 01/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: OHNO, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,472,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/99
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0045 the devices being superluminescent diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/38 with a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/62 Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the semiconductor body, e.g. lead-frames, wire-bonds or solder balls
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2301/176 Specific passivation layers on surfaces other than the emission facet
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0202 Cleaving
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/04252 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/04253 having specific optical properties, e.g. transparent electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/04254 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/16 Window-type lasers, i.e. with a region of non-absorbing material between the active region and the reflecting surface H01S5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2031 characterized by special waveguide layers, e.g. asymmetric waveguide layers or defined bandgap discontinuities
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/22 having a ridge or stripe structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3216 quantum well or superlattice cladding layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/34333 with a well layer based on Ga(In)N or Ga(In)P, e.g. blue laser

Abstract

A semiconductor light-emitting device includes a substrate; a first cladding layer formed on the substrate; a first guide layer formed on the first cladding layer; an active layer formed on the first guide layer; a second guide layer formed on the active layer; a contact layer formed on the second guide layer; a cladding electrode formed on the contact layer, and made of conductive metal oxide; and a pad electrode electrically coupled to the cladding electrode. The semiconductor light-emitting device includes a mesa structure including the contact layer. The cladding electrode has a greater width than the mesa structure. The cladding electrode covers an upper surface and side surfaces of the mesa structure, and is electrically coupled to the contact layer.

Claims

1. A semiconductor light-emitting device comprising:

a substrate;

a first cladding layer formed on the substrate;

a first guide layer formed on the first cladding layer;

an active layer formed on the first guide layer;

a second guide layer formed on the active layer;

a contact layer formed on the second guide layer;

a cladding electrode formed on the contact layer, and made of conductive metal oxide; and

a pad electrode electrically coupled to the cladding electrode, wherein

the semiconductor light-emitting device includes a striped mesa structure including the contact layer,

the cladding electrode has a greater width than the mesa structure, and

the cladding electrode covers an upper surface and side surfaces of the mesa structure, and is electrically coupled to the contact layer.

2. The semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein

a distance between the upper surface and a lower surface of the mesa structure ranges from 10 nm to 200 nm, both inclusive.

3. The semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1, further comprising:

a second cladding layer formed between the second guide layer and the contact layer, wherein

the second cladding layer has a raised portion, and

the mesa structure includes the raised portion of the second cladding layer, and the contact layer formed on the raised portion of the second cladding layer.

4. The semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 3, wherein

the cladding electrode covers the upper surface and the side surfaces of the mesa structure, and upper surfaces of side portions of the second cladding layer located at sides of the mesa structure, and

the side portions of the second cladding layer are in Schottky contact with the cladding electrode.

5. The semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 3, wherein

a surface layer having a conductivity type opposite to that of the second cladding layer is formed in side portions of the second cladding layer located at sides of the mesa structure.

6. The semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 3, wherein

a high resistive portion is formed in a side portion of the second cladding layer located at each side of the mesa structure.

7. The semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 3, wherein

a high resistive portion is formed in portions of the second guide layer and the second cladding layer at each side of the mesa structure.

8. The semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 6, wherein

the high resistive portion is a modified portion formed by modifying an upper portion of the side portion of the second cladding layer by plasma treatment using plasma,

the plasma is fluorine plasma or oxygen plasma, and

the high resistive portion contains fluorine or oxygen.

9. The semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 6, wherein

the high resistive portion is an ion-implanted portion formed by implanting ions,

the ions are boron ions, oxygen ions, zinc ions, iron ions, or silicon ions, and

the high resistive portion contains boron, oxygen, zinc, iron, or silicon.

10. The semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 3, further comprising:

a high resistive layer formed on upper surfaces of side portions of the second cladding layer located at sides of the mesa structure, and on the side surfaces of the mesa structure, wherein

the high resistive layer contains aluminum.

11. The semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1, further comprising:

an Al-containing layer formed between the second guide layer and the contact layer, and containing aluminum, and

a second cladding layer formed between the Al-containing layer and the contact layer, wherein

the mesa structure includes the second cladding layer and the contact layer formed on the second cladding layer, and

the Al-containing layer has a higher Al composition ratio than the second cladding layer.

12. The semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein

the second guide layer has a raised portion, and

the mesa structure includes the raised portion of the second guide layer, and the contact layer formed on the raised portion of the second guide layer.

13. The semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein

the first cladding layer is an AlInN layer.

14. The semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein

the first cladding layer is a superlattice layer including an AlInN layer and a GaN layer.