Multiple wavelength light emitting device

• US 5,077,588 A
• Filed: 09/28/1990
• Issued: 12/31/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd. (Shin-Etsu Chemical Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd. (Shin-Etsu Chemical Company Limited)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Yukihiro, Takenaka, Takuo, Yamada, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): MINTEL, WILLIAM A
• Application Number:
  US07/589,796
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 357/17, 357/16, 357/4, 372/43, 372/45, 372/46, 372/44
• US Class Current: 257/96
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0008 having p-n or hi-lo junctions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0025 comprising only AIIIBV compounds

Abstract

A multiple wavelength light emitting device having a single p-n junction and at least two light emitting layers within a diffusion region of a minority carrier comprises a p-type Ga_1-x1 Al_x1 As layer, a p-type Ga_1-x2 Al_x2 As layer, a p-type Ga_1-x3 Al_x3 As layer, and an n-type Ga_1-y Al_y As layer, where x₁, x₂, x₃ and Y represent aluminum arsenide mixed crystal ratios of the respective layers. The light emitting alyers, i.e., the p-type Ga_1-x2 Al_x2 As layer and the p-type Ga_1-x3 Al_x3 As layer each have a different band gap to emit an infrared light and a visible light, respectively. Since the infrared and ivsible lights are simultaneously emitted, emission of the infrared light can be confirmed or monitored by the visible light. The light emitting device of the present invention utilizes an energy well for trapping electrons and an energy barrier for preventing electrons from diffusing to improve the whole light emitting efficiency.

Claims

1. A multiple wavelength light emitting device having a single p-n junction and at least two light emitting layers within a minority carrier diffusion region comprising:

a p-type Ga_1-X1 Al_X1 As layer;

a p-type Ga_1-X2 Al_X2 As layer;

a p-type Ga_1-X3 Al_X3 As layer; and

an n-type Ga_1-Y Al_Y As layer,

where X₁, X₂, X₃ and Y represent aluminum arsenide mixed crystal ratios of the respective layers, wherein said aluminum arsenide mixed crystal ratios of the respective layers satisfy the following expression;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Y>

X.sub.3 >

X.sub.2

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">and

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">X.sub.1>

X.sub.3.

2. A multiple wavelength light emitting device having a single p-n junction and at least two light emitting layers within a minority carrier diffusion region comprising:

a p-type Ga_1-X1 Al_X1 As layer;

a p-type Ga_1-X2 Al_X2 As layer;

a p-type Ga_1-X3 Al_X3 As layer; and

an n-type Ga_1-Y Al_Y As layer,

where X₁, X₂, X₃ and Y represent aluminum arsenide mixed crystal ratios of the respective layers, wherein said aluminum arsenide mixed crystal ratios of the respective layers satisfy the following expressions;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Y>

X.sub.2 >

X.sub.3

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">and

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">X.sub.1 >

X.sub.2.

3. A multiple wavelength light emitting device having a single p-n junction and at least two light emitting layers within a minority carrier diffusion region comprising:

a p-type Ga_1-X1 Al_X1 As layer;

a p-type Ga_1-X2 Al_X2 As layer;

a p-type Ga_1-X3 Al_X3 As layer; and

an n-type Ga_1-Y Al_Y As layer,

where X₁, X₂, X₃ and Y represent aluminum arsenide mixed crystal ratios of the respective layers, wherein said p-type Ga_1-X2 Al_X2 As layer and said p-type Ga_1-X3 Al_X3 As layer are light emitting layers, respectively, having a different band gap.

4. A multiple wavelength light emitting device having a single p-n junction and at least two light emitting layers within a minority carrier diffusion region comprising:

a p-type Ga_1-X1 Al_X1 As layer;

a p-type Ga_1-X2 Al_X2 As layer;

a p-type Ga_1-X3 Al_X3 As layer; and

an n-type Ga_1-Y Al_Y As layer,

where X₁, X₂, X₃ and Y represent aluminum arsenide mixed crystal ratios of the respective layers, wherein said p-type Ga_1-X1 Al_X1 As layer has a higher band gap than both said p-type Ga_1-X2 Al_X2 As layer and said p-type Ga_1-X3 Al_X3 As layer to form a high potential barrier.

5. A multiple wavelength light emitting device having a single p-n junction comprising:

at least two p-type light emitting layers respectively having a different band gap within a minority carrier diffusion region;

a p-type layer adjacent to one end surface of said light emitting layers; and

an n-type layer adjacent to the other end surface of said light emitting layers.

6. A multiple wavelength light emitting device according to claim 5, wherein said p-type layer has a band gap to form a high potential barrier for preventing electrons injected in said light emitting layers from diffusing.

7. A multiple wavelength light emitting device according to claim 6, which requires a single forward direction bias current.

8. A multiple wavelength light emitting device according to claim 7, wherein said light emitting layers simultaneously emit a visible light and an infrared light, respectively.

9. A multiple light emitting device having a single p-n junction manufactured by a process comprising the steps of:

preparing a GaAs mono-crystal substrate;

epitaxially growing a p-type Ga_1-X3 Al_X1 As layer, a p-type Ga_1-X2 Al_X2 As layer, a p-type Ga_1-X3 Al_X3 As layer and an n-type Ga_1-Y Al_Y As layer sequentially on said GaAs mono-crystal substrate; and

removing said GaAs mono-crystal substrate after said epitaxial growth step has been completed.