Semiconductor light emitter

• US 5,537,433 A
• Filed: 07/21/1994
• Issued: 07/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Masanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Bovernick, Rodney B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): McNutt, Robert
• Application Number:
  US08/278,178
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 372/45, 372/43, 372/44, 257/98
• US Class Current: 372/45.01
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/10 with a light reflecting structure, e.g. semiconductor Bragg reflector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/105 with a resonant cavity structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/405 Reflective materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/46 Reflective coating, e.g. dielectric Bragg reflector
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/1078 with means to control the spontaneous emission, e.g. reducing or reinjection
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/20 Structure or shape of the semiconductor body to guide the optical wave ; Confining structures perpendicular to the optical axis, e.g. index or gain guiding, stripe geometry, broad area lasers, gain tailoring, transverse or lateral reflectors, special cladding structures, MQW barrier reflection layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2004 Confining in the direction perpendicular to the layer structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2009 by using electron barrier layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2013 MQW barrier reflection layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2022 Absorbing region or layer parallel to the active layer, e.g. to influence transverse modes
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2027 Reflecting region or layer, parallel to the active layer, e.g. to modify propagation of the mode in the laser or to influence transverse modes
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2231 with inner confining structure only between the active layer and the upper electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3403 having a strained layer structure in which the strain performs a special function, e.g. general strain effects, strain versus polarisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/34326 with a well layer based on InGa(Al)P, e.g. red laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/347 in AIIBVI compounds, e.g. ZnCdSe- laser

Abstract

A semiconductor light emitter, such as the light-emitting diode or the semiconductor laser, having a structure in which a light emitting area or an active layer; a transparent layer which is pervious to light radiated from the light emitting area or the active layer; and an opaque layer or an opaque substrate which is impervious to the radiated light are arranged in order or in the inverse order. The semiconductor light emitter includes (a) total reflection layer(s) arranged between the transparent layer(s) and the opaque layer(s) so as to come into contact with the transparent layer. The refractive index of the total reflection layer is smaller than that of the transparent layer. Therefore, at least one part of light, which has been radiated from the light emitting area or the active layer and which has been reflected by the total reflection layer thereafter, is either radiated outward from side surfaces of the transparent layer or returned to the active layer.

Claims

1. A semiconductor light emitter having a structure in which a light emitting area or an active layer;

a transparent layer which is pervious to light radiated from said light emitting area or said active layer; and

an opaque layer or an opaque substrate which is impervious to said radiated light are arranged in order or in the inverse order and wherein the semiconductor light emitter is a light-emitting diode, comprising;

a total reflection layer arranged between said transparent layer and said opaque layer so as to come into contact with said transparent layer, a refractive index of said total reflection layer being smaller than that of said transparent layer;

wherein at least one part of light which has been radiated from said light-emitting area or said active layer and which has been reflected by said total reflection layer thereafter, is either radiated outward from side surfaces of said transparent layer or returned to said active layer; and

said transparent layer further comprising of either GaN or AlGaInN and said total reflection layer further comprising of AlGaInN of which refractive indexes are lower than that of said transparent layer, respectively.