Semiconductor laser

• US 5,640,409 A
• Filed: 01/25/1996
• Issued: 06/17/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakayama, Norikazu, Ishibashi, Akira, Ito, Satoshi, Ohata, Toyoharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Bovernick, Rodney B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Song, Yisun
• Application Number:
  US08/591,832
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 372/45, 372/50, 372/46
• US Class Current: 372/45.01
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/28 containing only elements of Group II and Group VI of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0421 characterised by the semiconducting contacting layers electrodes H01S5/0425
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2214 based on oxides or nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3211 characterised by special cladding layers, e.g. details on band-discontinuities
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/327 in AIIBVI compounds, e.g. ZnCdSe-laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/347 in AIIBVI compounds, e.g. ZnCdSe- laser

Abstract

A semiconductor light-emitting device capable of emitting blue to green light is disclosed. The device comprises a first cladding layer of the first conduction type stacked on a compound semiconductor substrate and made of ZnMgSSe compound semiconductor; an active layer stacked on the first cladding layer; a second cladding layer of the second conduction type stacked on the active layer and made of a ZnMgSSe compound semiconductor; and ZnSSe compound semiconductor layers provided on the second cladding layer and/or between the compound semiconductor substrate and the first cladding layer. The device has good optical confinement characteristics and carrier confinement characteristics, generates only a small amount of heat during its operation, and is fabricated easily.

Claims

1. A semiconductor light-emitting device comprising:

a first cladding layer of a first conduction type stacked on a compound semiconductor substrate and made of a ZnMgSSe compound semiconductor;

an active layer stacked on said first cladding layer; and

a second cladding layer of a second conduction type stacked on said active layer and made of a ZnMgSSe compound semiconductor,

wherein a ZnSSe compound semiconductor layer is provided on said second cladding layer.

2. The semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1 wherein said ZnSSe compound semiconductor layer is 0.1˜

2 μ

m thick, and said second cladding layer is 0.2˜

2 μ

m thick.

3. The semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein said second cladding layer and said ZnSSe compound semiconductor layer are of p-type, and a p-type contact layer made of a ZnSe compound semiconductor is stacked on said ZnSSe compound semiconductor layer.

4. The semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1 wherein said active layer is made of a ZnCdSe compound semiconductor.

5. The semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1 wherein said compound semiconductor substrate is a GaAs substrate.

6. A semiconductor light-emitting device comprising:

a first cladding layer of a first conduction type stacked on a compound semiconductor substrate and made of a ZnMgSSe compound semiconductor;

an active layer stacked on said first cladding layer; and

a second cladding layer of a second conduction type stacked on said active layer and made of a ZnMgSSe compound semiconductor,

wherein a ZnSSe compound semiconductor layer is provided on said second cladding layer and between said compound semiconductor substrate and said first cladding layer.

7. The semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 6 wherein said ZnSSe compound semiconductor layer between said compound semiconductor substrate and said first cladding layer is 0.01-2 μ

m thick, said ZnSSe compound semiconductor layer on said second cladding layer is 0.1-2 μ

m thick, said first cladding layer is 0.2-2 μ

m thick, and said second cladding layer is 0.2-2 μ

m thick.

8. The semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 7 wherein said second cladding layer and said ZnSSe compound semiconductor layer are of p-type, and a p-type contact layer made of a ZnSe compound semiconductor is stacked on said ZnSSe compound semiconductor layer.

9. The semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 8 wherein said p-type contact layer is 30-150 nm thick.

10. The semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 6 wherein said active layer is made of a ZnCdSe compound semiconductor.

11. The semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 6 wherein said compound semiconductor substrate is a GaAs substrate.