Light emitting diode structure

• US 5,661,742 A
• Filed: 05/22/1996
• Issued: 08/26/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Epistar Corporation (Ennostar, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kuo-Hsin Huang, Tzer-Perng Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Tzer-Perng, Huang, Kuo-Hsin
• Primary Examiner(s): Davie, James W.
• Application Number:
  US08/652,328
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 372/45, 372/46, 257/94, 257/97
• US Class Current: 372/46.01
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/02 characterised by the semiconductor bodies
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/06 within the light emitting region, e.g. quantum confinement structure or tunnel barrier
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/14 with a carrier transport control structure, e.g. highly-doped semiconductor layer or current-blocking structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/30 containing only elements of Group III and Group V of the Periodic Table

Abstract

A light emitting diode comprises a multiple quantum well structure. The light emitting diode has a first conductivity type GaAs substrate, an AlGaInP lower cladding layer of the first conductivity type, a multiple quantum well structure, an AlGaInP upper cladding layer of a second conductivity type, and a window structure of the second conductivity type. The multiple quantum well structure comprises a plurality of AlGaInP quantum well layers and barrier layers being stacked alternatively on each other. The window structure including a thin layer having low energy band gap and high conductivity GaAs or GaInP, and a thicker layer having high energy band gap and transparent GaP containing a small amount of In. The use of multiple quantum well structure improves the light intensity and the Iv-I curve linearity of the light emitting diode. The small amount of In in the window layer reduces the defect density generated in the GaP layer due to the lattice mismatch between the window layer and the upper cladding layer. Another improvement that includes growing a distributed Bragg reflector layer between the lower cladding layer and substrate is also presented to further increase the luminous efficiency of the light emitting diode.

Claims

1. A light emitting diode comprising:

a semiconductor substrate GaAs of a first conductivity type, said substrate having a top side and a bottom side;

a first electrode formed on said bottom side of said substrate;

a lower cladding AlGaInP layer of said first conductivity type being grown on said top side of said substrate;

a multiple quantum well structure being formed on said lower cladding layer, said quantum well structure comprising a plurality of (Al_x Ga_1-x)InP quantum well layers and a plurality of (Al_x Ga_1-x)InP barrier layers;

an upper cladding AlGaInP layer of a second conductivity type being formed on said quantum well structure;

a window structure of said second conductivity type being formed on said upper cladding layer, said window structure comprising a first thin layer of low energy band gap and high conductivity material and a second thick layer of transparent and high energy band gap GaP containing about 0.1% to 1% of In; and

a second electrode formed on a part of said second window layer.

2. The light emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein said quantum well structure further has a top spacer layer and a bottom spacer layer, said spacer layers having a fixed composition.

3. The light emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein said quantum well structure further has a top spacer layer and a bottom spacer layer, said spacer layers having a linearly varied composition.

4. The light emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein said quantum well structure further has a top spacer layer and a bottom spacer layer, said spacer layers having a parabolicly varied composition.

5. The light emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein said quantum well structure is a strained multiple quantum well structure and said quantum layers have strain.

6. The light emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein said quantum well structure is a strained multiple quantum well structure and said barrier layers have strain.

7. The light emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein said quantum well structure is a strained multiple quantum well structure and both said quantum well layers and said barrier layers have strain.

8. The light emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein said first layer of said window structure comprising GaAs or GaInP.

9. A light emitting diode comprising:

a semiconductor substrate GaAs of a first conductivity type, said substrate having a top side and a bottom side;

a first electrode formed on said bottom side of said substrate;

a distributed Bragg reflector layer of said first conductivity type being formed on said top side of said substrate;

a lower cladding AlGaInP layer of said first conductivity type being grown on said reflector layer;

a multiple quantum well structure being formed on said lower cladding layer, said quantum well structure comprising a plurality of (Al_x Ga_1-x)InP quantum well layers and a plurality of (Al_x Ga_1-x)InP barrier layers;

an upper cladding AlGaInP layer of a second conductivity type being formed on said quantum well structure;

a window structure of said second conductivity type being formed on said upper cladding layer, said window structure comprising a first thin layer of low energy band gap and high conductivity material and a second thick layer of transparent and high energy band gap GaP containing about 0.1% to 1% of In; and

a second electrode formed on a part of said second window layer.

10. The light emitting diode according to claim 9, wherein said quantum well structure further has a top spacer layer and a bottom spacer layer, said spacer layers having a fixed composition.

11. The light emitting diode according to claim 9, wherein said quantum well structure further has a top spacer layer and a bottom spacer layer, said spacer layers having a linearly varied composition.

12. The light emitting diode according to claim 9, wherein said quantum well structure further has a top spacer layer and a bottom spacer layer, said spacer layers having a parabolicly varied composition.

13. The light emitting diode according to claim 9, wherein said quantum well structure is a strained multiple quantum well structure and said quantum layers have strain.

14. The light emitting diode according to claim 9, wherein said quantum well structure is a strained multiple quantum well structure and said barrier layers have strain.

15. The light emitting diode according to claim 9, wherein said quantum well structure is a strained multiple quantum well structure and both said quantum well layers and said barrier layers have strain.

16. The light emitting diode according to claim 9, wherein said first layer of said window structure comprising GaAs or GaInP.