Semiconductor light emitting element

• US 6,246,078 B1
• Filed: 01/28/1998
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xiamen San'An Optoelectronics Co.Ltd. (Sanan Optoelectronics Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Junichi, Sasaki, Kazuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Minh Loan
• Application Number:
  US09/015,052
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 257/94, 257/96, 257/97, 257/98, 257/101, 257/103, 257/201, 257/615, 372/45, 372/46
• US Class Current: 257/96
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0066 with a substrate not being a III-V compound
• 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 33/145 with a current-blocking structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/30 containing only elements of Group III and Group V of the Periodic Table

Abstract

The semiconductor light emitting element of the present invention includes: a compound semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type; a light emitting layer; a compound semiconductor interface layer having a second conductivity type and not containing Al; and a current diffusion layer having the second conductivity type and being made of a compound semiconductor not containing Al.

Claims

1. A semiconductor light emitting element, comprising:

a compound semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type;

a light emitting layer formed on the compound semiconductor substrate;

a compound semiconductor interface layer formed on the light emitting layer, said compound semiconductor interface layer having a second conductivity type and not containing Al; and

a current diffusion layer formed on the compound semiconductor interface layer, said current diffusion layer having the second conductivity type and being made of a compound semiconductor not containing Al,

wherein a carrier concentration of the current diffusion layer increases from a region thereof over the compound semiconductor interface layer toward a region thereof under an upper electrode.

2. A semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1, wherein a current constriction layer having the first conductivity type and being made of a compound semiconductor not containing Al is further provided between the compound semiconductor interface layer and the current diffusion layer.

3. A semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 2, wherein the light emitting layer has a double heterostructure in which an AlGaInP or AlInP cladding layer having the first conductivity type, an AlGaInP or GaInP active layer, and an AlGaInP or AlInP cladding layer having the second conductivity type are sequentially formed in this order.

4. A semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 3, wherein a thickness of the compound semiconductor interface layer is equal to or smaller than about 3.0 μ

m.

5. A semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 2, wherein a semiconductor layer providing a light reflection function is further provided between the compound semiconductor substrate and the light emitting layer.

6. A semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 2, wherein a band gap adjustment layer having an intermediate band gap is further provided between the light emitting layer and the compound semiconductor interface layer.

7. A semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 2, wherein a buffer layer is further provided between the compound semiconductor substrate and the light emitting layer.

8. A semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 2, wherein the compound semiconductor interface layer, the current constriction layer, and the current diffusion layer are each made of a GaP compound material.

9. A semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 8, wherein the GaP compound material of the compound semiconductor interface layer, the current constriction layer, and the current diffusion layer has the same composition.

10. A semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 2, wherein the current constriction layer has an opening portion in a center portion of the semiconductor light emitting element.

11. A semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the compound semiconductor interface layer has a carrier concentration in a range from about 2×

10¹⁶ cm<sup>−

3</sup> to about 2×

10¹⁸ cm<sup>−

3</sup>, and the current diffusion layer has a carrier concentration of about 2×

10¹⁸ cm<sup>−

3</sup> or more.

12. A semiconductor light emitting element, comprising:

a compound semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type;

a light emitting layer formed on the compound semiconductor substrate;

a compound semiconductor interface layer formed on the light emitting layer, said compound semiconductor interface layer having a second conductivity type and not containing Al;

a current diffusion layer formed on the compound semiconductor interface layer, said current diffusion layer having the second conductivity type and being made of a compound semiconductor not containing Al;

a current constriction layer formed between the compound semiconductor interface layer and the current diffusion layer, said current constriction layer having the first conductivity type and having an opening therethrough; and

an electrode layer formed on the current diffusion layer, said electrode layer having an opening aligned with the opening of said current constricting layer,

wherein a carrier concentration of the current diffusion layer increases toward an electrode-layer-side thereof.

13. A semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 12, wherein the light emitting layer has a double heterostructure in which an AlGaInP or AlInP cladding layer having the first conductivity type, an AlGaInP or GaInP active layer, and an AlGalnP or AlInP cladding layer having the second conductivity type are sequentially formed in this order.

14. A semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 12, wherein the interface layer, the current constriction layer and the current diffusion layer are made of the same compound semiconductor.

15. A semiconductor light emitting element, comprising:

a compound semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type;

a light emitting layer formed on the compound semiconductor substrate;

a compound semiconductor interface layer formed on the light emitting layer, said compound semiconductor interface layer having a second conductivity type and not containing Al;

a current diffusion layer formed on the compound semiconductor interface layer, said current diffusion layer having the second conductivity type and being made of a compound semiconductor not containing Al; and

a current constriction layer provided between the compound semiconductor interface layer and the current diffusion layer and being made of a compound semiconductor not containing Al,

wherein the interface layer, the current constriction layer and the current diffusion layer are made of the same compound semiconductor.

16. A semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 15, wherein a carrier concentration of the current diffusion layer increases from a region thereof over the compound semiconductor interface layer toward a region thereof under an upper electrode.

17. A semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 15, wherein the light emitting layer has a double heterostructure in which an AlGaInP or AlInP cladding layer having the first conductivity type, an AlGaInP or GaInP active layer, and an AlGaInP or AlInP cladding layer having the second conductivity type are sequentially formed in this order.

18. A semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 15, wherein the compound semiconductor interface layer, the current constriction layer, and the current diffusion layer are made of a GaP compound.