Semiconductor light-emitting diode

• US 6,984,850 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2003
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nakatsu, Hiroshi, Yamamoto, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Kang, Donghee
• Application Number:
  US10/702,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20040104396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 257/94
• 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 33/16 with a particular crystal structure or orientation, e.g. polycrystalline, amorphous or porous

Abstract

A light-emitting diode includes: a semiconductor substrate; and a layered structure, made of an AlGaInP type compound semiconductor material and provided on the semiconductor substrate. The layered structure includes: a light-emitting structure composed of a pair of cladding layers and an active layer for emitting light provided between the pair of cladding layers; and a current diffusion layer which is lattice-mismatched with the light-emitting structure. A lattice mismatch Δ a/a of the current diffusion layer with respect to the light-emitting structure defined by the following expression is −1% or smaller:
Δa/a=(a_d−a_e)/a_e
where a_d is a lattice constant of the current diffusion layer, and a_e is a lattice constant of the light-emitting structure.

Claims

1. A light-emitting diode, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate; and

a layered structure comprising an AlGaInP type compound semiconductor material provided on the semiconductor substrate, the layered structure comprising;

a light-emitting structure comprising of a pair of cladding layers and an active layer for emitting light provided between the pair of cladding layers; and

a current diffusion layer comprising an AlGaInP type compound semiconductor material, the current diffusion layer being lattice-mismatched with the light-emitting structure, and

wherein crystal of the semiconductor substrate is inclined by 8°

(degrees) to 20°

(20 degrees) in a [011] direction with respect to a (100) plane thereof.

2. The light-emitting diode as in claim 1, wherein a lattice mismatch Δ

a/a of the current diffusion layer with respect to the light-emitting structure is defined by

Δ

a/a=(a_d−

a_e

where a_d is a lattice constant of the current diffusion layer, and a_e is a lattice constant of the light-emitting structure.

3. The light-emitting device as in claim 2, wherein the lattice mismatch is −

1% or smaller.

4. A light-emitting diode, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate; and

a layered structure comprising an AlGaInP type compound semiconductor material provided on the semiconductor substrate, the layered structure comprising;

a light-emitting structure comprising a pair of cladding layers and an active layer for emitting light provided between the pair of cladding layers;

a current diffusion layer comprising an AlGaInP type material which is lattice-mismatched with the light-emitting structure and the semiconductor substrate; and

wherein

the semiconductor substrate is inclined in a [011] direction with respect to a (100) plane thereof, and

wherein crystal of the semiconductor substrate is inclined by 8°

(degrees) to 20°

(20 degrees) in a [011] direction with respect to a (100) plane thereof.