Semiconductor optoelectronic device

• US 7,058,105 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2003
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Sakong, Tan, Lee, Sung-nam, Ha, Kyoung-ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Minsun Oh
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN N
• Application Number:
  US10/624,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20040125839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 372/45.01, 372/75, 372/43, 372/50
• US Class Current: 372/45.01
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/02 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 33/32 containing nitrogen
• 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 5/2009 by using electron barrier layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3211 characterised by special cladding layers, e.g. details on band-discontinuities
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/34333 with a well layer based on Ga(In)N or Ga(In)P, e.g. blue laser

Abstract

A highly efficient semiconductor optoelectronic device is provided. The semiconductor optoelectronic device includes an active layer, an upper waveguide layer provided on the active layer and a lower waveguide layer provided under the active layer, an upper cladding layer provided on the upper waveguide layer and a lower cladding layer provided under the lower waveguide layer, a substrate supporting a deposited structure of the lower cladding layer, the lower waveguide layer, the active layer, the upper waveguide layer, and the upper cladding layer, and upper and lower optical confinement layers provided between the active layer and the upper waveguide layer and between the active layer and the lower waveguide layer, respectively, and having an energy gap that is smaller than those of the upper and lower waveguide layers but greater than that of the active layer.

Claims

1. A semiconductor optoelectronic device comprising:

an active layer;

an upper waveguide layer provided on the active layer and a lower waveguide layer provided under the active layer;

an upper cladding layer provided on the upper waveguide layer and a lower cladding layer provided under the lower waveguide layer;

a substrate supporting a deposited structure of the lower cladding layer, the lower waveguide layer, the active layer, the upper waveguide layer, and the upper cladding layer; and

upper and lower optical confinement layers provided between the active layer and the upper waveguide layer and between the active layer and the lower waveguide layer, respectively, and having an energy gap that is smaller than those of the upper and lower waveguide layers but greater than that of the active layer.

2. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 1, wherein an electron blocking layer is interposed between the upper waveguide layer and the upper optical confinement layer.

3. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 2, wherein the active layer, the upper and lower waveguide layers, the upper and lower cladding layers, and the upper and lower optical confinement layers are formed of a nitride-based material.

4. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 3, wherein an electron blocking layer formed of p-type AlGaN is interposed between the upper waveguide layer and the upper optical confinement layer.

5. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 4, wherein the optical confinement layer is formed of Al_xIn_yGa₁₋

x−

yN (0≦

x, y≦

1, 0≦

x+y≦

1).

6. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 2, wherein the upper and lower waveguide layers are formed of p-GaN and n-GaN, respectively, the upper and lower cladding layers are formed of p-AlGaN/p-GaN and n-AlGaN/n-GaN, respectively, or p-AlGaN and n-AlGaN, respectively, and the active layer is formed of AlInGaN (Al_vIn_xGa₁₋

x−

vN/Al_wIn_yGa<sub>1−

y−

w</sub>N, 0≦

v, w, x, y≦

1, 0≦

x+y, y+w≦

1, y≦

x, v≦

w).

7. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 6, wherein the optical confinement layer is formed of Al_xIn_yGa₁₋

x−

yN (0≦

x, y≦

1, 0≦

x+y≦

1).

8. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 7, wherein the optical confinement layer is doped with Si or Mg.

9. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 7, wherein the optical confinement layer has a thickness of more than 100 Å

.

10. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the substrate is formed of Si, sapphire, SiC, or GaN.

11. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 10, wherein the active layer, the upper and lower waveguide layers, the upper and lower cladding layers, and the upper and lower optical confinement layers are formed of a nitride-based material.

12. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 11, wherein an electron blocking layer formed of p-type AlGaN is interposed between the upper waveguide layer and the upper optical confinement layer.

13. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 12, wherein the optical confinement layer is formed of Al_xIn_yGa₁₋

x−

yN (0≦

x, y≦

1, 0≦

x+y≦

1).

14. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 10, wherein the upper and lower waveguide layers are formed of p-GaN and n-GaN, respectively, the upper and lower cladding layers are formed of p-AlGaN/p-GaN and n-AlGaN/n-GaN, respectively, or p-AlGaN and n-AlGaN, respectively, and the active layer is formed of AlInGaN (Al_vIn_xGa₁₋

x−

vN/Al_wIn_yGa<sub>1−

y−

w</sub>N, 0≦

v, w, x, y≦

1, 0≦

x+y, y+w≦

1, y≦

x, v≦

w).

15. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 14, wherein the optical confinement layer is formed of Al_xIn_yGa₁₋

x−

yN (0≦

x, y≦

1, 0≦

x+y≦

1).

16. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 15, wherein the optical confinement layer is doped with Si or Mg.

17. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 15, wherein the optical confinement layer has a thickness of more than 100 Å

.

18. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the active layer, the upper and lower waveguide layers, the upper and lower cladding layers, and the upper and lower optical confinement layers are formed of a nitride-based material.

19. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the upper and lower waveguide layers are formed of p-GaN and n-GaN, respectively, the upper and lower cladding layers are formed of p-AlGaN/p-GaN and n-AlGaN/n-GaN, respectively, or p-AlGaN and n-AlGaN, respectively, and the active layer is formed of AlInGaN (Al_vIn_xGa₁₋

x−

vN/Al_wIn_yGa<sub>1−

y−

w</sub>N, 0≦

v, w, x, y≦

1, 0≦

x+y, y+w≦

1, y≦

x, v≦

w).

20. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 19, wherein an electron blocking layer formed of p-type AlGaN is interposed between the upper waveguide layer and the upper optical confinement layer.

21. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 20, wherein the optical confinement layer is formed of Al_xIn_yGa₁₋

x−

yN (0≦

x, y≦

1, 0≦

x+y≦

1).

22. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 19, wherein the optical confinement layer is formed of Al_xIn_yGa₁₋

x−

yN (0≦

x, y≦

1, 0≦

x+y≦

1).

23. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 22, wherein the optical confinement layer is doped with Si or Mg.

24. The semiconductor optoelectronic device of claim 22, wherein the optical confinement layer has a thickness of more than 100 Å

.