Semiconductor light-emitting device and method for fabricating the same
First Claim
1. A semiconductor light-emitting device comprising an element having:
- a semiconductor multilayer film containing a nitride and having an active layer; and
a transparent layer provided on the semiconductor multilayer film and having projections/depressions of a two-dimensional periodic structure at an upper surface thereof to diffract light from the active layer at the projections/depressions and guide the diffracted light to an outside of the semiconductor multilayer film,wherein, when a period of the projections/depressions is L and a wavelength of the light from the active layer in the element is λ
, λ
≦
L≦
20λ
is satisfied.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Projections/depressions of a two-dimensional periodic structure are formed in a p-GaN layer (4) such that the period of the projections/depressions is 1 to 20 times the wavelength of light radiated from an active layer (3) in a semiconductor. As a result, a diffractive effect achieved by the projections/depressions of the two-dimensional periodic structure change the direction in which the light radiated from the active layer (3) travels. If the projections/depressions are not provided, light at a radiation angle which satisfies conditions for total reflection at the interface between a semiconductor device and an air cannot be extracted to the outside of the semiconductor device so that the light emission efficiency of the device is low. By contrast, the projections/depressions as formed with a period according to the present invention diffract the light at an angle which does not cause total reflection so that the efficiency with which the light is extracted to the outside of the semiconductor device is improved exponentially. This improves the light emission efficiency of the device.
42 Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A semiconductor light-emitting device comprising an element having:
-
a semiconductor multilayer film containing a nitride and having an active layer; and a transparent layer provided on the semiconductor multilayer film and having projections/depressions of a two-dimensional periodic structure at an upper surface thereof to diffract light from the active layer at the projections/depressions and guide the diffracted light to an outside of the semiconductor multilayer film, wherein, when a period of the projections/depressions is L and a wavelength of the light from the active layer in the element is λ
, λ
≦
L≦
20λ
is satisfied. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
Specification