High efficiency LED with tunnel junction layer

• US 7,737,451 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2006
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Creeled Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ibbetson, James P., Keller, Bernd P., Mishra, Umesh K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Parker; Kenneth A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho; Anthony
• Application Number:
  US11/362,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20070194330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• Field of Search: 257/79
• US Class Current: 257/81
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0016 having at least two p-n junctions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/04 with a quantum effect structure or superlattice, e.g. tunnel junction
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/08 with a plurality of light emitting regions, e.g. laterally discontinuous light emitting layer or photoluminescent region integrated within the semiconductor body H01L27/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen

Abstract

An LED made from a wide band gap semiconductor material and having a low resistance p-type confinement layer with a tunnel junction in a wide band gap semiconductor device is disclosed. A dissimilar material is placed at the tunnel junction where the material generates a natural dipole. This natural dipole is used to form a junction having a tunnel width that is smaller than such a width would be without the dissimilar material. A low resistance p-type confinement layer having a tunnel junction in a wide band gap semiconductor device may be fabricated by generating a polarization charge in the junction of the confinement layer, and forming a tunnel width in the junction that is smaller than the width would be without the polarization charge. Tunneling through the tunnel junction in the confinement layer may be enhanced by the addition of impurities within the junction. These impurities may form band gap states in the junction.

Claims

1. A light emitting diode (LED), comprising:

a first n-type layer of Group III nitride semiconductor material;

an active region of Group III nitride semiconductor material electrically connected to said first n-type layer;

a p-type layer of Group III nitride semiconductor material electrically connected to said active region;

a second n-type layer of Group III nitride semiconductor material electrically connected with said p-type layer;

a p-type junction layer of Group III nitride semiconductor material interposed directly between said second n-type layer and said p-type layer such that there are no intervening layers and comprising a material different from said second n-type layer and said p-type layer;

and

a tunnel junction between said p-type layer and second n-type layer, such that said active region emits light upon the application of a bias applied across said first and second n-type layers, wherein said junction layer comprises AlGaN and said second n-type and p-type layers comprise GaN.

2. The LED of claim 1, further comprising a substrate, said first n-type layer, p-type layer, active region, tunnel junction and second n-type layer grown successively on said substrate.

3. The LED of claim 1, wherein said tunnel junction further comprises a dipole moment created by said junction layer and has a smaller tunnel width than a tunnel junction without said junction layer.

4. The LED of claim 1, wherein said tunnel junction further comprises a first impurity at the transition from said junction layer to said second n-type layer and a second impurity at the transition from said junction layer to said p-type layer.

5. The LED of claim 4, wherein a junction band gap of said tunnel junction has deep states induced by said first and second impurities.

6. The LED of claim 1, wherein said tunnel junction further comprises a plurality of first impurities at the transition from said junction layer to said second n-type layer and a plurality of second impurities at the transition from said junction layer to said p-type layer.

7. The LED of claim 6, wherein at least one of said first impurities comprises material having a deep donor state and another comprises material having a shallow donor state, and at least one of said second impurities comprises material having a deep donor state and another comprises material having a shallow donor state.

8. The LED of claim 6, wherein each of said first impurities has a different donor state and wherein each of said second impurities has a different donor state.

9. The LED of claim 1, further comprising a p-type metal contact in electrical contact with said second n-type layer, and an n-type contact in electrical contact with said first n-type layer, said bias applied across said first and second n-type layers through said contacts.

10. The LED of claim 9, wherein said p-type contact is arranged on the top surface of said second n-type layer and covers less than all said top surface, and a current from said p-type contact is arranged to spread throughout said second n-type layer.

11. The LED of claim 9, further comprising a substrate adjacent to said first n-type layer, said LED being flip-chip mounted, said p-type contact arranged on the surface of said second n-type layer and comprising a reflective surface to reflect active region light toward said substrate.

12. The LED of claim 9, further comprising a substrate and having an inverted structure, said second n-type layer adjacent to said substrate and said tunnel junction, p-type layer, active region and first n-type layer formed successively on said second n-type layer.

13. The LED of claim 12, wherein said inverted structure reduces the effects of spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization when compared with a similar LED having a noninverted structure.

14. The LED of claim 1, wherein said AlGaN comprises at least 30 percent Al by composition.

15. A light emitting diode (LED), comprising:

a first n-type layer of Group III nitride semiconductor material;

an active region of Group III nitride semiconductor material electrically connected to said first n-type layer;

a p-type layer of Group III nitride semiconductor material electrically connected to said active region;

a second n-type layer of Group III nitride semiconductor material electrically connected with said p-type layer;

a p-type junction layer of Group III nitride semiconductor material interposed directly between and comprising a material different from said second n-type layer and said p-type layer;

and

a tunnel junction between said p-type layer and second n-type layer, such that said active region emits light upon the application of a bias applied across said first and second n-type layers, wherein said junction layer comprises AlGaN, wherein said tunnel junction further comprises a plurality of first impurities at the transition from said junction layer to said second n-type layer and a plurality of second impurities at the transition from said junction layer to said p-type layer, wherein at least one of said first impurities comprises material having a deep donor state and another comprises material having a shallow donor state, and at least one of said second impurities comprises material having a deep donor state and another comprises material having a shallow donor state.