Semi-polar semiconductor light emission devices

• US 8,217,418 B1
• Filed: 02/14/2011
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siphoton Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Siphoton Incorporated
• Inventors: Pan, Shaoher X., Chen, Jay, Payne, Justin, Heuken, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Pizarro, Marcos D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MONTALVO, EVA Y
• Application Number:
  US13/026,698
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 257/103, 257/79, 257/80, 257/98
• US Class Current: 257/103
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/18 within the light emitting region
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/20 with a particular shape, e.g. curved or truncated substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen

Abstract

A light emitting device includes a silicon substrate comprising a (111) surface and a GaN crystal structure over the (111) surface of the silicon substrate. The GaN crystal structure includes a first surface along a semi-polar plane of the GaN crystal structure and a second surface along a polar plane of the GaN crystal structure. The light emitting device also includes light emission layers over the first surface of the GaN crystal structure. The light emission layers include at least one quantum well comprising GaN.

Claims

1. A light emitting device, comprising:

a silicon substrate having a (111) surface;

a GaN crystal structure over the (111) surface of the silicon substrate, the GaN crystal structure having a semi-polar plane, a polar plane and an m-axis, and a first surface along the semi-polar plane and a second surface along the polar plane, wherein the first surface forms an angle between about 52 degrees and about 72 degrees relative to the m-axis; and

light emission layers over the first surface, the light emission layers having at least one quantum well comprising GaN.

2. A light emitting device, comprising:

a silicon substrate having a (111) surface;

a GaN crystal structure over the (111) surface of the silicon substrate, the GaN crystal structure having a semi-polar plane and a polar plane, and a first surface along the semi-polar plane and a second surface along the polar plane; and

light emission layers over the first surface, the light emission layers having at least one quantum well comprising GaN, wherein the GaN crystal structure has a (1-101) crystal plane, and the first surface is substantially parallel to the (1-101) crystal plane.

3. A light emitting device, comprising:

a silicon substrate having a (111) surface;

a GaN crystal structure over the (111) surface of the silicon substrate, the GaN crystal structure having a semi-polar plane and a polar plane, and a first surface along the semi-polar plane and a second surface along the polar plane; and

light emission layers over the first surface, the light emission layers having at least one quantum well comprising GaN, wherein the first surface intercepts the (111) surface of the silicon substrate at an angle between about 52 degrees and about 72 degrees.

4. A light emitting device, comprising:

a silicon substrate having a (111) surface;

a GaN crystal structure over the (111) surface of the silicon substrate, the GaN crystal structure having a semi-polar plane and a polar plane, and a first surface along the semi-polar plane and a second surface along the polar plane; and

light emission layers over the first surface, the light emission layers having at least one quantum well comprising GaN, wherein the first surface and the second surface intercept each other at an angle between about 108 degrees and about 128 degrees.

5. A light emitting device, comprising:

a silicon substrate having a (111) surface;

a GaN crystal structure over the (111) surface of the silicon substrate, the GaN crystal structure having a semi-polar plane and a polar plane, and a first surface along the semi-polar plane and a second surface along the polar plane;

light emission layers over the first surface, the light emission layers having at least one quantum well comprising GaN; and

a reflective layer between the (111) surface of the silicon substrate and the GaN crystal structure, the reflective layer comprising silicon doped AlGaN or silicon doped AlN.

6. A light emitting device, comprising:

a silicon substrate having a (111) surface;

a GaN crystal structure over the (111) surface of the silicon substrate, the GaN crystal structure having a semi-polar plane and a polar plane, and a first surface along the semi-polar plane and a second surface along the polar plane;

light emission layers over the first surface, the light emission layers having at least one quantum well comprising GaN;

a reflective layer between the (111) surface of the silicon substrate and the GaN crystal structure; and

a buffer layer between the reflective layer and the (111) surface of the silicon substrate, the buffer layer comprising silicon doped AlN.

7. A light emitting device, comprising:

a silicon substrate having a (111) surface;

a GaN crystal structure over the (111) surface of the silicon substrate, the GaN crystal structure having a semi-polar plane and a polar plane, and a first surface along the semi-polar plane and a second surface along the polar plane; and

light emission layers over the first surface, the light emission layers having at least one quantum well comprising GaN,

wherein the silicon substrate further comprises;

a (100) upper surface; and

a recess, in part defined by the (111) surface of the silicon substrate, formed in the (100) upper surface.

8. The light emitting device of claim 7, wherein the recess has the shape of a trench, an inverse pyramid, or a truncated inverse pyramid.

9. A light emitting device, comprising:

a silicon substrate having a (100) upper surface, the (100) upper surface having a recess, the recess being defined in part by (111) surfaces of the silicon substrate;

a GaN crystal structure over one of the (111) surfaces, the GaN crystal structure having a semi-polar plane and a polar plane, and a first surface along the semi-polar plane and a second surface along the polar plane; and

light emission layers over the first surface, the light emission layers having at least one quantum well comprising GaN.

10. The light emitting device of claim 9, wherein the recess has the shape of a trench, an inverse pyramid, or a truncated inverse pyramid.

11. The light emitting device of claim 9, wherein the GaN crystal structure has an m-axis, and the first surface forms an angle between about 52 degrees and about 72 degrees relative to the m-axis.

12. The light emitting device of claim 9, wherein GaN crystal structure has a (1-101) crystal plane and the first surface is substantially parallel to the (1-101) crystal plane.

13. The light emitting device of claim 9, wherein the first surface intercepts a (111) surface of the silicon substrate at an angle between about 52 degrees and about 72 degrees.

14. The light emitting device of claim 9, wherein the GaN crystal structure has a (0001) crystal plane and a c-axis, and the second surface is substantially parallel to the (0001) crystal plane and perpendicular to the c-axis.

15. The light emitting device of claim 9, wherein the first and the second surfaces of the GaN crystal structure intercept each other at an angle between about 108 degrees and about 128 degrees.

16. The light emitting device of claim 9, wherein the GaN crystal structure is doped and is electrically conductive, the light emitting device further comprising:

an upper electrode layer on the light emission layers, wherein the light emission layers are configured to emit light when an electric field is applied across the light emission layers between the GaN crystal structure and the upper electrode layer.

17. The light emitting device of claim 9, further comprising a reflective layer between the GaN crystal structure and one of the (111) surfaces of the silicon substrate.

18. The light emitting device of claim 17, further comprising a buffer layer between the reflective layer and the one of the (111) surfaces of the silicon substrate.