Light-emitting diode in semiconductor material

• US 8,232,560 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2009
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: Robin, Ivan-Christophe, Ferret, Pierre, Rothman, Johan
• Primary Examiner(s): Soward, Ida M
• Application Number:
  US12/503,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20100025654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 257/13, 257/79, 257/103, 257/192, 257/194, 257/195, 257/918, 257/E33.052, 257/E33.053, 257/94, 257/99, 257/101, 257/102, 257/10
• US Class Current: 257/79
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0041 characterised by field-effect operation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/28 containing only elements of Group II and Group VI of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/382 the electrode extending partially in or entirely through the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 257/918 Light emitting regenerative switching device, e.g. light emitting scr arrays, circuitry

Abstract

A light-emitting diode including: a structure in a semiconductor material of first conductivity type, wherein the structure has a first face of which a first region is in contact with a pad of semiconductor material having a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type, and the diode further includes a first electric contact on the pad, a second electric contact-on the first face or on a second face of the structure, and a gate in electrically conductive material arranged on a second region of the first face and separated from the first face by an electrically insulating layer.

Claims

1. A light-emitting diode comprising:

a structure in a semiconductor material of first conductivity type; and

means for electric polarization of the light-emitting diode, wherein

the structure has a first face of which a first region, of a same conductivity type as the structure, is in contact with a pad of semiconductor material having a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type,

the means for electric polarization of the light-emitting diode includes,

a first electric contact on the pad,

a second electric contact on the first face or on a second face of the structure, and

a gate in electrically conductive material arranged on a second region of the first face and separated from the first face by an electrically insulating layer, the second region having a same conductivity type as the structure.

2. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the gate is a disc having a central hole surrounding said pad.

3. The light-emitting diode according to either of claim 1 or 2, wherein the pad of semiconductor material is housed in a cavity formed from the first face of the structure.

4. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the gate is one of gold, copper and platinum.

5. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the electrically insulating layer is in SiO₂.

6. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electric contacts are in one of gold, copper and platinum.

7. The light-emitting diode of claim 1, wherein the structure in the semiconductor material has a thickness in a range from 100 nm to 50 μ

m.

8. The light-emitting diode of claim 1, wherein the electrically insulating layer has a thickness in a range from 30 nm to 70 nm.

9. The light-emitting diode of claim 1, wherein the structure of the semiconductor material includes a ZnO region sandwiched between regions of ZnMgO, wherein a voltage applied to the gate electrode causes one of the ZnMgO regions to invert from the first conductivity type to the second conductivity type.

10. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor material of the first conductivity type is one of ZnO, GaN and GaAs.

11. The light-emitting diode according to claim 10, wherein the semiconductor material of said pad is one of ZnO, GaN, GaInN, GaAs and GaInAs.

12. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor material of the first conductivity type is diamond.

13. The light-emitting diode according to claim 12, wherein the semiconductor material of said pad is one of MgO, ZnO and ZnMgO.

14. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein the structure in semiconductor material is a quantum well structure.

15. The light-emitting diode according to claim 14, wherein the structure in semiconductor material is in ZnMgO with a quantum well in ZnO.

16. The light-emitting diode according to either of claim 14 or 15, wherein the polarizing means positions the quantum well at a p/n junction of the light-emitting diode when the light-emitting diode is polarized.

17. A light-emitting diode comprising:

a structure in a semiconductor material of first conductivity type; and

means for electric polarization of the light-emitting diode, wherein

the structure has a first face of which a first region, of a same conductivity type as the structure, is in contact with a pad of semiconductor material having a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type,

the means for electric polarization of the light-emitting diode includes,

a first electric contact on the pad,

a second electric contact on the first face or on a second face of the structure, and

a gate in electrically conductive material arranged on a second region of the first face and separated from the first face by an electrically insulating layer, the second region having a same conductivity type as the structure, and

the gate is configured to cause an invert polarization of the second region regarding the second electric contact to create an inversion of the conductivity type of the second region and form a light emitting junction with the first region.