Gallium nitride-based compound semiconductor light-emitting element

• US 8,546,167 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2012
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kato, Ryou, Yoshida, Shunji, Yokogawa, Toshiya
• Primary Examiner(s): Coleman, William D
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, SU C
• Application Number:
  US13/405,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20120153258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 438/22, 438/46, 438/47, 438/93, 438/94, 117/85, 117/86, 117/952, 372/44.011, 257/98, 257/E21.297, 257/E21.351, 257/E33.002, 257/E33.013
• US Class Current: 438/47
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02378 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0242 Crystalline insulating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02458 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0254 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02576 N-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02579 P-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/007 comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/06 within the light emitting region, e.g. quantum confinement structure or tunnel barrier
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/18 within the light emitting region
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/325 characterised by the doping materials

Abstract

A nitride-based semiconductor light-emitting element includes an n-GaN layer 102, a p-GaN layer 107, and a GaN/InGaN multi-quantum well active layer 105, which is interposed between the n- and p-GaN layers 102 and 107. The GaN/InGaN multi-quantum well active layer 105 is an m-plane semiconductor layer, which includes an In_xGa_1-xN (where 0<x<1) well layer 104 that has a thickness of 6 nm or more and 17 nm or less, and oxygen atoms included in the GaN/InGaN multi-quantum well active layer 105 have a concentration of 3.0×10¹⁷ cm⁻³ or less.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a semiconductor light-emitting element that includes an n-type gallium nitride-based compound semiconductor layer, a p-type gallium nitride-based compound semiconductor layer, and a light-emitting layer, which is interposed between the n- and p-type gallium nitride-based compound semiconductor layers, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) loading a substrate into a reaction chamber of a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition system; and

(b) growing a (10-10) m-plane semiconductor layer, including an In_xGa_1-xN (where 0≦

x≦

1) well layer that has a thickness of 8 nm or more and 16 nm or less, as a light-emitting layer at a growth rate of not less than 7 nanometers/minute on the substrate by performing a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition process,

wherein the step (b) includes setting the growth rate of the In_xGa_1-xN (where 0<

x<

1) well layer so that oxygen atoms included in the light-emitting layer have a concentration of 3.0×

10¹⁷ cm<sup>−

3</sup> or less.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor light-emitting element further comprises an overflow suppressing layer, which includes Al, between the p-type gallium nitride-based compound semiconductor layer and the light-emitting layer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the growth rate is not more than 20 nanometers/minute.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the concentration of the oxygen atoms is not less than 1.0×

10¹⁵ cm<sup>−

3</sup>.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the concentration of the oxygen atoms is not less than 1.0×

10¹⁵ cm<sup>−

3</sup>.