Tunable wavelength light emitting diode

• US 8,629,425 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2006
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agency For Science Technology and Research
• Original Assignee: Agency For Science Technology and Research
• Inventors: Soh, Chew Beng, Chua, Soo Jin, Hartono, Haryono
• Primary Examiner(s): Laurenzi, Mark A
• Application Number:
  US12/440,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20100025653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,685 Days
• Field of Search: 257/13, 257/89, 257/28, 257/79, 257/458, 257/461, 257/437, 257/E33.008, 438 22- 32, 438/38, 438 46- 47
• US Class Current: 257/14
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• 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 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/06 within the light emitting region, e.g. quantum confinement structure or tunnel barrier
• 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

Abstract

A light emitting diode and a method of fabricating a light emitting diode, the diode has a first set of multiple quantum wells (MQWs), each of the MQWs of the first set comprising a wetting layer providing nucleation sites for quantum dots (QDs) or QD-like structures in a well layer of said each MQW; and a second set of MQWs, each of the MQWs of the second set formed so as to exhibit a photoluminescence (PL) peak wavelength shifted compared to the MQWs of the first set.

Claims

1. A tunable light emitting diode comprising:

a first set of multiple quantum wells (MQWs), each of the MQWs of the first set comprising a well layer having quantum dots (QDs) formed therein, and a wetting layer having a different composition than the quantum dots and providing nucleation sites for the QDs in the well layer of said each MQW; and

a second set of MQWs, each of the MQWs of the second set formed so as to exhibit a photoluminescence (PL) peak wavelength shifted compared to the MQWs of the first set,

wherein the QDs comprise In atoms, and the first set of MQWs is configured to provide a broad emission band with wavelength at least in the range of 500 nm to 700 nm, and

wherein the tunable light emitting diode further comprises electrical contacts for receiving an applied voltage to control an output wavelength of the light emitting diode such that the output wavelength of the light emitting diode is tunable by varying the applied voltage.

2. The light emitting diode as claimed in claim 1, wherein the QDs comprise In atoms.

3. The light emitting diode as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first set of MQWs comprises about 3 to 5 MQWs.

4. The light emitting diode as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second set of MQWs comprises about 2 to 5 MQWs.

5. The light emitting diode as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the MQWs of the second set comprises a Ga-based barrier layer and an Ga-based well layer formed on the Ga-based barrier layer.

6. The light emitting diode as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the MQWs of the first set comprises a Ga-based barrier layer, an InGa-based wetting layer formed on the Ga-based barrier layer, and a Ga-based well layer formed on the InGa-wetting layer.

7. The light emitting diode as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first set of MQWs are formed on an n-type doped Ga-based layer, the second set of MQWs is formed on the first set of MQWs, a Ga-based capped layer is formed on the second set of MQWs, and a p-type doped Ga-based layer is formed on the Ga-based capped layer.

8. The light emitting diode as claimed in claim 7, further comprising electrical contacts for contacting the n-type doped Ga-based layer and the p-type doped Ga-based layer respectively.

9. The light emitting diode as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of MQWs are supported on a substrate.

10. The light emitting diode as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of MQWs comprise one material system of a group consisting of InGa/Ga, InGa/AlGa, Ga/AlGa and InGa/AlInGa.

11. The light emitting diode as claimed in claim 10, wherein the MQWs comprise the nitride or phosphide of the material system.

12. The light emitting diode as claimed in claim 1, wherein a combined PL spectrum of the diode covers a tunable wavelength range of about 400-800 nm.

26. The light emitting diode as claimed in claim 1, wherein the MQWs are formed at a temperature of at least 700°

.

13. A tunable method of fabricating a light emitting diode, the method comprising the steps of:

forming a first set of multiple quantum wells (MQWs), each of the MQWs of the first set comprising a well layer having quantum dots (QDs) formed therein, and a wetting layer having a different composition than the quantum dots and providing nucleation sites for the QDs in the well layer of said each MQW; and

forming a second set of MQWs, each of the MQWs of the second set formed so as to exhibit a photoluminescence (PL) peak wavelength shifted compared to the MQWs of the first set,

wherein the QDs comprise In atoms, and the first set of MQWs is configured to provide a broad emission band with wavelength at least in the range of 500 nm to 700 nm, and

wherein the tunable light emitting diode further comprises electrical contacts for receiving an applied voltage to control an output wavelength of the light emitting diode such that the output wavelength of the light emitting diode is tunable by varying the applied voltage.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the QDs comprise In atoms.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first set of MQWs comprises about 3 to 5 MQWs.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the second set of MQWs comprises about 2 to 5 MQWs.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein each of the MQWs of the second set comprises a Ga-based barrier layer and an InGa-based well layer formed on the Ga-based barrier layer.

18. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein each of the MQWs of the first set comprises a Ga-based barrier layer, an InGa-based wetting layer formed on the Ga-based barrier layer, and a Ga-based well layer formed on the InGa-wetting layer.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the first set of MQWs are formed on an n-type doped Ga-based layer, the second set of MQWs is formed on the first set of MQWs, a Ga-based capped layer is formed on the second set of MQWs, and a p-type doped Ga-based layer is formed on the Ga-based capped layer.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising forming electrical contacts for contacting the n-type doped Ga-based layer and the p-type doped Ga-based layer respectively.

21. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first and second sets of MQWs are supported on a substrate.

22. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first set of MQWs is formed at a lower temperature than the second set of MQWs.

23. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first set of MQWs is formed with a higher In precursor flow than the second set of MQWs.

24. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first and second sets of MQWs comprise one material system of a group consisting of InGa/Ga, InGa/AlGa, Ga/AlGa and InGa/AlInGa.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the MQWs comprise the nitride or phosphide of the material system.

27. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the MQWs are formed at a temperature of at least 700°

.