Group III-nitride laser diode grown on a semi-polar orientation of gallium and nitrogen containing substrates

• US 9,020,003 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera SLD Laser Incorporated (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Soraa Laser Diode, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Raring, James W., McLaurin, Melvin Barker
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhang, Yuanda
• Application Number:
  US13/801,216
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 372/44.011
• US Class Current: 372/44.011
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/16 with a particular crystal structure or orientation, e.g. polycrystalline, amorphous or porous
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2304/04 MOCVD or MOVPE
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0202 Cleaving
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2201 in a specific crystallographic orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/32025 non-polar orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/320275 semi-polar orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3408 characterised by specially shaped wells, e.g. triangular
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/34333 with a well layer based on Ga(In)N or Ga(In)P, e.g. blue laser

Abstract

Blue laser diode (LD) structures are grown on a particular subset of semi-polar GaN substrate orientations that offer a distinct set of advantages relative to both (0001), non-polar oriented devices, and alternative semipolar-polar oriented devices operating in the blue regime are disclosed. In particular, the (30-3-1) and (30-31) gallium and nitrogen containing surface orientation and equivalent planes show narrower luminescence spectra than equivalent devices grown on the nonpolar {10-10} m-plane or semipolar planes tilted away from m-plane toward the c-plane between angles of about 0 degrees to about 7 or 8 degrees such as {60-6-1).

Claims

1. An optical device comprising:

a gallium and nitrogen containing member having a semipolar crystalline surface region characterized by a {30-3-1} surface orientation or an offcut of the {30-3-1} plane;

a laser stripe region formed overlying a portion of the semipolar crystalline surface region, the laser stripe region being characterized by a cavity orientation substantially parallel to the projection of the c-direction, the laser stripe region having a first end and a second end;

a first facet provided on the first end of the laser stripe region;

a second facet provided on the second end of the laser stripe region;

an n-type cladding region overlying the semipolar crystalline surface region;

an active region comprising at least one active layer overlying the n-type cladding region;

the at least one active layer comprising a quantum well region or a double hetero-structure region; and

a p-type cladding region overlying the active region;

wherein the active layer region is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation characterized by a wavelength ranging from about 430 nm to about 475 nm;

wherein the surface orientation is inclined from (30-3-1) within −

3 degrees to +2 degrees about the in-plane [11-20] direction toward an m-plane, wherein the m-plane is a (10-10) plane, the −

3 degrees to +2 degrees corresponding to an inclination of approximately 8 degrees and 13 degrees, respectively, from the m-plane about the in-plane [11-20] direction; and

wherein the surface orientation is inclined from (30-3-1) within −

10 degrees to +10 degrees about the in-plane projection of the [0001] direction.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein a total thickness of the at least one active layer is greater than 15 nm, greater than 25 nm, or greater than 35 nm.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein a total thickness of the active layer region is greater than 15 nm;

and wherein the active region comprises at least three quantum well regions.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein:

a total thickness of the at least one active layer is greater than 20 nm or greater than 25 nm; and

the active region comprises at least five quantum wells.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the each of the quantum well regions comprises a plurality of barrier layers separating a plurality of active layers, each of the barrier layers having a thickness from 2 nm to 4 nm or from 4 nm and 8 nm.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the p-type cladding region is substantially free from aluminum.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the n-type cladding region is substantially free from aluminum.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the p-cladding region is deposited at a growth temperature of greater than 100 degrees Celsius or greater than 150 degrees Celsius higher than the growth temperature of the active layers in the active region.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein:

a total thickness of the active region is greater than 25 nm;

the active region comprises active layers comprising an InN mole fraction of between 0.15% and 0.25%; and

the active region layers comprise an average linear density of misfit dislocations measured in the in-plane direction perpendicular to the in-plane [11-20] of less than 1×

10⁵ cm<sup>−

1</sup>.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein:

a total thickness of the active region is greater than 40 nm;

the active region comprises layers comprising an InN mole fraction of between 0.05% and 0.20%; and

the active region layers comprises an average linear density of misfit dislocations measured in the in-plane direction perpendicular to the in-plane [11-20] of less than 1×

10⁵ cm<sup>−

1</sup>.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the first facet is substantially parallel to the second facet; and

the first facet comprises a first mirror surface characterized by a scribed and broken region or by an etched region.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein:

a cavity length of the laser stripe region ranges from about 100 microns to about 2,000 microns; and

a cavity width of the laser stripe region ranges from about 1 micron to about 25 microns.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein:

a separate confinement hetero-structure overlies the n-type cladding region and underlies the active region; and

the separate confinement hetero-structure comprises InGaN with an InN mol fraction ranging from 1% to 10% and a thickness ranging from 10 nm to 200 nm.

14. An optical device comprising:

a gallium and nitrogen containing member having a semipolar crystalline surface region characterized by {30-3-1} surface orientation or an offcut of the {30-3-1} plane;

a laser stripe region formed overlying a portion of the semipolar crystalline surface region, the laser stripe region being characterized by a cavity orientation substantially parallel to the projection of the c-direction, the laser stripe region having a first end and a second end;

a first facet provided on the first end of the laser stripe region;

a second facet provided on the second end of the laser stripe region;

an n-type cladding region overlying the semipolar crystalline surface region, the n-type cladding region being substantially free of Al-bearing species;

an active region comprising at least one active layer region overlying the n-type cladding region, wherein a total thickness of the at least one active layer region is greater than or equal to 10 nm, and the active region comprises a quantum well region or a double hetero-structure region;

a p-type cladding region overlying the active layer region, the p-type cladding region being substantially free of Al-bearing species;

wherein the at least one active layer region is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation characterized by a wavelength ranging from about 430 nm to about 475 nm;

wherein the surface orientation is inclined from (30-3-1) within −

3 degrees to +2 degrees about the in-plane [11-20] direction toward an m-plane, wherein the m-plane is a (10-10) plane, the −

3 degrees to +2 degrees corresponding to an inclination of approximately 8 degrees and 13 degrees, respectively, from the m-plane about the in-plane [11-20] direction.

15. The device of claim 14, further comprising a p-cladding region configured overlying the active region, wherein the p-cladding region is deposited at a growth temperature of greater than 100 degrees Celsius or greater than 150 degrees Celsius higher than the growth temperature of the at least one active layer region of the active region.

16. The device of claim 14 wherein:

a total thickness of the active region is greater than 15 nm or 25 nm; and

the active region comprises at least three or at least five quantum wells.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein:

the first facet is substantially parallel with the second facet; and

the first facet comprises a first mirror surface characterized by a scribed and broken region or by an etched region.

18. An optical device comprising:

a gallium and nitrogen containing member having a semipolar crystalline surface region characterized by a {30-3-1} surface orientation or offcut of the {30-3-1} plane;

a laser stripe region formed overlying a portion of the semipolar crystalline surface region, the laser stripe region being characterized by a cavity orientation substantially parallel to the projection of the c-direction, the laser stripe region having a first end and a second end;

a first facet provided on the first end of the laser stripe region;

a second facet provided on the second end of the laser stripe region;

an n-type cladding region overlying the semipolar crystalline surface region, the n-type cladding region being substantially free of Al-bearing species;

an active region comprising at least one active layer region overlying the n-type cladding region, wherein a total thickness of the at least one active layer region is greater than or equal to 20 nm; and

a p-type cladding region overlying the at least one active layer region, the p-type cladding region being substantially free of Al-bearing species;

wherein the at least one active layer region is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation characterized by a wavelength ranging from about 430 nm to about 470 nm;

wherein the surface orientation is inclined from (30-3-1) within −

3 degrees to +2 degrees about the in-plane [11-20] direction toward an m-plane, wherein the m-plane is a (10-10) plane, the −

3 degrees to +2 degrees corresponding to an inclination of approximately 8 degrees and 13 degrees, respectively, from the m-plane about the in-plane [11-20] direction.

25. The device of claim 18, wherein the first facet and the second facet are characterized by an etched region.

19. A method for manufacturing an optical device, the method comprising:

providing a gallium and nitrogen containing member having a semipolar crystalline surface region characterized by a {30-3-1} surface orientation or an offcut of the {30-3-1} plane;

forming a laser stripe region overlying a portion of the semipolar crystalline surface region, the laser stripe region characterized by a cavity orientation substantially parallel to the projection of the c-direction, the laser stripe region having a first end and a second end, the first end having a first etched facet and the second end having a second etched facet;

forming an n-type cladding region over the semipolar crystalline surface region, the n-type cladding region being substantially free of Al-bearing species;

forming an active region comprising at least one active layer region overlying the n-type cladding region at a first temperature range, the at least one active layer region being configured to emit electromagnetic radiation characterized by a wavelength ranging from about 425 nm to about 475 nm and a total thickness of the at least one active layer region being greater than or equal to 10 nm, the active region comprising a quantum well region or double heterostructure region; and

forming a p-type cladding region overlying the active region using a second temperature range of at least 100 degrees greater than an upper limit of the first temperature range provided during formation of the active region, the p-type cladding region being substantially free of Al-bearing species;

wherein the surface orientation is inclined from (30-3-1) within −

3 degrees to +2 degrees about the in-plane [11-20] direction toward an m-plane, wherein the m-plane is a (10-10) plane, the −

3 degrees to +2 degrees corresponding, to an inclination of approximately 8 degrees and 13 degrees, respectively, from the m-plane about the in-plane [11-20] direction.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein

a total thickness of the active region is greater than 15 nm or greater than 25 nm;

and

the active region comprises at least three quantum well regions or five quantum well regions.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein

the first facet is substantially parallel to the second facet;

and

the first facet comprises a first mirror surface.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the second temperature causes a growth condition to achieve a preferred crystal quality and a resistivity between a metal to semiconductor contact region and/or a resistivity of the p-type cladding region, the second temperature being maintained for at least 10 minutes or at least 20 minutes.

23. An optical device comprising:

a gallium and nitrogen containing member having a semipolar crystalline surface region characterized by a {30-3-1} surface orientation or an offcut of the {30-3-1} plane;

a laser stripe region formed overlying a portion of the semipolar crystalline surface region, the laser stripe region being characterized by a cavity orientation substantially parallel to the projection of the c-direction, the laser stripe region having a first end and a second end;

a first facet provided on the first end of the laser stripe region;

a second facet provided on the second end of the laser stripe region;

an n-type cladding region overlying the semipolar crystalline surface region, the n-type cladding region being substantially free of Al-bearing species;

an active region comprising at least one active layer region overlying the n-type cladding region, a total thickness of the at least one active layer region greater than or equal to 15 nm;

a p-type cladding region overlying the active region, the p-type cladding region being substantially free of Al-bearing species;

wherein

the p-cladding region is deposited at a growth temperature of greater than 100 degrees Celsius higher than a growth temperature of the active layers in the active region;

the at least one active layer region is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation characterized by a wavelength ranging from about 430 nm to about 470 nm; and

the surface orientation is inclined from (30-3-1) within −

3 degrees to +2 degrees about the in-plane [11-20] direction toward an m-plane, wherein the m-plane is a (10-10) plane, the −

3 degrees to +2 degrees corresponding to an inclination of approximately 8 degrees and 13 degrees, respectively, from the m-plane about the in-plane [11-20] direction.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the first facet and the second facet are characterized by an etched region.