Light-emitting diode chip

• US 9,257,596 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2013
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OSRAM OLED GMBH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Straburg, Martin, Calleja-Pardo, Enrique, Albert, Steven, Bengoechea Encabo, Ana Maria, Sanchez-Garcia, Miguel Angel, Mandl, Martin, Klper, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Karimy, Timor
• Application Number:
  US14/371,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20140353581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 257/13, 257/9, 257/11, 257/12, 257/14, 257/79, 257/E33.001, 438/47
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/153 in a repetitive configuration, e.g. LED bars
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0075 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 33/08 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/18 within the light emitting region
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen

Abstract

A light-emitting diode chip comprising:—a semiconductor body (1) having a plurality of active regions (2), wherein—at least one of the active regions (2) has at least two subregions (21 . . . 28),—the active region (2) has at least one barrier region (3) arranged between two adjacent subregions (21 . . . 28) of said at least two subregions (21 . . . 28),—the at least two subregions (21 . . . 28) emit light of mutually different colour during operation of the light-emitting diode chip,—in at least one of the subregions (21 . . . 28) the emission of light is generated electrically, and—the barrier region (3) is configured to hinder a thermally activated redistribution of charge carriers between the two adjacent subregions (21 . . . 28), is specified.

Claims

1. A light-emitting diode chip comprising:

a semiconductor body having a plurality of active regions, wherein

at least one of the active regions has at least two subregions,

the active region has at least one barrier region arranged between two adjacent subregions of said at least two subregions,

the at least two subregions emit light of mutually different colour during operation of the light-emitting diode chip,

in at least one of the subregions the emission of light is generated electrically,

the barrier region is configured to hinder a thermally activated redistribution of charge carriers between the two adjacent subregions,

the active regions have a direction of main extension,

at least some of the active regions are spaced apart from each other in a direction which runs lateral with respect to the direction of main extension or at least some of the active regions partly touch each other in the lateral direction,

the active regions are nanostructures and at least one of the active regions has a maximum diameter of 1000 nm and an aspect ratio of at least 3,

the subregions are arranged along the direction of main extension of their active region and exactly one barrier region is arranged between each pair of adjacent subregions,

each subregion is based on a nitride compound semiconductor material comprising indium and based on an (Al,In,Ga)N, in particular an InGaN, semiconductor material,

each barrier region is based on at least one nitride compound semiconductor material having a greater band gap than the subregions adjoining the barrier region,

each barrier region is based on GaN or AlInGaN or InGaN, and

each barrier region is thinner in the direction of main extension of the active region than each subregion.

2. The light-emitting diode chip according to claim 1, wherein

the active regions have a direction of main extension, and

at least some of the active regions are spaced apart from each other in a direction which runs lateral with respect to the direction of main extension or at least some of the active regions partly touch each other in the lateral direction.

3. The light-emitting diode chip according to claim 1, wherein

the subregions are arranged along the direction of main extension of their active region and at least one barrier region is arranged between each pair of adjacent subregions.

4. The light-emitting diode chip according to claim 1, wherein

the active regions are nanostructures and at least one of the active regions has a maximum diameter of 1000 nm and an aspect ratio of at least 3.

5. The light-emitting diode chip according to claim 1, wherein

each subregion is based on a nitride compound semiconductor material comprising indium, in particular based on an InGaN semiconductor material.

6. The light-emitting diode chip according to claim 1, wherein

each barrier region is based on at least one nitride compound semiconductor material having a greater band gap than the subregions adjoining the barrier region.

7. The light-emitting diode chip according to claim 1, wherein

each barrier region is based on GaN or AlInGaN or InGaN.

8. The light-emitting diode chip according to claim 1, wherein

in at least two subregions of the at least one active region the emission of light is generated electrically, and

a tunnel junction is arranged between two electrically driven subregions.

9. The light-emitting diode chip according to claim 8, wherein

the barrier region between the two electrically driven subregions is employed as the tunnel junction.

10. The light-emitting diode chip according to claim 1, wherein

in a first subregion of the at least one active region the emission of light is generated electrically and in a second subregion of the same active region and adjacent to the first subregion the emission of light is due to optically pumping by light of the first subregion.

11. The light-emitting diode chip according to claim 10, wherein

the active region forms a light-guide which guides the light of the first subregion along the direction of main extension to the second subregion.

12. The light-emitting diode chip according to claim 11, wherein

a thick barrier region is arranged between the first subregion and the second subregion,

the thick barrier region has a thickness of at least 100 nm,

the thick barrier region is based on a semiconductor material having a greater band gap than the first and the second subregions adjoining the thick barrier region, and

an electrically conductive material is applied to a side facet of the thick barrier region, wherein the first subregion is electrically contacted via the electrically conductive material.

13. The light-emitting diode chip according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of the active regions is configured to emit white light.

14. The light-emitting diode chip according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of the active regions has a subregion which is configured to emit white light.

15. A method for producing a light-emitting diode chip comprising the following steps:

epitaxial growth of a semiconductor body having a plurality of active regions, wherein

at least one of the active regions has at least two subregions,

the active region has at least one barrier region arranged between two adjacent subregions of said at least two subregions,

the at least two subregions emit light of mutually different colour during operation of the light-emitting diode chip,

in at least one of the subregions the emission of light is generated electrically,

the barrier region is configured to hinder a thermally activated redistribution of charge carriers between the two adjacent subregions,

the active regions have a direction of main extension,

the active regions are spaced apart from each other in a direction which runs lateral with respect to the direction of main extension,

the subregions are arranged along the direction of main extension of their active region and at least one barrier region is arranged between each pair of adjacent subregions,

the active regions are nanostructures and at least one of the active regions has a maximum diameter of 1000 nm and an aspect ratio of at least 3,

each subregion is based on a nitride compound semiconductor material comprising indium, in particular based on an InGaN semiconductor material,

each barrier region is based on at least one nitride compound semiconductor material having a greater band gap than the subregions adjoining the barrier region,

in at least one first subregion of the at least one active region the emission of light is generated electrically and in at least one second subregion of the same active region the emission of light is due to optically pumping by light of the first subregion,

the active region forms a light-guide which guides the light of the at least one first subregion along the direction of main extension to the at least one second subregion,

at least one of the active regions is configured to emit white light, and

at least one of the active regions has a subregion which is configured to emit white light.

16. A light-emitting diode chip comprising:

a semiconductor body having a plurality of active regions, wherein

at least one of the active regions has at least two subregions,

the active region has at least one barrier region arranged between two adjacent subregions of said at least two subregions,

the at least two subregions emit light of mutually different colour during operation of the light-emitting diode chip,

in at least one of the subregions the emission of light is generated electrically,

the barrier region is configured to hinder a thermally activated redistribution of charge carriers between the two adjacent subregions,

in a first subregion of the at least one active region the emission of light is generated electrically and in a second subregion of the same active region and adjacent to the first subregion the emission of light is due to optically pumping by light of the first subregion,

a thick barrier region is arranged between the first subregion and the second subregion, wherein

the thick barrier region has a thickness of at least 100 nm,

the thick barrier region is based on a semiconductor material having a greater band gap than the first and the second subregions adjoining the thick barrier region, and

an electrically conductive material is applied to a side facet of the thick barrier region, wherein the first subregion is electrically contacted via the electrically conductive material.