Ultraviolet light emitting apparatus

• US 9,640,717 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2015
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Sannikov, Denis
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kiet T
• Application Number:
  US14/814,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20160126409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 250504 R, 2504922
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/32 semiconductive, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48463 the connecting portion on the bonding area of the semiconductor or solid-state body being a ball bond
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49107 on the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/06 within the light emitting region, e.g. quantum confinement structure or tunnel barrier
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/325 characterised by the doping materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/50 Wavelength conversion elements

Abstract

An ultraviolet light emitting apparatus may include a chamber, at least one semiconductor light emitting device, an electron beam irradiation source, and first and second connection electrodes configured to apply a voltage from an external power source to the at least one semiconductor light emitting device. The chamber may define an internal space and include a light emission window. The at least one semiconductor light emitting device may be on the light emission window and include a first conductivity type nitride semiconductor layer, an undoped nitride semiconductor layer, and an active layer between the first conductivity type nitride semiconductor layer and the undoped nitride semiconductor layer. The electron beam irradiation source may be in the internal space of the chamber and configured to irradiate an electron beam onto the undoped nitride semiconductor layer.

Claims

1. An ultraviolet light emitting apparatus comprising:

a chamber including a light emission window, the chamber defining an internal space;

a semiconductor light emitting device on the light emission window, the semiconductor light emitting device including,

a first conductivity type nitride semiconductor layer,

an undoped nitride semiconductor layer, and

an active layer between the first conductivity type nitride semiconductor layer and the undoped nitride semiconductor layer;

an electron beam irradiation source in the internal space of the chamber, the electron beam irradiation source being configured to irradiate an electron beam onto the undoped nitride semiconductor layer; and

first and second connection electrodes configured to apply a voltage from an external power source to the semiconductor light emitting device.

2. The ultraviolet light emitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the active layer has a single quantum well layer including Al_xGa_1-xN(0<

x<

1).

3. The ultraviolet light emitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the active layer includes a plurality of quantum well layers and a plurality of quantum barrier layers alternately stacked on each other,

each of the quantum well layers includes Al_x1Ga_1-x1N (0<

x1<

1,) and

each of the quantum barrier layers includes Al_x2Ga_1-x2N (x1<

x2<

1).

4. The ultraviolet light emitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the active layer is configured to emit light having a wavelength of 210 to 315 nm.

5. The ultraviolet light emitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the active layer is doped with a first conductivity type impurity.

6. The ultraviolet light emitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the undoped nitride semiconductor layer includes Al_xIn_yGa_(1-x-y)N(0<

x≦

1, 0≦

y<

1).

7. The ultraviolet light emitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first conductivity type nitride semiconductor layer faces the light emission window.

8. The ultraviolet light emitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first conductivity type nitride semiconductor layer includes an n-type nitride semiconductor layer that includes Al_xIn_yGa_(1-x-y)N(0<

x≦

1, 0≦

y<

1).

9. The ultraviolet light emitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the undoped nitride semiconductor layer has a thickness of 50 nm to 1 μ

m.

10. The ultraviolet light emitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor light emitting device further includes:

a first electrode connected to the first conductivity type nitride semiconductor layer; and

a second electrode on the undoped nitride semiconductor layer.

11. The ultraviolet light emitting apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second electrode has a thickness of 20 nm to 100 nm.

12. The ultraviolet light emitting apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second electrode includes:

a bonding electrode on a region of an upper surface of the undoped nitride semiconductor layer; and

at least one finger electrode extended from the bonding electrode.

13. The ultraviolet light emitting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices electrically connected to each other, wherein

the plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices include the semiconductor light emitting device.

14. The ultraviolet light emitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electron beam irradiation source is configured to emit an electron beam of 5 to 50 KV.

15. An ultraviolet light emitting apparatus comprising:

a chamber including a light emission window, the chamber defining an internal space;

a semiconductor light emitting device on the light emission window, the semiconductor light emitting device including,

a first conductivity type semiconductor layer,

a capping layer including at least one of an undoped semiconductor and a second conductivity type semiconductor, and

an active layer between the first conductivity type semiconductor layer and the capping layer;

an electron beam irradiation source in the internal space of the chamber, the electron beam irradiation source being configured to irradiate an electron beam onto the capping layer;

first and second connection electrodes connected to the semiconductor light emitting device and drawn outwardly from the chamber;

a first driving unit configured to drive the electron beam irradiation source;

a second driving unit configured to drive the semiconductor light emitting device through the first and second connection electrodes; and

a driving controller configured to control the first and second driving units.

16. A light emitting apparatus comprising:

a semiconductor light emitting device including a plurality of nitride semiconductor layers,

the plurality of nitride semiconductor layers including a capping layer contacting an active layer,

the capping layer including at least one of p-type nitride semiconductor layer and an undoped nitride semiconductor layer; and

an electron beam irradiation source configured to irradiate an electron beam onto the capping layer; and

first and second electrodes configured to apply a voltage to the semiconductor light emitting device, the active layer being configured to emit light in response to the voltage applied to the semiconductor light emitting device by the first and second electrodes.

17. The light emitting apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a first driving unit configured to drive the electron beam irradiation source;

a second driving unit configured to drive the semiconductor light emitting device through the first and second electrodes; and

a driving controller configured to control the first and second driving units.

18. The light emitting apparatus of claim 16, wherein

the plurality of nitride semiconductor layers include an n-type nitride semiconductor layer,

the active layer is between the n-type nitride semiconductor layer and the capping layer,

the active layer includes at least one quantum well layer including AlGaN,

the capping layer includes Al_xIn_yGa_(1-x-y)N(0<

x≦

1, 0≦

y<

1), and

the n-type nitride semiconductor layer includes Al_xIn_yGa_(1-x-y)N(0<

x≦

1, 0≦

y<

1).

19. The light emitting apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a chamber including a light emission window, wherein

the chamber defines an internal space,

the semiconductor light emitting device is in the chamber, and

the semiconductor light emitting device faces the light emission window.

20. The light emitting apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices electrically connected to each other, wherein

the plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices include the semiconductor light emitting device.