High speed surface plasmon coupled light emitting diodes
First Claim
1. A light emitting diode device (LED) comprising:
- a first-doped layer on a substrate;
an active layer on the first-doped layer, the active layer being configured to emit electron-hole pairs;
a second-doped layer on the active layer; and
a metal layer on the second-doped layer, wherein the second-doped layer is textured with a plurality of V-pits on a surface opposite to the active layer to define a surface plasmon thickness that is configured to allow the electron-hole pairs in the active layer to couple efficiently to a surface plasmon mode at an interface of the metal layer and the second-doped layer thereby increasing the spontaneous emission rate of the LED, and wherein light is emitted from a rear side of the LED when the metal layer has a thickness of approximately 30 nm or thicker, wherein the rear side comprises a surface of the substrate opposite the first-doped layer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A light emitting diode device (LED) is provided. The LED comprises a first-doped layer on a substrate, an active layer on the first-doped layer, a second-doped layer on the active layer, and a metal layer on the second-doped layer. The second-doped layer is patterned on a surface opposite to the active layer to define a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of the second-doped layer has a first portion thickness constrained for electron-hole pairs in the active layer to couple efficiently to a surface plasmon mode at an interface of the metal layer and the second-doped layer thereby increasing the spontaneous emission rate of the LED. The second portion of the second-doped layer has a second portion thickness sufficient to ensure formation of a p-n junction in the LED.
17 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A light emitting diode device (LED) comprising:
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a first-doped layer on a substrate; an active layer on the first-doped layer, the active layer being configured to emit electron-hole pairs; a second-doped layer on the active layer; and a metal layer on the second-doped layer, wherein the second-doped layer is textured with a plurality of V-pits on a surface opposite to the active layer to define a surface plasmon thickness that is configured to allow the electron-hole pairs in the active layer to couple efficiently to a surface plasmon mode at an interface of the metal layer and the second-doped layer thereby increasing the spontaneous emission rate of the LED, and wherein light is emitted from a rear side of the LED when the metal layer has a thickness of approximately 30 nm or thicker, wherein the rear side comprises a surface of the substrate opposite the first-doped layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for fabricating a light emitting diode (LED), the method comprising:
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depositing a first-doped GaN layer with first impurities on a substrate; forming one or more quantum well layers on the first-doped layer; depositing a second-doped GaN layer with second impurities on the quantum well layer; depositing a metal layer over the second-doped layer, wherein depositing the second-doped GaN layer comprises texturing a plurality of sharp V-pits so that a first portion of the second doped GaN layer has a first thickness and a second portion of the second doped GaN layer has a second thickness, the first thickness defining a surface plasmon thickness that is configured to allow electron-hole pairs in the one or more quantum well layers to couple efficiently to a surface plasmon mode at an interface of the metal layer and the second-doped layer for an increased spontaneous emission rate of the LED and the second thickness being determined to ensure formation of a p-n junction in the LED, and wherein a thinnest portion of the second-doped layer and a thinnest portion of the metal layer over the thinnest portion of the second doped layer both are within the surface plasmon coupling thickness. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A method for fabricating a light emitting diode (LED), the method comprising:
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depositing a first-doped GaN layer with first impurities on a substrate forming one or more quantum well layers on the first-doped layer; depositing a second-doped GaN layer with second impurities on the quantum well layer; depositing a metal layer over the second-doped layer; and avoiding the second-doped layer where an electrode layer is formed when depositing the metal layer over the second-doped layer, or avoiding a second portion of the second-doped layer when depositing the metal layer over the second-doped layer, wherein depositing the second-doped GaN layer comprises texturing a plurality of sharp V-pits so that a first portion of the second doped GaN layer has a first thickness and the second portion of the second doped GaN layer has a second thickness, the first thickness defining a surface plasmon thickness that is configured to allow electron-hole pairs in the one or more quantum well layers to couple efficiently to a surface plasmon mode at an interface of the metal layer and the second-doped layer for an increased spontaneous emission rate of the LED and the second thickness being determined to ensure formation of a p-n junction in the LED.
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Specification