Method for fabrication of semipolar (Al, In, Ga, B)N based light emitting diodes

• US 8,148,713 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2009
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Sato, Hitoshi, Hirasawa, Hirohiko, Chung, Roy B., DenBaars, Steven P., Speck, James S., Nakamura, Shuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Bradley K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Valentine, Jami M
• Application Number:
  US12/419,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20090250686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 257/13, 257/14, 257/90, 257/E33.009, 257/E33.002, 257/E21.002, 438/28, 977/755
• US Class Current: 257/13
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0254 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02579 P-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02609 Crystal orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/02 characterised by the semiconductor bodies
• 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 33/32 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/755 Nanosheet or quantum barrier/well, i.e. layer structure having one dimension or thickness of 100 nm or less

Abstract

A yellow Light Emitting Diode (LED) with a peak emission wavelength in the range 560-580 nm is disclosed. The LED is grown on one or more III-nitride-based semipolar planes and an active layer of the LED is composed of indium (In) containing single or multi-quantum well structures. The LED quantum wells have a thickness in the range 2-7 nm. A multi-color LED or white LED comprised of at least one semipolar yellow LED is also disclosed.

Claims

1. At least one yellow, amber or red III-nitride Light Emitting Diode (LED), comprising:

an active layer for emitting light, wherein;

the active layer is grown on at least one III-nitride-based semipolar plane, and

the semipolar plane enables a thickness of the active layer that is sufficiently thick, an Indium (In) composition of the active layer that is sufficiently high, and a crystal quality of the active layer that is sufficiently high, so that the III-nitride LED emits yellow, amber, or red light with a peak emission wavelength longer than 560 nm and an output power of more than 3.5 mW at a current of 20 mA.

4. A multi-color LED device comprised of the LED of claim 1.

5. A white LED device comprised of the LED of claim 1.

2. At least one yellow, amber or red III-nitride Light Emitting Diode (LED), comprising an active layer grown on at least one III-nitride-based semipolar plane, wherein:

an active layer of the LED is comprised of indium (In) containing single or multi-quantum well structures comprising at least one quantum well, and

the quantum well has a dislocation density of 9×

10⁹ cm<sup>−

2</sup> or less, so that the III-nitride LED emits yellow, amber, or red light with a peak emission wavelength longer than 560 nm and an output power of more than 3.5 mW at the current of 20 mA.

3. The LED of claim 2, wherein the quantum well has the thickness in a range from 2 nm to 7 nm.

13. A multi-color LED device comprised of the LED of claim 2.

14. A white LED device comprised of the LED of claim 2.

6. A method of fabricating a yellow, amber, or red III-Nitride Light Emitting Diode (LED), comprising growing the III-Nitride LED on at least one III-nitride-based semipolar plane, so that the LED emits yellow, amber, or red light with a peak emission wavelength longer than 560 nm and an output power of more than 3.5 mW at a current of 20 mA.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising growing the LED with an active layer for emitting light, wherein the semipolar plane enables a thickness of the active layer that is sufficiently thick, an Indium (In) composition of the active layer that is sufficiently high, and a crystal quality of the active layer that is sufficiently high, so that the light has the peak emission wavelength longer than 560 nm and the output power of more than 3.5 mW at a current of 20 mA.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising growing an active layer of the LED, such that the active layer is comprised of indium (In) containing single or multi-quantum well structures comprising at least one quantum well, and the quantum well has the crystal quality sufficiently high to obtain the output power of more than 3.5 mW at the current of 20 mA.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the quantum well has the thickness in a range from 2 nm to 7 nm.

10. The LED of claim 8, wherein the crystal quality is a dislocation density of 9×

10⁹ cm<sup>−

2</sup> or less.

11. A multi-color LED device fabricated using the method of claim 6.

12. A white LED device fabricated using the method of claim 6.