Light-emitting device, print head and image forming apparatus

• US 8,305,417 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2009
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Ohno, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, HAI CHI
• Application Number:
  US12/555,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20100231682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 347/226, 347/238, 347/241, 347/256, 438/29, 438/31, 438/32, 438/584, 372/45.011, 372/46.013, 372/46.012, 372/49.01, 372/50.121, 372/50.123
• US Class Current: 347/238
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/451 Special optical means therefor, e.g. lenses, mirrors, focusing means

Abstract

A light-emitting device includes: a substrate; a reflection layer that is provided on the substrate, and that reflects light in a wavelength band set in advance; and a light-emitting layer that is provided on the reflection layer, and that includes a light-emitting region emitting light having wavelengths overlapping in the wavelength band and a surface having unevenness at plural distances from the reflection layer. The surface is provided on a side opposite to the reflection layer across the light-emitting region. The plural distances are set so that wavelengths forming standing waves depending on each of the distances in the wavelength band are interposed each other.

Claims

1. A light-emitting device comprising:

a substrate;

a reflection layer that is provided on the substrate, and that reflects light in a wavelength band set in advance; and

a light-emitting layer that is provided on the reflection layer, and that includes a light-emitting region emitting light having wavelengths overlapping in the wavelength band and a surface having unevenness at a plurality of distances from the reflection layer, the surface being provided on a side opposite to the reflection layer across the light-emitting region, the plurality of distances being set so that wavelengths forming standing waves depending on each of the distances in the wavelength band are interposed each other, wherein

the light-emitting layer is formed on the reflection layer and includes a semiconductor layer that has the light-emitting region, and the surface having unevenness at the plurality of distances from the reflection layer is a surface of the semiconductor layer opposite to a surface of the semiconductor layer in contact with the reflection layer, and

the light emitted by the light-emitting layer includes, within the wavelength band where the reflecting layer reflects light, a plurality of standing waves corresponding to concave portions of the surface having unevenness and a plurality of standing waves corresponding to convex portions of the surface having unevenness.

2. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer that the light-emitting layer includes is a thyristor structure.

3. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer that the light-emitting layer includes is a light emitting diode structure.

4. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the reflection layer is a distributed Bragg reflection layer.

5. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the reflection layer is a metal reflection layer.

6. A print head comprising:

an exposure unit that includes a light-emitting device and that exposes an image carrier; and

an optical unit that focuses light emitted by the exposure unit onto the image carrier,

the light-emitting device including;

a substrate;

a reflection layer that is provided on the substrate, and that reflects light in a wavelength band set in advance; and

a light-emitting layer that is provided on the reflection layer, and that includes a light-emitting region emitting light having wavelengths overlapping in the wavelength band and a surface having unevenness at a plurality of distances from the reflection layer, the surface being provided on a side opposite to the reflection layer across the light-emitting region, the plurality of distances being set so that wavelengths forming standing waves depending on each of the distances in the wavelength band are interposed each other, wherein

the light-emitting layer is formed on the reflection layer and includes a semiconductor layer that has the light-emitting region, and the surface having unevenness at the plurality of distances from the reflection layer is a surface of the semiconductor layer opposite to a surface of the semiconductor layer in contact with the reflection layer, and

the light emitted by the light-emitting layer includes, within the wavelength band where the reflecting layer reflects light, a plurality of standing waves corresponding to concave portions of the surface having unevenness and a plurality of standing waves corresponding to convex portions of the surface having unevenness.

7. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a charging unit that charges an image carrier;

an exposure unit that includes a light-emitting device and that exposes the image carrier;

an optical unit that focuses light emitted by the exposure unit onto the image carrier;

a developing unit that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier; and

a transfer unit that transfers an image developed on the image carrier onto a transferred body,

the light-emitting device including;

a substrate;

a reflection layer that is provided on the substrate, and that reflects light in a wavelength band set in advance; and

a light-emitting layer that is provided on the reflection layer, and that includes a light-emitting region emitting light having wavelengths overlapping in the wavelength band and a surface having unevenness at a plurality of distances from the reflection layer, the surface being provided on a side opposite to the reflection layer across the light-emitting region, the plurality of distances being set so that wavelengths forming standing waves depending on each of the distances in the wavelength band are interposed each other, wherein

the light-emitting layer is formed on the reflection layer and includes a semiconductor layer that has the light-emitting region, and the surface having unevenness at the plurality of distances from the reflection layer is a surface of the semiconductor layer opposite to a surface of the semiconductor layer in contact with the reflection layer, and

the light emitted by the light-emitting layer includes, within the wavelength band where the reflecting layer reflects light, a plurality of standing waves corresponding to concave portions of the surface having unevenness and a plurality of standing waves corresponding to convex portions of the surface having unevenness.