IP Library Granted Patent US 7,601,985
Granted Patent B2
US 7,601,985 · App. 11/521,491 · Granted Oct 13, 2009

Semiconductor light-emitting device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,601,985
App. No.
11/521,491
Granted
Oct 13, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor light-emitting device includes: a substrate; a first conductivity type layer formed on the substrate and including a plurality of group III-V nitride semiconductor layers of a first conductivity type; an active layer formed on the first conductivity type layer; and a second conductivity type layer formed on the active layer and including a group III-V nitride semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type. The first conductivity type layer includes an intermediate layer made of Al x Ga 1−x−y In y N (wherein 0.001≦x<0.1, 0<y<1 and x+y<1).

Claims (24)

1. A semiconductor light-emitting device comprising:

a substrate;

a first conductivity type layer formed on the substrate and including a plurality of group III-V nitride semiconductor layers of a first conductivity type;

an active layer formed on the first conductivity type layer; and

a second conductivity type layer formed on the active layer and including a group III-V nitride semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type, wherein

the first conductivity type layer includes:

an intermediate layer made of Al x Ga 1−x−y In y N (wherein 0.001≦x<0.05, 0<y<1 and x+y<1),

a first layer formed between the substrate and the intermediate layer, and

a second layer formed between the intermediate layer and the active layer, and

the first layer and the second layer contain impurities of the first conductivity type, and concentrations of the impurities are equal to each other.

2. The semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1 , wherein

a part of the first conductivity type layer, the active layer and the second conductivity layer form a mesa, and

the part of the first conductivity type layer forming part of the mesa is a part of the first conductivity type except at least the intermediate layer.

3. The semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is made of a hexagonal material, and the principal surface of the substrate is oriented along the (0001) plane.

4. The semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is made of sapphire.

5. The semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1 , wherein

the intermediate layer contains impurities of the first conductivity type, and

concentration of the impurities is equal to those in the first layer and the second layer.

6. The semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1 , wherein

the first layer is in contact with the intermediate layer, and

the intermediate layer is in contact with the second layer.

7. The semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1 , wherein

the second layer has an exposed part, and

an electrode of the first conductivity type is formed on the exposed part.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 7, 2015
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION
To: PANNOVA SEMIC, LLC
Reel/Frame 036065/0273 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 24, 2008
From: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 021897/0689 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 2, 2007
From: KINOSHITA, YOSHITAKA; KAMEI, HIDENORI
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 019237/0344 →