Solid-state optical device having enhanced indium content in active regions
View Patent ↗A multicolored LED device made of a semipolar material having different indium containing regions provided on different spatial features of GaN material. Other materials such as non-polar materials can also be used.
1. An optical device capable of emitting electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength of at least about 365 nanometers comprising:
a gallium and nitrogen containing substrate having a surface, wherein the surface is characterized by a semipolar crystallographic orientation;
an n-type semipolar gallium and nitrogen containing layer overlying the surface;
a dielectric material layer overlying the n-type semipolar gallium and nitrogen containing layer, wherein the dielectric material layer defines one or more growth regions, wherein the one or more growth regions is characterized by a maximum dimension no larger than ten microns;
an n-type semipolar gallium and nitrogen containing material overlying each of the one or more growth regions; and
a light emitting active region overlying the n-type semipolar gallium and nitrogen containing material overlying at least one of the one or more growth regions,
wherein the light emitting active region comprises a semipolar gallium, nitrogen, and indium containing material, and
wherein the light emitting active region is characterized by an indium mole fraction from about 20% to about 60%.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the n-type semipolar gallium and nitrogen containing material comprises an n-type gallium, nitrogen, and indium containing material.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the light emitting active region is characterized by an indium mole fraction from about 30% to about 45%.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more growth regions is characterized by a rectangular shape.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric material layer comprises a material selected from silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, tantalum oxide, titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, and zinc oxide.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein,
the dielectric material layer is characterized by a first thickness;
the n-type gallium and nitrogen containing material overlying each of the more or more growth regions is characterized by a second thickness; and
the second thickness is less than the first thickness.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein,
the dielectric material layer is characterized by a first thickness;
the n-type gallium and nitrogen containing material overlying each of the more or more growth regions is characterized by a second thickness; and
the second thickness is about the same as the first thickness.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the light emitting active region is below an upper surface of the dielectric material layer.
9. The device of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the light emitting active region overlies a portion of the dielectric material layer.
10. The device of claim 1 , comprising a p-type gallium and nitrogen containing layer overlying the light emitting active region.
11. The device of claim 1 , comprising a p-type gallium and nitrogen containing layer overlying the light emitting active region and the dielectric material layer.
12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the optical device comprises a light emitting diode.
13. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more growth regions is configured in an N by M configuration, wherein each of N and M is an integer greater than 1.
14. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more growth region is characterized by a maximum dimension no larger than four microns.
15. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the light emitting active region is characterized by an indium mole fraction from about 20% to about 50%.
16. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the light emitting active region is characterized by an indium mole fraction from about 40% to about 60%.
17. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the light emitting active region is configured parallel to the substrate surface.
18. A multi-colored optical device capable of emitting electromagnetic radiation with a characteristic wavelength of at least about 365 nanometers comprising:
a gallium and nitrogen containing substrate having a surface, wherein the surface is characterized by a nonpolar crystallographic orientation;
an n-type nonpolar gallium and nitrogen containing layer overlying the surface;
a dielectric material layer overlying the n-type nonpolar gallium and nitrogen containing layer, wherein the dielectric material layer defines one or more growth regions, wherein the one or more growth regions is characterized by a maximum dimension no larger than ten microns;
an n-type nonpolar gallium and nitrogen containing material overlying each of the one or more growth regions; and
a light emitting active region overlying the n-type nonpolar gallium and nitrogen containing material overlying at least one of the one or more growth regions,
wherein the light emitting active region comprises a nonpolar gallium, nitrogen, and indium containing material, and
wherein the light emitting active region is characterized by an indium mole fraction from about 20% to about 60%.
19. The device of claim 18 wherein the maximum dimension is no larger than two microns.
20. The device of claim 18 , wherein the one or more growth regions is characterized by a rectangular shape.
21. The device of claim 18 wherein the dielectric material layer comprises a material selected from silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, tantalum oxide, titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, and zinc oxide.