ULTRA-WIDEBAND LIGHT EMITTING DIODE AND OPTICAL DETECTOR COMPRISING ALUMINUM INDIUM GALLIUM NITRIDE AND METHOD OF FABRICATING THE SAME
Devices, systems, and methods for providing wireless personal area networks (PANs) and local area networks (LANs) using visible and near-visible optical spectrum. Various constructions and material selections are provided herein. According to one embodiment, a light-emitting diode (LED) includes a substrate, a carrier confinement (CC) region positioned over the substrate, and an active region position over the CC region. The CC region includes a first CC layer comprising aluminum gallium nitride and a second CC layer position over the first CC layer. The second CC layer also includes aluminum gallium nitride. The active region is configured to have a transient response time of less than 500 picoseconds (ps).
1 . A light-emitting diode (LED) comprising:
a substrate;
a carrier confinement (CC) region positioned over the substrate, the CC region defining:
a first CC layer comprising aluminum gallium nitride; and
a second CC layer positioned on the first CC layer, the second CC layer comprising aluminum gallium nitride; and
an active region positioned over the CC region, the active region configured to have a transient response time of less than 500 picoseconds (ps).
2 . The LED of claim 1 , wherein the active region is at least one of a quantum well structure and a multi quantum well structure.
3 . The LED of claim 2 , wherein the active region comprises indium gallium nitride.
4 . The LED of claim 3 , wherein the active region has an indium composition between 0 and 45%.
5 . The LED of claim 4 , wherein the active region has a thickness between 50 and 150 angstroms for each quantum well.
6 . The LED of claim 5 , further comprising a first barrier layer positioned between the CC region and the active region, and a second barrier layer positioned over the active region, wherein the first barrier layer has an aluminum composition between 0% and 45%.
7 . The LED of claim 6 , wherein the first barrier layer has a thickness between 25 and 75 angstroms.
8 . The LED of claim 7 , further comprising:
an n-type contact layer positioned between the substrate and the CC region; and
a p-type contact layer positioned over the second barrier layer.
9 . The LED of claim 8 , wherein the first CC layer has an aluminum composition between 10% and 45% and second CC layer has an aluminum composition between 10% and 45%.
10 . The LED of claim 9 , wherein the first CC layer has a thickness between 100 and 2000 angstroms and the second CC layer has a thickness between 25 and 75 angstroms.
11 . The LED of claim 10 , wherein:
the n-type contact layer and the p-type contact layer each comprise gallium nitride;
the n-type contact layer has a thickness between 5000 and 20000 angstroms; and
the p-type contact layer has a thickness between 500 and 5000 angstroms.
12 . The LED of claim 1 , wherein the LED is implemented in a flip-chip package.
13 . The LED of claim 1 , wherein the LED is implemented within an optical transceiver and the optical transceiver further comprises an optical detector.
14 . The LED of claim 1 , wherein:
the LED is configured to transmit at a first wavelength;
the LED is a first LED within an array of LEDs; and
a second LED within the array of LEDs is configured to operate at a second wavelength.
15 . The LED of claim 14 , wherein:
the array of LEDs is implemented within an optical transceiver;
the optical transceiver further comprises an array of optical detectors;
a first optical detector within the array of optical detectors is configured to receive at the first wavelength; and
a second optical detector within the array of optical detectors is configured to receive at the second wavelength.
16 . The LED of claim 14 , wherein the LED is implemented in a flip-chip package.
17 . The LED of claim 15 , wherein the LED is implemented in a flip-chip package.
18 . The LED of claim 1 , wherein the LED is configured for variable wavelength modulation.
19 . The LED of claim 18 , wherein the LED is implemented in a flip-chip package.
20 . The LED of claim 1 , wherein the LED is implemented within an epitaxial structure and the epitaxial structure further comprises an optical detector.
21 . The LED of claim 15 , wherein the first optical detector and the second optical detector are implemented within a first epitaxial structure.
22 . A method of forming a light-emitting diode (LED), comprising:
providing an epitaxial structure on a substrate, the epitaxial structure comprising:
a carrier confinement (CC) region positioned over the substrate, the CC region defining:
a first CC layer comprising aluminum gallium nitride; and
a second CC layer positioned on the first CC layer, the second CC layer comprising aluminum gallium nitride; and
an active region positioned over the CC region, the active region configured to have a transient response time of less than 500 picoseconds (ps).