IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,740,191
Granted Patent B2
US 12,740,191 · App. 18/466,841 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Light emitting device having one current limiting layer with higher aluminum content than another current limiting layer

Inventors: Chao-Hsin Wu (Taipei, TW); Chee Keong Yee (Taipei, TW); Jia Ming Lin (Taipei, TW); Chia-An Lee (Hsinchu, TW); Kuan-Heng Lin (Hsinchu, TW)
Assignee: AUO Corporation
H10H20/8162H10H20/816H10H20/824H10H20/841H10H20/862
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,740,191
App. No.
18/466,841
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A light emitting device including an active layer, a first semiconductor layer, a first contact layer, and a first current limiting layer is provided. The first semiconductor layer is disposed at a first side of the active layer. The first contact layer is disposed at a side of the first semiconductor layer away from the active layer. The first current limiting layer is disposed between the first contact layer and the active layer, and is provided with a first non-oxidizing region and a first oxidizing region located around the first non-oxidizing region. The first current limiting layer has a first surface facing the active layer and a second surface away from the first surface. The first oxidizing region is extended from the first surface to the second surface, and an oxygen content of the first oxidizing region is greater than an oxygen content of the first non-oxidizing region.

Claims (28)

1 . A light emitting device, comprising:

an active layer;

a first semiconductor layer disposed at a first side of the active layer;

a first contact layer disposed at a side of the first semiconductor layer away from the active layer;

a first current limiting layer disposed between the first contact layer and the active layer and provided with a first non-oxidizing region and a first oxidizing region located around the first non-oxidizing region, and the first current limiting layer has a first surface facing the active layer and a second surface away from the first surface, wherein the first oxidizing region of the first current limiting layer is extended from the first surface to the second surface, an oxygen content of the first oxidizing region is greater than an oxygen content of the first non-oxidizing region, and the first current limiting layer is disposed between the active layer and the first semiconductor layer; and

another first current limiting layer disposed between the first contact layer and the first semiconductor layer, wherein an aluminum content of the first current limiting layer is higher than an aluminum content of the another first current limiting layer.

2 . The light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein a material of the first current limiting layer and the another first current limiting layer comprises Al (x) In (1-x) P or Al (x) Ga (1-x) As, wherein 1≥x>0.

3 . The light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the first oxidizing region of the first current limiting layer has a third width along a normal direction of a sidewall of the first current limiting layer, the first oxidizing region of the another first current limiting layer has a second width along a normal direction of a sidewall of the another first current limiting layer, and the third width is greater than the second width.

4 . The light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein a material composition of the first current limiting layer in the first non-oxidizing region is Al (x) In (1-x) P or Al (x) Ga (1-x) As, and a material composition thereof in the first oxidizing region is Al (y) In (z) O (1-y-z) P or Al (y) Ga (z) O (1-y-z) As, wherein 1≥x>0, 1>y>0, and 1>z>0.

5 . The light emitting device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second semiconductor layer disposed at a second side of the active layer away from the first side;

a second contact layer disposed at a side of the second semiconductor layer away from the active layer; and

a second current limiting layer disposed between the second contact layer and the active layer and provided with a second non-oxidizing region and a second oxidizing region located around the second non-oxidizing region, and the second current limiting layer has a third surface facing the active layer and a fourth surface away from the third surface, wherein the second oxidizing region of the second current limiting layer is extended from the third surface to the fourth surface, and an oxygen content of the second oxidizing region is greater than an oxygen content of the second non-oxidizing region.

6 . The light emitting device of claim 5 , wherein another second current limiting layer is disposed between the active layer and the second semiconductor layer.

7 . The light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the first oxidizing region and the first non-oxidizing region of the first current limiting layer are arranged along a direction, the first current limiting layer has a first width along the direction, a portion of the first oxidizing region on one side of the first non-oxidizing region has a third width along the direction, and a ratio of the third width to the first width is in a range of 0.01 to 0.3.

8 . The light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein a film thickness of the first current limiting layer is in a range of 30 nm to 50 nm.

9 . The light emitting device of claim 1 , further comprising:

another active layer; and

a tunnel junction layer disposed between the active layer and the another active layer and in contact with the active layer or the another active layer.

10 . The light emitting device of claim 9 , further comprising:

a second current limiting layer disposed between the active layer and the another active layer, the second current limiting layer is provided with a second non-oxidizing region and a second oxidizing region located around the second non-oxidizing region, and the second current limiting layer has a third surface facing the active layer and a fourth surface away from the third surface, wherein the second oxidizing region of the second current limiting layer is extended from the third surface to the fourth surface, and an oxygen content of the second oxidizing region is greater than an oxygen content of the second non-oxidizing region.

11 . The light emitting device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a distributed Bragg reflector disposed at a side of the first semiconductor layer away from the active layer.

12 . The light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the first oxidizing region is overlapped with a portion of the active layer along a stacking direction of the active layer and the first semiconductor layer.

13 . The light emitting device of claim 12 , wherein respective sidewalls of the active layer, the first semiconductor layer, and the first current limiting layer are aligned with each other along the stacking direction.

14 . The light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein an oxygen content ratio of the first current limiting layer in the first oxidizing region is greater than 10%.

15 . The light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein a resistivity of the first current limiting layer in the first oxidizing region is greater than a resistivity thereof in the first non-oxidizing region.

16 . The light emitting device of claim 15 , wherein the resistivity of the first current limiting layer in the first oxidizing region is greater than 10 14 Ω·cm.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 18, 2023
From: WU, CHAO-HSIN; YEE, CHEE KEONG; LIN, JIA MING; LEE, CHIA-AN; LIN, KUAN-HENG
To: AUO CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064942/0251 →
Priority Claims (1)
TW 112116396 · May 3, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240372034A1 · Nov 7, 2024
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