Active Layer Of Indirect Band Gap Semiconductor Patents (Class 257/86)
  • Patent number: 7166870
    Abstract: Light-emitting devices, and related components, systems and methods are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Luminus Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexei A. Erchak, Eleftrios Lidorikis, Chiyan Luo
  • Patent number: 7157741
    Abstract: A silicon optoelectronic device and an optical transceiver, wherein the silicon optoelectronic device includes an n- or p-type silicon-based substrate and a doped region formed in a first surface of the substrate and doped to an opposite type from that of the substrate. The doped region provides photoelectrical conversion. The silicon optoelectronic device includes a light-emitting device section and a light-receiving device section. These sections use the doped region in common and are formed in the first surface of the substrate. The silicon optoelectronic device has an internal amplifying circuit, can selectively perform emission and detection of light, and can control the duration of emission and detection of light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun-young Kim, Byoung-lyong Choi, Eun-kyung Lee
  • Patent number: 7154123
    Abstract: A nitride-based semiconductor light-emitting device capable of improving light extraction efficiency is provided. This nitride-based semiconductor light-emitting device comprises a first nitride-based semiconductor layer formed on the surface of a conductive substrate, an active layer formed on the first nitride-based semiconductor layer, a second nitride-based semiconductor layer formed on the active layer and a light transmission layer, formed on the second nitride-based semiconductor layer, having a carrier concentration lower than the carrier concentration of the second nitride-based semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Kunisato, Ryoji Hiroyama, Masayuki Hata, Kiyoshi Oota
  • Patent number: 7154127
    Abstract: A semiconductor laminating portion including a light emitting layer forming portion having at least an n-type layer and a p-type layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate. A current blocking layer is partially formed on its surface. A current diffusing electrode is formed on the entire surface thereof. A bonding electrode is formed thereon. The semiconductor laminating portion and the current diffusing electrode are separated into light emitting unit portions A, electrode pad portion B, and connecting portions C for connecting between electrode pad portion B and light emitting unit portions A or between two of the light emitting unit portions A, and the semiconductor laminating portion between the light emitting unit portions A is removed through etching to make clearances except for connecting portions C. The bonding electrode is formed on electrode pad portion B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio Shakuda, Yukio Matsumoto, Nobuaki Oguro
  • Patent number: 7151281
    Abstract: A light-emitting diode (LED) structure with electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection is described. The LED includes a substrate, a patterned semiconductor layer, a first electrode and a second electrode. The patterned semiconductor layer is disposed over the substrate, and is divided into at least a first island structure and a second island structure. The first electrode and the second electrode are connected between the first island structure and the second island structure. A shunt diode is formed by the first electrode, the second electrode and the second island structure. The shunt diode is connected in parallel to the LED with an inverse voltage compared to the LED. In the LED structure of the invention, the first island structure and the second island structure are manufactured simultaneously by the epitaxy procedure. Therefore, the LED could be protected from damage due to electrostatic discharge (ESD).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2006
    Assignee: South Epitaxy Corporation
    Inventors: Shih-Chang Shei, Jinn-Kong Sheu
  • Patent number: 7135711
    Abstract: An electroluminescent component (1), in particular an LED chip, which has a high external efficiency in conjunction with a simple construction. The electroluminescent component (1) has a substrate (2); a plurality of radiation decoupling elements arranged at a distance next to one another on the substrate (2) and having an active layer stack (7) with an emission zone (8); and a contact element (9) on each radiation decoupling element (4). The contact elements (9), whose width (b?) is dimensioned such that it is less than the width (b) of the radiation decoupling elements (4), are arranged centrally on the radiation decoupling elements (4), and the width (b) of the radiation decoupling elements (4), for a given height (h), is chosen to be so small that a substantial proportion of the light (11) radiated laterally from the emission zone (8) can be decoupled directly through the side areas (12) of the radiation decoupling elements (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Linder, Ernst Nirschl, Werner Spath
  • Patent number: 7122842
    Abstract: A light emitting assembly comprising a solid state device coupleable with a power supply constructed and arranged to power the solid state device to emit from the solid state device. A series of rare-earth doped silicon and/or silicon carbide nanocrystals that are either combined in a single layer or in individual layers that produce the required Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) emission to form a white light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Group IV Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Steven E. Hill
  • Patent number: 7119372
    Abstract: A flip chip light emitting diode die (10, 10?, 10?) includes a light-transmissive substrate (12, 12?, 12?) and semiconductor layers (14, 14?, 14?) that are selectively patterned to define a device mesa (30, 30?, 30?). A reflective electrode (34, 34?, 34?) is disposed on the device mesa (30, 30?, 30?). The reflective electrode (34, 34?, 34?) includes a light-transmissive insulating grid (42, 42?, 60, 80) disposed over the device mesa (30, 30?, 30?), an ohmic material (44, 44?, 44?, 62) disposed at openings of the insulating grid (42, 42?, 60, 80) and making ohmic contact with the device mesa (30, 30?, 30?), and an electrically conductive reflective film (46, 46?, 46?) disposed over the insulating grid (42, 42?, 60, 80) and the ohmic material (44, 44?, 44?, 62). The electrically conductive reflective film (46, 46?, 46?) electrically communicates with the ohmic material (44, 44?, 44?, 62).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: GELcore, LLC
    Inventors: Edward B. Stokes, Mark P. D'Evelyn, Stanton E. Weaver, Peter M. Sandvik, Abasifreke U. Ebong, Xian-an Cao, Steven F. LeBoeuf, Nikhil R. Taskar
  • Patent number: 7115910
    Abstract: Novel structures of the photodetector having broad spectral ranges detection capability (from UV to 1700 nm (and also 2500 nm)) are provided. The photodetector can offer high quantum efficiency >95% over wide spectral ranges, high frequency response >8.5 GHz. The photodiode array of N×N elements is also provided. The array can also offer wide spectral detection ranges (UV to 1700 nm/2500 nm) with high quantum efficiency >85% and high quantum efficiency of >8.5 GHz, cross-talk of <1%. In the array, each photodiode can be independently addressable. The photodetector element consists of the substrate, buffer layer, absorption layer, contact layer, and the illumination surface with thin contact layer. The illumination surface can be circular, square, rectangular or ellipsometrical in shape. The photodiode array consists of the photodiode elements of N×N, where each element can be independently addressable. The sensor can be fabricated as top-illuminated type or bottom-illuminated type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Banpil Photonics, Inc.
    Inventor: Achyut Kumar Dutta
  • Patent number: 7115908
    Abstract: A semiconductor light emitting device includes a light emitting layer sandwiched between two spacer layers. The difference between the net polarization in at least one of the spacer layers and the net polarization in the light emitting layer is less than in the device with conventional spacer layers, such as GaN spacer layers. The difference between the net polarization in at least one of the spacer layers and the net polarization in the light emitting layer is less than about 0.02 C/m2. In some embodiments, at least one of the spacer layers is a quaternary alloy of aluminum, indium, gallium, and nitrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Philips Lumileds Lighting Company, LLC
    Inventors: Satoshi Watanabe, Stephen A. Stockman
  • Patent number: 7112829
    Abstract: A light emission device and method for producing the device. The device includes, on a substrate, a stack including an etching stop layer, a first barrier layer, an emitting layer, and a second barrier layer. The stop layer is of the same nature as the emitting layer. One may form a mirror on the stack, eliminate the substrate by etching, and form another mirror on the stop layer to obtain a micro-cavity. The device may be applied in particular to the detection of gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Emmanuel Picard, Emmanuel Hadji, Jean-Paul Zanatta
  • Patent number: 7105857
    Abstract: A substrate 1 for growing nitride semiconductor has a first and second face and has a thermal expansion coefficient that is larger than that of the nitride semiconductor. At least n-type nitride semiconductor layers 3 to 5, an active layer 6 and p-type nitride semiconductor layers 7 to 8 are laminated to form a stack of nitride semiconductor on the first face of the substrate 1. A first bonding layer including more than one metal layer is formed on the p-type nitride semiconductor layer 8. A supporting substrate having a first and second face has a thermal expansion coefficient that is larger than that of the nitride semiconductor and is equal or smaller than that of the substrate 1 for growing nitride semiconductor. A second bonding layer including more than one metal layer is formed on the first face of the supporting substrate. The first bonding layer 9 and the second bonding layer 11 are faced with each other and, then, pressed with heat to bond together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Nichia Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Nagahama, Masahiko Sano, Tomoya Yanamoto, Keiji Sakamoto, Masashi Yamamoto, Daisuke Morita
  • Patent number: 7102176
    Abstract: An organic electroluminescent display panel includes: one or more organic electroluminescent elements each having first and second display electrodes and one or more organic functional layers of organic compounds sandwiched and layered between the first and second display electrodes, the organic functional layers including a light-emitting layer; and a substrate supporting the organic electroluminescent elements. The display panel also includes: a first inorganic barrier film covering the organic electroluminescent elements and a surface of the substrate around the one or more organic electroluminescent elements; a first high-molecular compound film having an area larger than each of the organic electroluminescent elements so as to partially cover the first inorganic barrier film thereover; and a second inorganic barrier film covering the first high-molecular compound film and an edge thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventor: Hirofumi Kubota
  • Patent number: 7098482
    Abstract: A monolithic white light emitting device is provided. An active layer in the monolithic white light emitting device is doped with silicon or rare earth metal that forms a sub-band. The number of active layers included in the monolithic white light emitting device is one or two. When two active layers are included in the monolithic white light emitting device, a cladding layer is interposed between the two active layers. According to this light emission structure, white light can be emitted by a semiconductor, so a phosphor is not necessary. The monolithic white light emitting device is easily manufactured at a low cost and applied to a wide range of fields compared with a conventional white light emitting device that needs a help of a phosphor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-hee Cho, Suk-ho Yoon, Jeong-wook Lee
  • Patent number: 7095042
    Abstract: A semiconductor light emitting device including a p-type electrode structure and having a low contact resistance and high reflectance is provided. The semiconductor light emitting device includes a transparent substrate, an electron injection layer having first and second regions on the transparent substrate, an active region formed on the first region, a hole injection layer on the active layer, a first electrode structure on the second region, and a second electrode structure on the hole injection layer, and includes a first layer including nitrogen and a second layer including Pd. The low contact resistance and high reflectance can be obtained by forming a trivalent compound layer composed of Pd—Ga—N at an interface between the hole injection layer, which is composed of p-GaN, and the metal layer of the p-type electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mi-yang Kim, Joon-seop Kwak
  • Patent number: 7095050
    Abstract: Monolithic, tandem, photonic cells include at least a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer, wherein each semiconductor layer includes an n-type region, a p-type region, and a given band-gap energy. Formed within each semiconductor layer is a sting of electrically connected photonic sub-cells. By carefully selecting the numbers of photonic sub-cells in the first and second layer photonic sub-cell string(s), and by carefully selecting the manner in which the sub-cells in a first and second layer photonic sub-cell string(s) are electrically connected, each of the first and second layer sub-cell strings may be made to achieve one or more substantially identical electrical characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Midwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Mark W. Wanlass, Angelo Mascarenhas
  • Patent number: 7095051
    Abstract: In a nitride semiconductor device having an active layer 12 between a first electrically conductive type of layer and a second electrically conductive type of layer, a quantum well structure is adopted in which an active layer 12 has at least a well layer 11 formed of a nitride semiconductor containing In and Al and a barrier layer 2 formed of a nitride semiconductor containing Al, whereby a laser device excellent in emitting efficacy at a short wavelength region is obtained. It is particularly preferable that said well layer 1 is formed of AlxInyGa1?x?yN (0<x?1<0<y?1, x+y<1) and said barrier layer 2 is formed of AluInvGa1?u?vN (0<u?1, 0?v?1, u+v<1). Such a light emitting device is realized to obtain excellent efficacy in emitting light of short wavelength in a region of 380 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Nichia Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Nagahama, Tomoya Yanamoto
  • Patent number: 7095041
    Abstract: A high-efficiency light emitting diode is provided. The light emitting diode includes a substrate; a first compound semiconductor layer formed on the top surface of the substrate; a first electrode formed on a region of the first compound semiconductor layer; an active layer formed on a region of the first compound semiconductor layer excluding the region with the first electrode layer, in which 430-nm or less wavelength light is generated; a second compound semiconductor layer formed on the active layer; and a second electrode formed on the second compound semiconductor layer, with a filling ratio of 20–80% with respect to the area of the top surface of the substrate. The light emission of a 430-nm or less light emitting diode can be enhanced by adjusting the size of the p-type second electrode within the range of 20–80%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-hee Cho, Hye-jeong Oh
  • Patent number: 7075120
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provides the light emitting diode having a light emitting part of an AlGaInP type, and having a current diffusion layer which includes In on a light emitting side of the light emitting part, so that the generation of hillocks is effectively inhibited and the brightness of the light emitting diode is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuaki Sasaki, Junichi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7053413
    Abstract: A light emitting device, such as a light emitting diode or a laser diode. The light emitting device comprises a light emitting semiconductor active region disposed on a substrate. The substrate comprises an optical absorption coefficient below about 100 cm?1 at wavelengths between 700 and 465 nm a GaN single crystal having a dislocation density of less than 104 per cm2 and an optical absorption coefficient below about 100 cm?1 at wavelengths between 700 and 465 nm. A method of making such a light emitting device is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mark Philip D'Evelyn, Nicole Andrea Evers, Steven Francis LeBoeuf, Xian-An Cao, An-Ping Zhang
  • Patent number: 7048872
    Abstract: Fast, bright inorganic scintillators at room temperature are based on radiative electron-hole recombination in direct-gap semiconductors, e.g. CdS and ZnO. The direct-gap semiconductor is codoped with two different impurity atoms to convert the semiconductor to a fast, high luminosity scintillator. The codopant scheme is based on dopant band to dopant trap recombination. One dopant provides a significant concentration of carriers of one type (electrons or holes) and the other dopant traps carriers of the other type. Examples include CdS:In,Te; CdS:In,Ag; CdS:In,Na; ZnO:Ga,P; ZnO:Ga,N; ZnO:Ga,S; and GaN:Ge,Mg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Stephen E. Derenzo, Edith Bourret-Courchesne, Marvin J. Weber, Mattias K. Klintenberg
  • Patent number: 7042013
    Abstract: A radiation-emitting semiconductor component having a layer structure which contains an n-doped cladding layer (18), a p-doped cladding layer (20), and an active layer (14) based on InGaAlP arranged between the n-doped cladding layer (18) and the p-doped cladding layer (20). A diffusion stop layer (16) is arranged between the active layer (14) and the p-doped cladding layer (20). The diffusion stop layer (16) is formed by a strained superlattice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Linder, Peter Stauss, Mark Hampel, Klaus Streubel
  • Patent number: 7034342
    Abstract: A light emitting layer forming portion is provided on a semiconductor substrate, in which an active layer made of a compound semiconductor is sandwiched between a first and second clad layers made of compound semiconductor having band gap greater than that of the active layer, respectively and having a different conductivity type each other and furthermore a window layer is provided above the second clad layer. The second clad layer is made of a semiconductor having refractive index greater than that of the first clad layer. More preferably the window layer is made of a semiconductor having a refractive index greater than that of the second clad layer. As a result, the absorption of the light emitted from the light emitting layer in the semiconductor substrate can be reduced, and the light can be attracted toward the top surface so that the external quantum efficiency can be advanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio Shakuda, Yukio Matsumoto, Nobuaki Oguro
  • Patent number: 7030415
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical communication, and more particularly, to a wideband wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical communication system which can have a broad amplification band while overcoming a polarization dependency and solving a signal leakage between channels. In an optical amplifier module and optical transmission system for a WDM optical communication system using this, the optical amplifier module uses a semiconductor quantum dot optical amplifier as an amplifying means, and thus has a wide amplification bard and has no a polarization dependency of a gain and a signal leakage between channels, and the optical transmision system uses a semiconductor quantum dot optical amplifier module when several optical amplifier modules are connected for use so that a gain automatically becomes flat and automatically becomes fixed even though a channel number and an input signal size become different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Inventor: Dong-han Lee
  • Patent number: 6998643
    Abstract: A silicon-based light emitting diode simultaneously adopts doping layers and Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR). The silicon-based light emitting diode includes an active layer having mutually opposing a first side and a second side. A first reflecting portion faces with the first side of the active layer, and a second reflecting portion faces with the second side of the active layer. A first doping layer is interposed between the active layer and the first reflecting portion. A second doping layer is interposed between the active layer and the second reflecting portion. A first electrode is electrically connectable to the first doping layer, and a second electrode is electrically connectable to the second doping layer. Here, At least one of the first reflecting portion and the second reflecting portion has the DBR that is formed by alternately stacking two kinds of differently composed silicon-containing insulating layers and a gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Taeyoub Kim, Nae Man Park, Gun Yong Sung
  • Patent number: 6998690
    Abstract: A gallium nitride-based III-V Group compound semiconductor device has a gallium nitride-based III-V Group compound semiconductor layer provided over a substrate, and an ohmic electrode provided in contact with the semiconductor layer. The ohmic electrode is formed of a metallic material, and has been annealed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Nichia Corporation
    Inventors: Shuji Nakamura, Takao Yamada, Masayuki Senoh, Motokazu Yamada, Kanji Bando
  • Patent number: 6995398
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for treating a silicon carbide substrate for improved epitaxial deposition thereon and for use as a precursor in the manufacture of devices such as light emitting diodes. The method includes the steps of implanting dopant atoms of a first conductivity type into the first surface of a conductive silicon carbide wafer having the same conductivity type as the implanting ions at one or more predetermined dopant concentrations and implant energies to form a dopant profile, annealing the implanted wafer, and growing an epitaxial layer on the implanted first surface of the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Davis Andrew McClure, Alexander Suvorov, John A. Edmond, David B. Slater, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6974974
    Abstract: A semiconductor light emitting device is disclosed, including a semiconductor substrate, an active region comprising a strained quantum well layer, and a cladding layer for confining carriers and light emissions, wherein the amount of lattice strains in the quantum well layer is in excess of 2% against either the semiconductor substrate or cladding layer and, alternately, the thickness of the quantum well layer is in excess of the critical thickness calculated after Matthews and Blakeslee.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunichi Sato, Takashi Takahashi, Naoto Jikutani
  • Patent number: 6958496
    Abstract: This invention this invention provides a light-emitting semiconductor device having enhanced brightness, to ensure even current distribution emitted by a front contact of the light emitting diodes so as to improve the light-emitting efficiency of the active layer. This invention adopts the method to manufacture the light-emitting device, comprising the steps of: forming an active layer on a substrate; forming a capping layer on the active layer to enhance current distribution, where a back contact is located on another side of the substrate and a front contact is located above the capping layer. This invention is characterized by: re-designing the front contact, by reducing the width of a metallic pattern constructing fingers or Mesh lines and increasing the number of the fingers or Mesh lines, so as to resolve the current crowding problem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: United Epitaxy Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Wei-En Chien, Chih-Sung Chang, Chen Tzer-Perng
  • Patent number: 6958494
    Abstract: A light-emitting diode (LED) for both AlGaInP- and GaN-based materials needs a good transparent current spreading layer to disseminate electrons or holes from the electrode to the active layer. The present invention utilizes a conductive and transparent ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) thin film with an ultra-thin (to minimize the absorption) composite metallic layer to serve as a good ohmic contact and current spreading layer. The present invention avoids the Schottky contact due to direct deposition of ITO on the semiconductor. For AlGaInP materials, a thick GaP current spreading layer is omitted by the present invention. For GaN-based LEDs with the present invention, semi-transparent Ni/Au contact layer is avoided. Therefore, the light extraction of LED can be dramatically improved by the present invention. Holes may be etched into the semiconductor cladding layer forming a Photonic Band Gap structure to improve LED light extraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: DiCon Fiberoptics, Inc.
    Inventors: Hui-Li Lin, Qinghong Du, Ho-Shang Lee
  • Patent number: 6956240
    Abstract: In an active matrix type light emitting device, a top surface exit type light emitting device in which an anode formed at an upper portion of an organic compound layer becomes a light exit electrode is provided. In a light emitting element made of a cathode, an organic compound layer and an anode, a protection film is formed in an interface between the anode that is a light exit electrode and the organic compound layer. The protection film formed on the organic compound layer has transmittance in the range of 70 to 100%, and when the anode is deposited by use of the sputtering method, a sputtering damage to the organic compound layer can be inhibited from being inflicted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Toshimitsu Konuma, Hiroko Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 6956884
    Abstract: A second cladding layer composed of p-AlGaN and a second contact layer composed of p-GaN are formed in this order on a light emitting layer composed of a nitride based semiconductor. A predetermined region of the second cladding layer and the second contact layer is removed, to form a ridge portion. A high-resistive current blocking layer, to which impurities have been added, is formed on an upper surface of a flat portion of the second cladding layer, which remains without being removed, and on both sidewalls of the ridge portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Nomura, Nobuhiko Hayashi, Masayuki Shono
  • Patent number: 6940098
    Abstract: A growth plane of substrate 1 is processed to have a concavo-convex surface. The bottom of the concave part may be masked. When a crystal is grown by vapor phase growth using this substrate, an ingredient gas does not sufficiently reach the inside of a concave part 12, and therefore, a crystal growth occurs only from an upper part of a convex part 11. As shown in FIG. 1(b), therefore, a crystal unit 20 occurs when the crystal growth is started, and as the crystal growth proceeds, films grown in the lateral direction from the upper part of the convex part 11 as a starting point are connected to cover the concavo-convex surface of the substrate 1, leaving a cavity 13 in the concave part, as shown in FIG. 1(c), thereby giving a crystal layer 2, whereby the semiconductor base of the present invention is obtained. In this case, the part grown in the lateral direction, or the upper part of the concave part 12 has a low dislocation region and the crystal layer prepared has high quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Cable Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Tadatomo, Hiroaki Okagawa, Yoichiro Ouchi, Masahiro Koto
  • Patent number: 6930330
    Abstract: A silicon optoelectronic device and a light-emitting apparatus using the silicon optoelectronic device are provided. The silicon optoelectronic device includes: a substrate based on an n-type or p-type silicon; a doped region formed on one surface of the substrate and doped to an ultra-shallow depth with a predetermined dopant to be an opposite type from that of the substrate to provide a photoelectrical conversion effect by quantum confinement in a p-n junction between the doped region and the substrate; and first and second electrodes formed on the substrate to be electrically connected to the doped region. The silicon optoelectronic device may further include a control layer formed on one surface of the substrate to act as a mask in forming the doped region and to limit the depth of the doped region to be ultra-shallow. The silicon optoelectronic device has excellent efficiency and can be used as either a light-emitting device or a light-receiving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byoung-lyong Choi, Seung-ho Nam, Eun-kyung Lee, Jae-ho You, Jun-young Kim
  • Patent number: 6921928
    Abstract: In the nitride semiconductor device having a p-type nitride semiconductor layer, an electrode including at least rhodium and iridium is formed on the p-type nitride semiconductor layer. By this construction, an excellent ohmic contact between the electrode and the p-type nitride semiconductor layer and a high reflectivity in the electrode can be obtained, so that the nitride semiconductor device having excellent external quantum efficiency can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Nichia Corporation
    Inventor: Shinya Sonobe
  • Patent number: 6914272
    Abstract: P-type layers of a GaN based light-emitting device are optimized for formation of Ohmic contact with metal. In a first embodiment, a p-type GaN transition layer with a resistivity greater than or equal to about 7 ?cm is formed between a p-type conductivity layer and a metal contact. In a second embodiment, the p-type transition layer is any III-V semiconductor. In a third embodiment, the p-type transition layer is a superlattice. In a fourth embodiment, a single p-type layer of varying composition and varying concentration of dopant is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Lumileds Lighting U.S., LLC
    Inventors: Werner K. Goetz, Michael D. Camras, Changhua Chen, Gina L. Christenson, R. Scott Kern, Chihping Kuo, Paul Scott Martin, Daniel A. Steigerwald
  • Patent number: 6911675
    Abstract: A semiconductor device reduced in size is provided in which the surface area outside of a display portion required for IC chips to mounted is reduced in a semiconductor device having an active matrix display portion. Further, signal wiring connection defects that accompany IC chip mounting are reduced. By manufacturing TFTs on an opposing substrate in a reflecting active matrix semiconductor device, thus manufacturing a desired logic circuit, the logic circuit, conventionally mounted externally, is formed on the opposing substrate. Further, the semiconductor device is made high speed and high performance by using suitable TFT structures and electric power source voltages for pixels and driver circuits on a pixel substrate and for the logic circuit on the opposing substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Kato, Tadafumi Ozaki, Kohei Mutaguchi
  • Patent number: 6900468
    Abstract: Ultra-high-density data-storage media employing indium chalcogenide, gallium chalcogenide, and indium-gallium chalcogenide films to form bit-storage regions that act as photoconductive, photovoltaic, or photoluminescent semiconductor devices that produce electrical signals when exposed to electromagnetic radiation, or to form bit-storage regions that act as cathodoconductive, cathodovoltaic, or cathodoluminescent semiconductor devices that produce electrical signals when exposed to electron beams. Two values of a bit are represented by two solid phases of the data-storage medium, a crystalline phase and an amorphous phase, with transition between the two phases effected by heating the bit storage region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Alison Chalken, Gary Gibson, Heon Lee, Krysztof Nauka, Chung-Ching Yang
  • Patent number: 6900465
    Abstract: A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device has an active layer of a single-quantum well structure or multi-quantum well made of a nitride semiconductor containing indium and gallium. A first p-type clad layer made of a p-type nitride semiconductor containing aluminum and gallium is provided in contact with one surface of the active layer. A second p-type clad layer made of a p-type nitride semiconductor containing aluminum and gallium is provided on the first p-type clad layer. The second p-type clad layer has a larger band gap than that of the first p-type clad layer. An n-type semiconductor layer is provided in contact with the other surface of the active layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Nichia Corporation
    Inventors: Shuji Nakamura, Shinichi Nagahama, Naruhito Iwasa, Hiroyuki Kiyoku
  • Patent number: 6900466
    Abstract: A semiconductor component for generating a polychromatic electromagnetic radiation has a semiconductor chip with a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer, which is provided adjacent to the first semiconductor layer and has an electroluminescent region. The electroluminescent region emits electromagnetic radiation of a first wavelength. The first semiconductor layer includes a material which, when excited with the electromagnetic radiation of the first wavelength, re-emits radiation with a second wavelength which is longer than the first wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Osram GmbH
    Inventors: Detlef Hommel, Helmut Wenisch
  • Patent number: 6897484
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to lower the oscillation threshold value and to improve the yield by improving the luminous efficiency in the central wavelength of a laser. To achieve the object, the nitride semiconductor light emitting element of the present invention includes a substrate, a lower clad layer formed of a nitride semiconductor containing Al and Ga formed thereon, a lower guide layer formed of a nitride semiconductor mainly containing In and Ga formed thereon, and an active layer including a nitride semiconductor mainly containing In and Ga formed thereon. The lower guide layer has a first layer and a second layer higher in In content than the first layer, successively stacked from the active layer side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoki Ohno, Shigetoshi Ito
  • Patent number: 6897483
    Abstract: A gallium nitride layer is laterally grown into a trench in the gallium nitride layer, to thereby form a lateral gallium nitride semiconductor layer. At least one microelectronic device may then be formed in the lateral gallium nitride semiconductor layer. Dislocation defects do not significantly propagate laterally into the lateral gallium nitride semiconductor layer, so that the lateral gallium nitride semiconductor layer is relatively defect free.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: North Carolina State University
    Inventors: Tsvetanka Zheleva, Darren B. Thomson, Scott A. Smith, Kevin J. Linthicum, Thomas Gehrke, Robert F. Davis
  • Patent number: 6891214
    Abstract: A semiconductor power module capable of efficiently utilizing the performance of the module and facilitating management of the module in custody. The semiconductor power module having one or more semiconductor power switching elements and a drive unit is provided with a non-volatile memory for storing use history of the module and a drive unit. The use history contains information of one of the number of switching times of the semiconductor power switching element, the number of over-current detections of the semiconductor power switching element and a temperature rise of the semiconductor power module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Mori, Takashi Ikimi, Shuji Katoh, Yutaka Sato
  • Patent number: 6885146
    Abstract: A constitution of the display device of the invention is shown in the following. The display device includes a pixel unit including TFTs of which the active layer contains an organic semiconductor material for forming channel portions in the opening portions in an insulating layer arranged to meet the gate electrodes. The pixel unit further includes a contrast media formed on the electrodes connected to the TFTs for changing the reflectivity upon the application of an electric field, or microcapsules containing electrically charged particles that change the reflectivity upon the application of an electric field. The pixel unit is sandwiched by plastic substrates, and barrier layers including an inorganic insulating material are provided between the plastic substrates and the pixel unit. The purpose of the present invention is to supply display devices which are excellent in productivity, light in weight and flexible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Yasuyuki Arai
  • Patent number: 6881977
    Abstract: This invention regards to novel light emitting device based on indirect bandgap materials. This device makes efficient electroluminescence possible in indirect-bandgap materials. With the quantum mechanically tunneling effect and carrier confinement, and/or small-scale roughness (in nano-meter range), and/or special (TO) phonon-assisted processes, the additional momentum required for radiative recombination of electrons and holes in indirect-bandgap materials could be provided to enhance luminescence at bandgap energy. Also, the tunneled carriers in the upper bands of large energy could directly transit to the bottom of bands by emitting photons at corresponding energy different from bandgap energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Inventor: Ching-Fuh Lin
  • Patent number: 6876002
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser element includes, on a substrate, at least a first conductive type first clad layer, an active layer, a second conductive type second clad layer, a current block layer having a stripe-shaped deficient portion extending in a direction of a resonator, a second conductive type third clad layer buried in the stripe-shaped deficient portion of the current block layer and a second conductive type protection layer provided on the third clad layer. The active layer includes at least a window region adjacent to its one end surface and an internal region having a quantum well structure, and a portion opposite to the internal region is irradiated with an ionized atom from a surface of a layer arranged on the second conductive type second clad layer side and thereafter subjected to heat treatment to form the window region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Matsumoto, Fumihiro Konushi, Shinichi Kawato
  • Patent number: 6870193
    Abstract: In a semiconductor light emitting device such as a semiconductor laser using nitride III-V compound semiconductors and having a structure interposing an active layer between an n-side cladding layer and a p-side cladding layer, the p-side cladding layer is made of an undoped or n-type first layer 9 and a p-type second layer 12 that are deposited sequentially from nearer to remoter from the active layer. The first layer 9 is not thinner than 50 nm. The p-type second layer 12 includes a p-type third layer having a larger band gap inserted therein as an electron blocking layer. Thus the semiconductor light emitting device is reduced in operation voltage while keeping a thickness of the p-side cladding layer necessary for ensuring favorable optical properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Motonobu Takeya, Takeharu Asano, Masao Ikeda
  • Patent number: 6867539
    Abstract: Encapsulated organic electronic devices including organic light emitting diodes are made using an adhesive component as a mask while the device is being constructed. An adhesive-coated liner can be applied to the device substrate and openings created therein by removing portions of the linear and adhesive, or a patterned adhesive layer having openings therein can be formed on the device substrate, followed by deposition of the device layers and application of a sealing layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Fred Boyle McCormick, Paul Frederic Baude, George David Vernstrom
  • Patent number: 6867108
    Abstract: In a method for fabricating a thin film transistor array substrate, a glass substrate undergoes an oxygen plasma treatment. A silver or silver alloy-based conductive layer is deposited onto the substrate, and patterned to thereby form a gate line assembly proceeding in the horizontal direction. The gate line assembly includes gate lines, gate electrodes, and gate pads. Thereafter, a silicon nitride-based gate insulating layer is deposited onto the substrate, and a semiconductor layer and an ohmic contact layer are sequentially formed on the gate insulating layer. The semiconductor layer and the ohmic contact layer are HF-treated. A silver alloy-based conductive layer is deposited onto the substrate, and patterned to thereby form a data line assembly. The data line assembly includes data lines crossing over the gate lines, source electrodes, drain electrodes, and data pads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chang-Oh Jeong, Bong-Joo Kang, Jae-Gab Lee
  • Patent number: 6855962
    Abstract: A semiconductor laminating portion including a light emitting layer forming portion having at least an n-type layer and a p-type layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate. A current blocking layer is partially formed on its surface. A current diffusing electrode is formed on the entire surface thereof. A bonding electrode is formed thereon. The semiconductor laminating portion and the current diffusing electrode are separated into light emitting unit portions A, electrode pad portion B, and connecting portions C for connecting between electrode pad portion B and light emitting unit portions A or between two of the light emitting unit portions A, and the semiconductor laminating portion between the light emitting unit portions A is removed through etching to make clearances except for connecting portions C. The bonding electrode is formed on electrode pad portion B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio Shakuda, Yukio Matsumoto, Nobuaki Oguro