Patents by Inventor Benjamin P. Yonkee

Benjamin P. Yonkee has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11411137
    Abstract: A III-nitride optoelectronic device includes at least one n-type layer, an active region grown on or above the n-type layer, at least one p-type layer grown on or above the active region, and a tunnel junction grown on or above the p-type layer. A conductive oxide may be wafer bonded on or above the tunnel junction, wherein the conductive oxide comprises a transparent conductor and may contain light extraction features on its non-bonded face. The tunnel junction also enables monolithic incorporation of electrically-injected and optically-pumped III-nitride layers, wherein the optically-pumped III-nitride layers comprise high-indium-content III-nitride layers formed as quantum wells (QWs) that are grown on or above the tunnel junction. The optically-pumped high-indium-content III-nitride layers emit light at a longer wavelength than the electrically-injected III-nitride layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Asad J. Mughal, Stacy J. Kowsz, Robert M. Farrell, Benjamin P. Yonkee, Erin C. Young, Christopher D. Pynn, Tal Margalith, James S. Speck, Shuji Nakamura, Steven P. DenBaars
  • Publication number: 20220181513
    Abstract: A hybrid growth method for III-nitride tunnel junction devices uses metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) to grow one or more light-emitting or light-absorbing structures and ammonia-assisted or plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) to grow one or more tunnel junctions. Unlike p-type gallium nitride (p-GaN) grown by MOCVD, p-GaN grown by MBE is conductive as grown, which allows for its use in a tunnel junction. Moreover, the doping limits of MBE materials are higher than MOCVD materials. The tunnel junctions can be used to incorporate multiple active regions into a single device. In addition, n-type GaN (n-GaN) can be used as a current spreading layer on both sides of the device, eliminating the need for a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer or a silver (Au) mirror.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Applicant: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Erin C. Young, Benjamin P. Yonkee, John T. Leonard, Tal Margalith, James S. Speck, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11348908
    Abstract: A flip chip III-Nitride LED which utilizes a dielectric coating backed by a metallic reflector (e.g., aluminum or silver). High reflectivity and low resistance contacts for optoelectronic devices. Low ESD rating optoelectronic devices. A VCSEL comprising a tunnel junction for current and optical confinement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Benjamin P. Yonkee, Erin C. Young, James S. Speck, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11217722
    Abstract: A hybrid growth method for III-nitride tunnel junction devices uses metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) to grow one or more light-emitting or light-absorbing structures and ammonia-assisted or plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) to grow one or more tunnel junctions. Unlike p-type gallium nitride (p-GaN) grown by MOCVD, p-GaN grown by MBE is conductive as grown, which allows for its use in a tunnel junction. Moreover, the doping limits of MBE materials are higher than MOCVD materials. The tunnel junctions can be used to incorporate multiple active regions into a single device. In addition, n-type GaN (n-GaN) can be used as a current spreading layer on both sides of the device, eliminating the need for a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer or a silver (Au) mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Erin C. Young, Benjamin P. Yonkee, John T. Leonard, Tal Margalith, James S. Speck, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11164997
    Abstract: A III-Nitride LED which utilizes n-type III-Nitride layers for current spreading on both sides of the device. A multilayer dielectric coating is used underneath the wire bond pads, both LED contacts are deposited in one step, and the p-side wire bond pad is moved off of the mesa. The LED has a wall plug efficiency or External Quantum Efficiency (EQE) over 70%, a fractional EQE droop of less than 7% at 20 A/cm2 drive current and less than 15% at 35 A/cm2 drive current. The LEDs can be patterned into an LED array and each LED can have an edge dimension of between 5 and 50 ?m. The LED emission wavelength can be below 400 nm and aluminum can be added to the n-type III-Nitride layers such that the bandgap of the n-type III-nitride layers is larger than the LED emission photon energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERISTY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Benjamin P. Yonkee, Erin C. Young, James S. Speck, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura
  • Patent number: 10985285
    Abstract: A physical vapor deposition (e.g., sputter deposition) method for III-nitride tunnel junction devices uses metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) to grow one or more light-emitting or light-absorbing structures and electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) sputtering to grow one or more tunnel junctions. In another method, the surface of the p-type layer is treated before deposition of the tunnel junction on the p-type layer. In yet another method, the whole device (including tunnel junction) is grown using MOCVD and the p-type layers of the III-nitride material are reactivated by lateral diffusion of hydrogen through mesa sidewalls in the III-nitride material, with one or more lateral dimensions of the mesa that are less than or equal to about 200 ?m. A flip chip display device is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Benjamin P. Yonkee, Asad J. Mughal, David Hwang, Erin C. Young, James S. Speck, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20210104504
    Abstract: A flip chip III-Nitride LED which utilizes a dielectric coating backed by a metallic reflector (e.g., aluminum or silver). High reflectivity and low resistance contacts for optoelectronic devices. Low ESD rating optoelectronic devices. A VCSEL comprising a tunnel junction for current and optical confinement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2017
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Applicant: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Benjamin P. Yonkee, Erin C. Young, Charles Forman, John T. Leonard, SeungGeun Lee, Dan Cohen, Robert M. Farrell, Michael Iza, Burhan Saifaddin, Abdullah Almogbel, Humberto Foronda, James S. Speck, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20200335663
    Abstract: A III-nitride optoelectronic device includes at least one n-type layer, an active region grown on or above the n-type layer, at least one p-type layer grown on or above the active region, and a tunnel junction grown on or above the p-type layer. A conductive oxide may be wafer bonded on or above the tunnel junction, wherein the conductive oxide comprises a transparent conductor and may contain light extraction features on its non-bonded face. The tunnel junction also enables monolithic incorporation of electrically-injected and optically-pumped III-nitride layers, wherein the optically-pumped III-nitride layers comprise high-indium-content III-nitride layers formed as quantum wells (QWs) that are grown on or above the tunnel junction. The optically-pumped high-indium-content III-nitride layers emit light at a longer wavelength than the electrically-injected III-nitride layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Applicant: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Asad J. Mughal, Stacy J. Kowsz, Robert M. Farrell, Benjamin P. Yonkee, Erin C. Young, Christopher D. Pynn, Tal Margalith, James S. Speck, Shuji Nakamura, Steven P. DenBaars
  • Patent number: 10685835
    Abstract: A III-nitride tunnel junction with a modified p-n interface, wherein the modified p-n interface includes a delta-doped layer to reduce tunneling resistance. The delta-doped layer may be doped using donor atoms comprised of Oxygen (O), Germanium (Ge) or Silicon (Si); acceptor atoms comprised of Magnesium (Mg) or Zinc (Zn); or impurities comprised of Iron (Fe) or Carbon (C).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignees: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, KING ABDULAZIZ CITY FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (KACST)
    Inventors: Benjamin P. Yonkee, Erin C. Young, John T. Leonard, Tal Margalith, James S. Speck, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20190207043
    Abstract: A physical vapor deposition (e.g., sputter deposition) method for III-nitride tunnel junction devices uses metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) to grow one or more light-emitting or light-absorbing structures and electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) sputtering to grow one or more tunnel junctions. In another method, the surface of the p-type layer is treated before deposition of the tunnel junction on the p-type layer. In yet another method, the whole device (including tunnel junction) is grown using MOCVD and the p-type layers of the III-nitride material are reactivated by lateral diffusion of hydrogen through mesa sidewalls in the III-nitride material, with one or more lateral dimensions of the mesa that are less than or equal to about 200 ?m. A flip chip display device is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2017
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Applicant: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Benjamin P. Yonkee, Asad J. Mughal, David Hwang, Erin C. Young, James S. Speck, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20190165213
    Abstract: A III-Nitride LED which utilizes n-type III-Nitride layers for current spreading on both sides of the device. A multilayer dielectric coating is used underneath the wire bond pads, both LED contacts are deposited in one step, and the p-side wire bond pad is moved off of the mesa. The LED has a wall plug efficiency or External Quantum Efficiency (EQE) over 70%, a fractional EQE droop of less than 7% at 20 A/cm2 drive current and less than 15% at 35 A/cm2 drive current. The LEDs can be patterned into an LED array and each LED can have an edge dimension of between 5 and 50 ?m. The LED emission wavelength can be below 400 nm and aluminum can be added to the n-type III-Nitride layers such that the bandgap of the n-type III-nitride layers is larger than the LED emission photon energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2017
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Applicant: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Benjamin P. Yonkee, Erin C. Young, James S. Speck, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20190074404
    Abstract: A hybrid growth method for III-nitride tunnel junction devices uses metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) to grow one or more light-emitting or light-absorbing structures and ammonia-assisted or plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) to grow one or more tunnel junctions. Unlike p-type gallium nitride (p-GaN) grown by MOCVD, p-GaN grown by MBE is conductive as grown, which allows for its use in a tunnel junction. Moreover, the doping limits of MBE materials are higher than MOCVD materials. The tunnel junctions can be used to incorporate multiple active regions into a single device. In addition, n-type GaN (n-GaN) can be used as a current spreading layer on both sides of the device, eliminating the need for a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer or a silver (Au) mirror.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Applicant: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Erin C. Young, Benjamin P. Yonkee, John T. Leonard, Tal Margalith, James S. Speck, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20180374699
    Abstract: A III-nitride tunnel junction with a modified p-n interface, wherein the modified p-n interface includes a delta-doped layer to reduce tunneling resistance. The delta-doped layer may be doped using donor atoms comprised of Oxygen (O), Germanium (Ge) or Silicon (Si); acceptor atoms comprised of Magnesium (Mg) or Zinc (Zn); or impurities comprised of Iron (Fe) or Carbon (C).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2016
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Applicant: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Benjamin P. Yonkee, Erin C. Young, John T. Leonard, Tal Margalith, James S. Speck, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura