Abstract: An integrated compound semiconductor light-emitting-device capable of emitting light as a large-area plane light source. The light-emitting-device includes plural light-emitting-units formed over a substrate, the light-emitting-units having a compound semiconductor thin-film crystal layer, first and second-conductivity-type-side electrodes, a main light-extraction direction is the side of the substrate, and the first and the second-conductivity-type-side electrodes are formed on the opposite side to the light-extraction direction. The light-emitting-units are electrically separated from each other by a light-emitting-unit separation-trench. An optical coupling layer is formed between the substrate and the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer. The optical coupling layer is common to the plurality of light-emitting-units, and capable of optical coupling of the plurality of light-emitting-units and distributing a light to the entire light-emitting-device.

Abstract: To provide a high-quality nitride semiconductor ensuring high emission efficiency of a light-emitting element fabricated. In the present invention, when obtaining a nitride semiconductor by sequentially stacking a one conductivity type nitride semiconductor part, a quantum well active layer structure part, and a another conductivity type nitride semiconductor part opposite the one conductivity type, the crystal is grown on a base having a nonpolar principal nitride surface, the one conductivity type nitride semiconductor part is formed by sequentially stacking a first nitride semiconductor layer and a second nitride semiconductor layer, and the second nitride semiconductor layer has a thickness of 400 nm to 20 mm and has a nonpolar outermost surface. By virtue of selecting the above-described base for crystal growth, an electron and a hole, which are contributing to light emission, can be prevented from spatial separation based on the QCSE effect and efficient radiation is realized.

Abstract: Provided is a compound light emitting device which facilitates easy connection of power supply lines, and has a high emission intensity in-plane uniformity. The light emitting device includes a first-conduction-type cladding layer, active layer structure, and second-conduction-type cladding layer each containing a III-V compound semiconductor. The first-conduction-type cladding layer and second-conduction-type cladding layer sandwich the active layer structure. The light emitting device includes a first-conduction-type-side electrode (7) for injecting carriers into the first-conduction-type cladding layer, and a second-conduction-type-side electrode (6) for injecting carriers into the second-conduction-type cladding layer. The first-conduction-type-side electrode (7) has an opening (7p).

Abstract: An integrated compound semiconductor light-emitting-device capable of emitting light as a large-area plane light source. The light-emitting-device includes plural light-emitting-units formed over a substrate, the light-emitting-units having a compound semiconductor thin-film crystal layer, first and second-conductivity-type-side electrodes, a main light-extraction direction is the side of the substrate, and the first and the second-conductivity-type-side electrodes are formed on the opposite side to the light-extraction direction. The light-emitting-units are electrically separated from each other by a light-emitting-unit separation-trench. An optical coupling layer is formed between the substrate and the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer. The optical coupling layer is common to the plurality of light-emitting-units, and capable of optical coupling of the plurality of light-emitting-units and distributing a light to the entire light-emitting-device.

Abstract: A light-emitting element (10) is provided with a thin-film crystal layer which includes a buffer layer (22), a first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, an active structure (25) and a second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer. In the thin-film crystal layer, at least a part of the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer is covered with an insulating film. The insulating film has a crystal quality improving layer (30) for recovering crystallinity of the thin-film crystal layer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor etching method whereby a semiconductor layer made of, for example, a Group III-V nitride semiconductor resistant to etching can be etched by a relatively easier process. This etching method comprises forming a metal-fluoride layer 3 at least as a part of an etching mask on the surface of a base structure (1,2); treating the metal-fluoride layer with a liquid; and etching the base structure using the metal-fluoride layer as a mask.

Abstract: A base at least one principal plane of which is a nitride is prepared for use in epitaxial growth. The base is placed on a susceptor in an epitaxial growth reactor and heated to a predetermined temperature (step A). The heating is started with inactive, nitrogen gas being supplied into the reactor. Then, active, NH3 gas is supplied. Then, a growth step (step B) of a first nitride semiconductor layer is started without an intervening step of thermally cleaning the principal nitride plane of the base. In step B, the first nitride semiconductor layer is epitaxially grown on a principal nitride plane of a base without supply of an Si source material. Then, a relatively thick, second nitride semiconductor layer is epitaxially grown on the first nitride semiconductor layer by supplying an n-type dopant source material (step C).

Abstract: During the growth of a nitride semiconductor crystal on a nonpolar face nitride substrate, such as an m-face, the gas that constitutes the main flow in the process of heating up to a relatively high temperature range, before growth of the nitride semiconductor layer, (the atmosphere to which the main nitride face of the substrate is exposed) and the gas that constitutes the main flow until growth of first and second nitride semiconductor layers is completed (the atmosphere to which the main nitride face of the substrate is exposed) are primarily those that will not have an etching effect on the nitride, while no Si source is supplied at the beginning of growth of the nitride semiconductor layer. Therefore, nitrogen atoms are not desorbed from near the nitride surface of the epitaxial substrate, thus suppressing the introduction of defects into the epitaxial film. This also makes epitaxial growth possible with a surface morphology of excellent flatness.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser having an oscillation wavelength ? (nm) and comprising at least a substrate, a first-conduction-type clad layer having an average refractive index N1cld, an active layer structure having an average refractive index NA, and a second-conduction-type clad layer having an average refractive index N2cld. This has a first-conduction-type subwave guide layer having an average refractive index N1SWG between the substrate and the first-conduction-type clad layer, and has a first-conduction-type low-refractive-index layer having an average refractive index N1LIL between the subwaveguide layer and the substrate. In this, the refractive indexes satisfy specific relational formulae. The semiconductor laser has a stable oscillation wavelength against the change of current/light output/temperature.

Abstract: There is disclosed a hexagonal Group III-V nitride layer exhibiting high quality crystallinity capable of improving the properties of a semiconductor device such as a light emitting element. This nitride layer is a Group III-V nitride layer belonging to hexagonal crystal formed by growth on a substrate having a different lattice constant, which has a growth-plane orientation of {1-100} and in which a full width at half maximum b1 of angle dependence of X-ray diffraction intensity in a {1-210} plane perpendicular to the growth-plane upon X-ray incident angle from a direction parallel to the growth-plane satisfies the condition of 0.01°?b1?0.5°, or the full width at half maximum b2 of angle dependence of X-ray diffraction intensity in a {0001} plane upon X-ray incident angle from a direction parallel to the growth-plane satisfies the condition of 0.01°?b2?0.5°.

Abstract: Provided is a compound light emitting device which facilitates easy connection of power supply lines, and has a high emission intensity in-plane uniformity. The light emitting device includes a first-conduction-type cladding layer, active layer structure, and second-conduction-type cladding layer each containing a III-V compound semiconductor. The first-conduction-type cladding layer and second-conduction-type cladding layer sandwich the active layer structure. The light emitting device includes a first-conduction-type-side electrode (7) for injecting carriers into the first-conduction-type cladding layer, and a second-conduction-type-side electrode (6) for injecting carriers into the second-conduction-type cladding layer. The first-conduction-type-side electrode (7) has an opening (7p).

Abstract: An etching method forms a metal-fluoride layer at a temperature of 150° C. or higher at least as a part of an etching mask formed over a semiconductor layer; patterns the metal-fluoride layer; and etches the semiconductor layer using the patterned metal-fluoride layer as a mask. According to the etching method, an etching-resistant semiconductor layer such as a Group III-V nitride semiconductor can be easily etched by a relatively simpler process.

Abstract: An integrated compound semiconductor light-emitting-device capable of emitting light as a large-area plane light source, exhibiting excellent in-plane uniformity in an emission intensity is provided. The light-emitting-device comprising a plurality of light-emitting-units formed over a substrate, wherein the light-emitting-unit has a compound semiconductor thin-film crystal layer 24, 25, 26 a first and a second-conductivity-type-side electrode 27, 28; a main light-extraction direction is the side of the substrate, and the first and the second-conductivity-type-side electrode are formed on the opposite side to the light-extraction direction; the light-emitting-units are electrically separated each other by a light-emitting-unit separation-trench which is formed by removing the thin-film crystal layer from the surface to an inside portion of the buffer layer.

Abstract: An etching process includes forming a metal-fluoride layer at least as a part of an etching mask formed over a semiconductor layer at a temperature of 150° C. or higher; patterning the metal-fluoride layer; and etching the semiconductor layer using the patterned metal-fluoride layer as a mask. Using this etching method, even an etching-resistant semiconductor layer such as a Group III-V nitride semiconductor can be easily etched by a relatively simpler process.

Abstract: A nitride semiconductor material comprising a semiconductor or dielectric substrate having thereon a first nitride semiconductor layer group, wherein the surface of the first nitride semiconductor layer group has an RMS of 5 nm or less, a variation of X-ray half-width within ±30%, a light reflectance of the surface of 15% or more, and a variation thereof of ±10% or less, and the thickness of said first nitride semiconductor layer group is 25 ?m or more. This nitride semiconductor material is excellent in uniformity and stability, assured of a low production cost, and useful as a substrate for a nitride semiconductor-type device.

Abstract: A light emitting device including a substrate transparent at the emission wavelength and an active layer structure formed on such substrate, in which the thickness of the substrate is 75 ?m or less, and/or a layer for suppressing spectral-intensity-modulation due to the substrate-mode is provided between the substrate and the active layer structure. Such device can suppress the spectral-intensity-modulation due to the substrate-mode, which is observed for the case the substrate is transparent at the emission wavelength, to thereby provide a light emission device excellent in linearity of the current-light output characteristics, and to thereby improve the coupling characteristics with an external cavity.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser having an oscillation wavelength ? (nm) and comprising at least a substrate, a first-conduction-type clad layer having an average refractive index N1cld, an active layer structure having an average refractive index NA, and a second-conduction-type clad layer having an average refractive index N2cld. This has a first-conduction-type subwave guide layer having an average refractive index N1SWG between the substrate and the first-conduction-type clad layer, and has a first-conduction-type low-refractive-index layer having an average refractive index N1LIL between the subwaveguide layer and the substrate. In this, the refractive indexes satisfy specific relational formulae. The semiconductor laser has a stable oscillation wavelength against the change of current/light output/temperature.

Abstract: A semiconductor light emitting device capable of easy optical coupling to an optical fiber, etc. and excellent in high power operation characteristics is disclosed. The semiconductor light emitting device is provided by controlling the relation between the thickness and the refractive index of a clad layer and an optical guide layer.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a semiconductor light emitting device comprising at least one semiconductor light emitting element of edge-emission type, a first heat sink and a second heat sink, wherein at least a part of an electrode for the first-conduction-type semiconductor of the semiconductor light emitting element is in contact with the first heat sink; at least a part of an electrode for the second-conduction-type semiconductor of the semiconductor light emitting element is in contact with the second heat sink; and the first heat sink and the second heat sink are in contact with each other in a junction overlooking one of the two side planes which do not compose the facets of the cavity in the semiconductor light emitting element.

Abstract: Compound semiconductor light emitting devices capable of suppressing the surface state density on the facets of semiconductor light emitting devices such as semiconductor lasers for a long time and stable operating even when the passivation layer diffuses can be easily obtained. Compound semiconductor light emitting devices with an emission wavelength of &lgr; (nm) wherein a first conduction type of clad layer, an active layer and a second conduction type of clad layer are grown on a substrate and two facets are opposite to each other so as to form a cavity, characterized in that said active layer is transparent to the emission wavelength in the vicinities of the facets and that the surfaces of the first conduction type of clad layer, active layer and second conduction type of clad layer forming said facets are each coated with a passivation layer.