Patents by Inventor Steven P. Denbaars

Steven P. Denbaars 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).

  • FABRICATION OF NONPOLAR INDIUM GALLIUM NITRIDE THIN FILMS, HETEROSTRUCTURES, AND DEVICES BY METALORGANIC CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
    Publication number: 20130264540
    Abstract: A method for the fabrication of nonpolar indium gallium nitride (InGaN) films as well as nonpolar InGaN-containing device structures using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOVCD). The method is used to fabricate nonpolar InGaN/GaN violet and near-ultraviolet light emitting diodes and laser diodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicants: JAPAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AGENCY, THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Arpan Chakraborty, Benjamin A. Haskell, Stacia Keller, James S. Speck, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura, Umesh K. Mishra
  • ANISOTROPIC STRAIN CONTROL IN SEMIPOLAR NITRIDE QUANTUM WELLS BY PARTIALLY OR FULLY RELAXED ALUMINUM INDIUM GALLIUM NITRIDE LAYERS WITH MISFIT DISLOCATIONS
    Publication number: 20130259080
    Abstract: An epitaxial structure for a III-Nitride based optical device, comprising an active layer with anisotropic strain on an underlying layer, where a lattice constant and strain in the underlying layer are partially or fully relaxed in at least one direction due to a presence of misfit dislocations, so that the anisotropic strain in the active layer is modulated by the underlying layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Inventors: Hiroaki Ohta, Feng Wu, Anurag Tyagi, Arpan Chakraborty, James S. Speck, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura, Erin C. Young
  • LED with current confinement structure and surface roughening
    Patent number: 8541788
    Abstract: A light emitting diode having a vertical orientation with an ohmic contact on portions of a top surface of the diode and a reflective layer adjacent the light emitting region of the diode. This light emitting diode includes a confinement structure. The confinement structure may be an opening in the reflective layer generally beneath the top ohmic contact that defines a non-contact area between the reflective layer and the light emitting region of the diode to encourage current flow to take place other than at the non-contact area to in turn decrease the number of light emitting recombinations beneath the ohmic contact and increase the number of light emitting recombinations in the areas not beneath said ohmic contact. The LED may include roughened emitting surfaces to further enhance light extraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven P. Denbaars, Shuji Nakamura, Max Batres
  • Cleaved facet (Ga,Al,In)N edge-emitting laser diodes grown on semipolar bulk gallium nitride substrates
    Patent number: 8541869
    Abstract: A III-nitride edge-emitting laser diode is formed on a surface of a III-nitride substrate having a semipolar orientation, wherein the III-nitride substrate is cleaved by creating a cleavage line along a direction substantially perpendicular to a nonpolar orientation of the III-nitride substrate, and then applying force along the cleavage line to create one or more cleaved facets of the III-nitride substrate, wherein the cleaved facets have an m-plane or a-plane orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Shuji Nakamura, James S. Speck, Steven P. DenBaars, Anurag Tyagi
  • Light emitting diode structure utilizing zinc oxide nanorod arrays on one or more surfaces, and a low cost method of producing such zinc oxide nanorod arrays
    Patent number: 8536618
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a Light Emitting Diode with improved light extraction efficiency, comprising depositing a plurality of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanorods on one or more surfaces of a III-Nitride based LED, by growing the ZnO nanorods from an aqueous solution, wherein the surfaces are different from c-plane surfaces of III-Nitride and transmit light generated by the LED.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Jacob J. Richardson, Daniel B. Thompson, Ingrid Koslow, Jun Seok Ha, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura, Maryann E. Lange
  • Solid solution phosphors based on oxyfluoride and white light emitting diodes including the phosphors for solid state white lighting applications
    Patent number: 8535565
    Abstract: Phosphor compositions comprising a solid solution series between Sr3AlO4F and Sr3SiO5 and a solid solution series between Sr3AlO4F and GdSr2AlO5, are disclosed. A white light emitting LED using the phosphor compositions is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Won-Bin Im, Ram Seshadri, Steven P. DenBaars
  • Technique for the growth of planar semi-polar gallium nitride
    Patent number: 8524012
    Abstract: A method for growing planar, semi-polar nitride film on a miscut spinel substrate, in which a large area of the planar, semi-polar nitride film is parallel to the substrate's surface. The planar films and substrates are: (1) {1011} gallium nitride (GaN) grown on a {100} spinel substrate miscut in specific directions, (2) {1013} gallium nitride (GaN) grown on a {110} spinel substrate, (3) {1122} gallium nitride (GaN) grown on a {1100} sapphire substrate, and (4) {1013} gallium nitride (GaN) grown on a {1100} sapphire substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignees: The Regents of the University of California, Japan Science and Technology Agency
    Inventors: Troy J. Baker, Benjamin A. Haskell, Paul T. Fini, Steven P. DenBaars, James S. Speck, Shuji Nakamua
  • (Al,Ga,In)N DIODE LASER FABRICATED AT REDUCED TEMPERATURE
    Publication number: 20130215921
    Abstract: A method of fabricating an (Al,Ga,In)N laser diode, comprising depositing one or more III-N layers upon a growth substrate at a first temperature, depositing an indium containing laser core at a second temperature upon layers deposited at a first temperature, and performing all subsequent fabrication steps under conditions that inhibit degradation of the laser core, wherein the conditions are a substantially lower temperature than the second temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Daniel A. Cohen, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura
  • Fabrication of nonpolar indium gallium nitride thin films, heterostructures and devices by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition
    Patent number: 8502246
    Abstract: A method for the fabrication of nonpolar indium gallium nitride (InGaN) films as well as nonpolar InGaN-containing device structures using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOVCD). The method is used to fabricate nonpolar InGaN/GaN violet and near-ultraviolet light emitting diodes and laser diodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignees: The Regents of the University of California, The Japan Science and Technology Agency
    Inventors: Arpan Chakraborty, Benjamin A. Haskell, Stacia Keller, James S. Speck, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura, Umesh K. Mishra
  • Anisotropic strain control in semipolar nitride quantum wells by partially or fully relaxed aluminum indium gallium nitride layers with misfit dislocations
    Patent number: 8481991
    Abstract: An epitaxial structure for a III-Nitride based optical device, comprising an active layer with anisotropic strain on an underlying layer, where a lattice constant and strain in the underlying layer are partially or fully relaxed in at least one direction due to a presence of misfit dislocations, so that the anisotropic strain in the active layer is modulated by the underlying layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Hiroaki Ohta, Feng Wu, Anurag Tyagi, Arpan Chakraborty, James S. Speck, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura, Erin C. Young
  • METHOD FOR ENHANCING GROWTH OF SEMIPOLAR (Al,In,Ga,B)N VIA METALORGANIC CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
    Publication number: 20130168833
    Abstract: A method for enhancing growth of device-quality planar semipolar nitride semiconductor thin films via metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) by using an (Al,In,Ga)N nucleation layer containing at least some indium. Specifically, the method comprises loading a substrate into a reactor, heating the substrate under a flow of nitrogen and/or hydrogen and/or ammonia, depositing an InxGa1-xN nucleation layer on the heated substrate, depositing a semipolar nitride semiconductor thin film on the InxGa1-xN nucleation layer, and cooling the substrate under a nitrogen overpressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sato, John F. Kaeding, Michael Iza, Benjamin A. Haskell, Troy J. Baker, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura
  • Growth of planar, non-polar, group-III nitride films
    Patent number: 8450192
    Abstract: Growth methods for planar, non-polar, Group-III nitride films are described. The resulting films are suitable for subsequent device regrowth by a variety of growth techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignees: The Regents of the University of California, Japan Science and Technology Center
    Inventors: Benjamin A. Haskell, Paul T. Fini, Shigemasa Matsuda, Michael D. Craven, Steven P. DenBaars, James S. Speck, Shuji Nakamura
  • LED with current confinement structure and surface roughening
    Patent number: 8410490
    Abstract: An LED having a p-type layer of material with an associated p-contact, an n-type layer of material with an associated n-contact and an active region between the p-type layer and the n-type layer, includes a confinement structure that is formed within one of the p-type layer of material and the n-type layer of material. The confinement structure is generally aligned with the contact on the top and primary emission surface of the LED and substantially prevents the emission of light from the area of the active region that is coincident with the area of the confinement structure and the top-surface contact. The LED may include a roughened emitting-side surface to further enhance light extraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven P. Denbaars, Shuji Nakamura, Max Batres
  • LED with a current confinement structure aligned with a contact
    Patent number: 8410499
    Abstract: An LED having a p-type layer of material with an associated p-contact, an n-type layer of material with an associated n-contact and an active region between the p-type layer and the n-type layer, includes a confinement structure that is formed within one of the p-type layer of material and the n-type layer of material. The confinement structure is generally aligned with the contact on the top and primary emission surface of the LED and substantially prevents the emission of light from the area of the active region that is coincident with the area of the confinement structure and the top-surface contact. The LED may include a roughened emitting-side surface to further enhance light extraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven P. Denbaars, Shuji Nakamura, Max Batres
  • Method for enhancing growth of semipolar (Al,In,Ga,B)N via metalorganic chemical vapor deposition
    Patent number: 8405128
    Abstract: A method for enhancing growth of device-quality planar semipolar nitride semiconductor thin films via metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) by using an (Al, In, Ga)N nucleation layer containing at least some indium. Specifically, the method comprises loading a substrate into a reactor, heating the substrate under a flow of nitrogen and/or hydrogen and/or ammonia, depositing an InxGa1-xN nucleation layer on the heated substrate, depositing a semipolar nitride semiconductor thin film on the InxGa1-xN nucleation layer, and cooling the substrate under a nitrogen overpressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sato, John F. Kaeding, Michael Iza, Benjamin A. Haskell, Troy J. Baker, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura
  • Single or multi-color high efficiency light emitting diode (LED) by growth over a patterned substrate
    Patent number: 8390011
    Abstract: An opto-electronic device, and a method of fabricating same, wherein the device has a patterned layer that includes a patterned, pierced or perforated mask, and an active layer formed over the patterned layer, wherein a refractive index of the patterned layer and a pattern of holes in the patterned layer are configured for controlling confinement or extraction of light emissions of the active layer into radiative and guided modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Claude C. A. Weisbuch, Aurelien J. F. David, James S. Speck, Steven P. DenBaars
  • Light emitting diodes with a p-type surface bonded to a transparent submount to increase light extraction efficiency
    Patent number: 8368109
    Abstract: An (Al,Ga,In)N-based light emitting diode (LED), comprising a p-type surface of the LED bonded with a transparent submount material to increase light extraction at the p-type surface, wherein the LED is a substrateless membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Kenji Iso, Hirokuni Asamizu, Makoto Saito, Hitoshi Sato, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura
  • Miscut semipolar optoelectronic device
    Patent number: 8368179
    Abstract: A method for improved growth of a semipolar (Al,In,Ga,B)N semiconductor thin film using an intentionally miscut substrate. Specifically, the method comprises intentionally miscutting a substrate, loading a substrate into a reactor, heating the substrate under a flow of nitrogen and/or hydrogen and/or ammonia, depositing an InxGa1-xN nucleation layer on the heated substrate, depositing a semipolar nitride semiconductor thin film on the InxGa1-xN nucleation layer, and cooling the substrate under a nitrogen overpressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignees: The Regents of the University of California, Japan Science and Technology Agency
    Inventors: John F. Kaeding, Dong-Seon Lee, Michael Iza, Troy J. Baker, Hitoshi Sato, Benjamin A. Haskell, James S. Speck, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura
  • Optoelectronic device based on non-polar and semi-polar aluminum indium nitride and aluminum indium gallium nitride alloys
    Patent number: 8357925
    Abstract: A high-power and high-efficiency light emitting device with emission wavelength (?peak) ranging from 280 nm to 360 nm is fabricated. The new device structure uses non-polar or semi-polar AlInN and AlInGaN alloys grown on a non-polar or semi-polar bulk GaN substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Roy B. Chung, Zhen Chen, James S. Speck, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura
  • Oxyfluoride phosphors and white light emitting diodes including the oxyfluoride phosphor for solid-state lighting applications
    Patent number: 8344611
    Abstract: A blue-green emitting Ce3+-activated oxyfluoride phosphor for use with a light emitting diode (LED) in solid state lighting applications. The blue-green emitting Ce3+-activated oxyfluoride phosphor is represented as: (Sr1-x-yAEy)3(Al1-zTz)O4F:Ce3+x wherein 0<x?0.3, 0?y?1, AE includes at least one element selected from alkaline earth metals on the periodic table, for example, Mg, Ca and Ba, 0?z?1, and T includes at least one atom selected from Al, B, Ga, and In. The blue-green emitting Ce3+-activated oxyfluoride phosphor may be combined with another phosphor to generate the white light. Specifically, the present invention provides for white light generation by combining the blue-green emitting Ce3+-activated oxyfluoride phosphor with either a near-ultraviolet (UV) LED and red emitting phosphor, or with a near-UV LED and a red-yellow phosphor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Won-Bin Im, Ram Seshadri, Steven P. DenBaars