Abstract: A light emitting diode (LED) of a double hetero-junction type has a light-emitting layer of a GaAlInP material, a p-type cladding layer and an n-type cladding layer sandwiching the light-emitting layer therebetween, a p-side electrode formed on the p-type cladding layer side, and an n-side electrode formed on the n-type cladding layer side. The p-type cladding layer consists of a first p-type cladding layer positioned closer to the light-emitting layer and having a lower aluminum content and a lower impurity concentration, and a second p-type cladding layer positioned less closer to the light-emitting layer and having a higher aluminum content and a higher impurity concentration. The LED also has a current blocking layer below the p-side electrode for locally blocking electric current flowing from the p-side electrode to the n-side electrode.

Abstract: A light emitting diode includes a substrate, a light emitting layer, a first cladding layer having a first conductivity type and an energy gap greater than an energy gap of the light emitting layer, a second cladding layer having a second conductivity type and an energy gap greater than an energy gap of the light emitting layer, and an intermediate barrier layer having the same conductivity type as the conductivity type of the light emitting layer but different from the conductivity type of the first or second cladding layer, and having an energy gap less than the energy gap of the first or second cladding layer but greater than the energy gap of the light emitting layer. The light emitting diode has a double heterostructure such that the light emitting layer is interposed between the first and second cladding layer. The intermediate barrier layer is disposed between the light emitting layer and the first cladding layer and/or between the light emitting layer and the second cladding layer.