Nitride semiconductor light emitting device having a silver p-contact

US6194743A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. · US

Inventors

• You Kondoh · Yamato, JP
• Satoshi Watanabe · Itoigawa, JP
• Yawara Kaneko · Chigasaki, JP
• Shigeru Nakagawa · Tokyo, JP
• Norihide Yamada · Kokubunji, JP

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 15, 1998
• Grant date: Feb 27, 2001
• Expiry date: Dec 15, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L2224/4847

Abstract

A light emitting device constructed on a substrate. The device includes an n-type semiconductor layer in contact with the substrate, an active layer for generating light, the active layer being in electrical contact with the n-type semiconductor layer. A p-type semiconductor layer is in electrical contact with the active layer, and a p-electrode is in electrical contact with the p-type semiconductor layer. The p-electrode includes a layer of silver in contact with the p-type semiconductor layer. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the n-type semiconductor layer and the p-type semiconductor layer are constructed from group III nitride semiconductor materials. In one embodiment of the invention, the silver layer is sufficiently thin to be transparent. In other embodiments, the silver layer is thick enough to reflect most of the light incident thereon. A fixation layer is preferably provided over the silver layer. The fixation layer may be a dielectric or a conductor, the choice depending on whether or not the silver layer is transparent.