Nitride semiconductor light-emitting element

US9209361B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD. · JP

Inventors

• Akio Ueta · Kasai, JP
• Masaaki Yuri · Ibaraki, JP
• Toshiya Yokogawa · Nara, JP
• Ryou Kato · Osaka, JP

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 30, 2014
• Grant date: Dec 8, 2015
• Expiry date: Jun 30, 2034

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10H20/817

Abstract

The present invention improves luminous efficiency of a nitride semiconductor light-emitting element. In the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element, a non-polar or semi-polar Alx2Iny2Gaz2N layer having a thickness of t1 is interposed between the Alx1Iny1Gaz1N layer included in the p-type nitride semiconductor layer and the active layer (0<x2≦1, 0≦y2<1, 0<z2<1, x2+y2+z2=1). The Alx2Iny2Gaz2N layer has first and second interfaces located close to or in contact with the active layer and the Alx1Iny1Gaz1N layer, respectively. The Alx2Iny2Gaz2N layer has a hydrogen concentration distribution along its thickness direction in the inside thereof in such a manner that the hydrogen concentration is increased from the first interface to a thickness t2 (t2<t1), reaches a peak at the thickness t2, and is decreased from the thickness t2 to the second interface. Magnesium contained in the Alx1Iny1Gaz1N layer is prevented from being diffused into the active layer to improve the luminous efficiency.