Quantum Well Hole Structure for Leakage-Resistant Light Emitters
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current light emitting elements face challenges in maintaining reliability due to significant luminance changes, primarily caused by leakage currents resulting from electron movement along the edges of the well layer, which affects their external quantum efficiency and overall performance.
Innovation Solution
The light emitting element incorporates a well layer with etching holes that penetrate in a specific direction, reducing current paths to the edge and utilizing an insulative film to minimize electrical shorts, thereby enhancing reliability and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional well layer structure is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but leakage currents occur due to electron movement along the edges of the well layer
Solution Approach 1:
The well layer is segmented by forming holes that penetrate through it, dividing the continuous well layer into isolated regions. This segmentation interrupts the leakage current paths that would otherwise flow along the edges of the well layer, thereby suppressing leakage currents while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The well layer structure is modified locally by forming holes at specific positions (in the second area adjacent to the edge) rather than uniformly throughout. This local modification targets the specific region where leakage currents occur (along the edges) without affecting the entire well layer, thus suppressing leakage while maintaining simplicity in non-critical areas.
2Reliability
If the well layer structure is modified to suppress leakage currents, then reliability improves, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The holes are formed in the well layer during the epitaxial growth process itself, before subsequent manufacturing steps. This preliminary action integrates the hole formation into the existing manufacturing flow without requiring separate post-processing steps, thereby improving reliability through structural modification while minimizing the increase in manufacturing complexity.
3Reliability
If holes are formed in the well layer, then leakage currents are suppressed, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The holes are positioned specifically in the second area adjacent to the edge of the well layer, rather than requiring precise positioning throughout the entire well layer. This localized approach reduces the overall manufacturing precision requirements while still achieving the goal of suppressing leakage currents at the critical edge regions where they occur.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
A light emitting element (LD) includes: a first semiconductor layer (11); an active layer (12) provided on the first semiconductor layer; a second semiconductor layer (13) provided on the active layer; and an insulative film (14) around at least a portion of the first semiconductor layer, the active layer, and the second semiconductor layer, which are sequentially provided in a first direction (DR1). The active layer (12) includes a first barrier layer (QB1), a first well layer (QW1), and a second barrier layer (QB2), which are sequentially provided in the first direction, and the first well layer (QW1) includes first holes (EH1) penetrating the first well layer. A method of manufacturing said light emitting element is also disclosed; method during which the well layer is partially etched in order to form the holes.