Lumileds Lighting U.s., LLC

Andrew Y Kim

Nathan Fredrick Gardner

Werner K Goetz

Stephen Andrew Stockman

Michael David Camras

R Scott Kern

Richard P Schneider

Christopher P Kocot

Anneli Munkholm

Richard Scott Kern

A smoothing structure containing indium is formed between the substrate and the active region of a III-nitride light emitting device to improve the surface characteristics of the device layers. In some embodiments, the smoothing structure is a single layer, separated from the active region by a spacer layer which typically does not contain indium. The smoothing layer contains a composition of indium lower than the active region, and is typically deposited at a higher temperature than the active region. The spacer layer is typically deposited while reducing the temperature in the reactor from the smoothing layer deposition temperature to the active region deposition temperature. In other embodiments, a graded smoothing region is used to improve the surface characteristics. The smoothing region may have a graded composition, graded dopant concentration, or both.

Indium gallium nitride smoothing structures for III-nitride devices

III-Nitride light emitting diodes having improved performance are provided. In one embodiment, a light emitting device includes a substrate, a nucleation layer disposed on the substrate, a defect reduction structure disposed above the nucleation layer, and an n-type III-Nitride semiconductor layer disposed above the defect reduction structure. The n-type layer has, for example, a thickness greater than about one micron and a silicon dopant concentration greater than or equal to about 10 cm . In another embodiment, a light emitting device includes a III-Nitride semiconductor active region that includes at least one barrier layer either uniformly doped with an impurity or doped with an impurity having a concentration graded in a direction substantially perpendicular to the active region.

III-Nitride light emitting devices with low driving voltage

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Hayward, CA, United States of America

Andrew Y Kim