US2005253162A1PendingUtilityA1

Light emitting diode having a p-n junction doped with one or more luminescent activator ions

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Assignee: OSRAM SYLVANIA INCPriority: Aug 13, 2004Filed: Aug 2, 2005Published: Nov 17, 2005
Est. expiryAug 13, 2024(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Kailash C. Mishra
H10H 20/8252Y02E10/52Y10T428/265
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Claims

Abstract

A light emitting diode (LED) includes a p-n junction containing luminescent activator ions. The visible emission from the activator ions preferably complementing the band edge emission of the LED in order to produce an overall white emission from the LED. In a preferred embodiment, the LED has double heterojunction structure having a semiconductor active layer between two confinement layers. The semiconductor active layer includes activator ions preferably selected from among Eu 3+ , Tb 3+ , Dy 3+ , Pr 3+ , Tm 3+ , and Mn 2+ . The electron-hole pairs trapped within the active layer sensitize the activator ions, causing the activator ions to emit light.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A light emitting diode comprising a junction of p-type semiconductor material and an n-type semiconductor material, the junction containing one or more activator ions that produce a visible light emission when the light emitting diode is forward biased.  
   
   
       2 . The light emitting diode of  claim 1  wherein the activator ions are selected from the group of ions consisting of Eu 3+ , Tb 3+ , Dy 3+ , Pr 3+ , Tm 3+ , and Mn 2+ .  
   
   
       3 . The light emitting diode of  claim 1  wherein the light emitting diode has a visible band edge emission and the activator ions have an emission spectra in the visible spectrum that complements the band edge emission so as to produce a white light emission from the diode.  
   
   
       4 . The light emitting diode of  claim 3  wherein the band edge emission is a blue emission.  
   
   
       5 . The light emitting diode of  claim 4  wherein the blue emission has a wavelength between about 420 nm to about 490 nm.  
   
   
       6 . The light emitting diode of  claim 1  wherein the semiconductor materials are selected from GaN, AlN, InN or alloys thereof.  
   
   
       7 . The light emitting diode of  claim 1  wherein the light emitting diode has an ultraviolet band edge emission and the visible emission of the activator ions produces a white light emission from the diode.  
   
   
       8 . The light emitting diode of  claim 7  wherein the junction contains activators ions that produce a red emission, a green emission and a blue emission.  
   
   
       9 . A light emitting diode comprising a double heterojunction having a semiconductor active layer between two confinement layers, the semiconductor active layer comprising AlGaInN having therein activator ions selected from the group of ions consisting of Eu 3+ , Tb 3+ , Dy 3+ , Pr 3+ , Tm 3+ , and Mn 2+ .  
   
   
       10 . The diode of  claim 9  wherein the semiconductor active layer has a visible band edge emission and the activator ions have a visible emission spectra that complements the band edge emission so as to produce a white light emission from the diode.  
   
   
       11 . The diode of  claim 10 , wherein the band edge emission is blue.  
   
   
       12 . The diode of  claim 10 , wherein the semiconductor active layer is 0.15 to 0.75 μm thick.  
   
   
       13 . A light emitting diode comprising a semiconductor active layer between two confinement layers, the semiconductor active layer containing one or more activator ions that have a visible light emission.  
   
   
       14 . The diode of  claim 13 , wherein the semiconductor active layer is comprised of a semiconductor material selected from GaN, AlN, InN or alloys thereof.  
   
   
       15 . The diode of  claim 13 , wherein the semiconductor active layer has a visible band edge emission.  
   
   
       16 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the activator ions are selected from the group of ions consisting of Eu 3+ , Tb 3+ , Dy 3+ , Pr 3+ , Tm 3+ , and Mn 2+ .  
   
   
       17 . The diode of  claim 14 , wherein the activator ions are selected from the group of ions consisting of Eu 3+ , Tb 3+ , Dy 3+ , Pr 3+ , Tm 3+ , and Mn 2+ .  
   
   
       18 . The diode of  claim 15 , wherein the visible band edge emission and the visible emission of the activator ions combine to produce a white light emission from the diode.  
   
   
       19 . The diode of  claim 13 , wherein the semiconductor layer has an ultraviolet band edge emission and the visible emission of the activator ions produces a white light emission from the diode.  
   
   
       20 . The diode of  claim 14 , wherein the semiconductor active layer has a band edge emission of from about 420 nm to about 490 nm.  
   
   
       21 . The diode of  claim 20 , wherein the activator ions are selected from the group of ions consisting of Eu 3+ , Tb 3+ , Dy 3+ , Pr 3+ , Tm 3+ , and Mn 2+ .  
   
   
       22 . The diode of  claim 20 , wherein the band edge emission and the visible emission of the activator ions combine to produce a white light emission from the diode.  
   
   
       23 . The diode of  claim 22 , wherein the activator ions are selected from the group of ions consisting of Eu 3+ , Tb 3+ , Dy 3+ , Pr 3+ , Tm 3+ , and Mn 2+ .  
   
   
       24 . A composition comprising AlGaInN having therein ions selected from the group consisting of Eu 3+ , Tb 3+ , Dy 3+ , Pr 3+ , Tm 3+ , and Mn 2+ .  
   
   
       25 . The composition of  claim 24 , wherein the ions include Eu 3+  and Tb 3+ .

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