Structure for growth of nitride semiconductor layer, stacked structure, nitride-based semiconductor element, light source, and manufacturing method for same

Abstract

A structure for growth of a nitride semiconductor layer which is disclosed in this application includes: a sapphire substrate of which growing plane is an m-plane; and a plurality of ridge-shaped nitride semiconductor layers provided on the growing plane of the sapphire substrate, wherein a bottom surface of a recessed portion provided between respective ones of the plurality of ridge-shaped nitride semiconductor layers is the m-plane of the sapphire substrate, the growing plane of the plurality of ridge-shaped nitride semiconductor layers is an m-plane, and an absolute value of an angle between an extending direction of the plurality of ridge-shaped nitride semiconductor layers and a c-axis of the sapphire substrate is not less than 0° and not more than 35°.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A semiconductor light-emitting device, comprising a nitride-based semiconductor multilayer structure that includes an active layer having a principal surface which is a non-polar plane or semi-polar plane and emitting polarized light,
 wherein the device includes a plurality of stripe structures provided at positions traversed by the polarized light with intervals therebetween, and   an absolute value of an angle between an extending direction of the stripe structures and a polarization direction of the polarized light is not less than 3° and not more than 45°.   
     
     
         2 . The semiconductor light-emitting device of  claim 1 , wherein the principal surface is an m-plane, the polarization direction is an a-axis direction, and an absolute value of an angle between the extending direction of the stripe structures and the a-axis direction is not less than 3° and not more than 35°. 
     
     
         3 . The semiconductor light-emitting device of  claim 1 , wherein an absolute value of an angle between the extending direction of the stripe structures and the polarization direction is not less than 3° and not more than 10°. 
     
     
         4 . The semiconductor light-emitting device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the semiconductor light-emitting device has a light emission surface from which light is emitted to an outside, and   the plurality of stripe structures are provided in the light emission surface.   
     
     
         5 . The semiconductor light-emitting device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of stripe structures are provided inside the nitride-based semiconductor multilayer structure. 
     
     
         6 . The semiconductor light-emitting device of  claim 1 , further comprising a substrate which is in contact with the nitride-based semiconductor multilayer structure,
 wherein the plurality of stripe structures are provided between the nitride-based semiconductor multilayer structure and the substrate.   
     
     
         7 . The semiconductor light-emitting device of  claim 6 , wherein the substrate is formed of a material which is different from a nitride semiconductor. 
     
     
         8 . The semiconductor light-emitting device of  claim 6 , wherein the substrate is a sapphire substrate having a principal surface which is an m-plane. 
     
     
         9 . The semiconductor light-emitting device of  claim 1 , wherein a gap is provided between adjacent ones of the stripe structures. 
     
     
         10 . The semiconductor light-emitting device of  claim 1 , wherein the stripe structures are gaps. 
     
     
         11 . The semiconductor light-emitting device of  claim 9 , wherein a width of the gap increases as it is more distant from the active layer. 
     
     
         12 . The semiconductor light-emitting device of  claim 1 , wherein the principal surface is an m-plane, and the polarization direction is an a-axis direction. 
     
     
         13 . The semiconductor light-emitting device of  claim 12 , wherein the polarized light has such a light distribution characteristic that it has a wider emission angle in a c-axis direction than in an a-axis direction of the active layer. 
     
     
         14 . The semiconductor light-emitting device of  claim 1 , wherein the stripe structures include a material having a lower refractive index than a nitride semiconductor has.