Scott Corzine

Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 1
The Race for Gallium Nitride
Blue Lasers:
Scott Corzine
October 24, 2014
A Tribute to Shuji Nakamura
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 2
Outline
Motivation
Challenges
Accomplishments
Whats Happened
Recently
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 3
Key Markets for Blue Lasers
DVDs Laser Printers Color Displays
Requirements:
Good Beam Quality
Read: 1-2 mW
Write: 15-30 mW
5-10 mW 1-10 W
Advantages:
3-Fold Increase in
Storage Density
Lower NA allows
Simpler Optics
Efficient, Compact, High
Power Blue Light Source
High Efficiency
410 nm or less 450 nm, 520 nm
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers
Advances in DVD Storage Capacity
Labs Chalk Talk, 2004 4
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 5
Basic Components of a
Semiconductor Laser
Substrate
Epi Layers
P Cladding
I Active
N Cladding
Lateral Processing
Mirror Facets
Optical Cavity
Electrical Connection
P Contact
N Contact
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 6
Epi Material Requirements
Active Layer: direct bandgap semiconductor
in the desired wavelength range
Cladding Layers: compatible higher-bandgap
semiconductors
large bandgap differences to confine electrons
large index differences to confine photons
Substrate: must be suitable for epitaxial growth
lattice-matched to desired epi materials
compatible crystal structure (zinc blende, wurtzite, etc.)

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 7
Epi Material Requirements
Active Layer: direct bandgap semiconductor
in the desired wavelength range
Cladding Layers: compatible higher-bandgap
semiconductors
large bandgap differences to confine electrons
large index differences to confine photons
Substrate: must be suitable for epitaxial growth
lattice-matched to desired epi materials
compatible crystal structure (zinc blende, wurtzite, etc.)

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 8
He

Ne

Ar

Kr

Xe

Rn


F

Cl

Br

I

At


O

S

Se

Te

Po


N

P

As

Sb

Bi


C

Si

Ge

Sn

Pb


B

Al

Ga

In

Tl






Zn

Cd

Hg






Cu

Ag

Au
2

10

18

36

54

86


9

17

35

53

85


8

16

34

52

84


7

15

33

51

83


6

14

32

50

82


5

13

31

49

81






30

48

80






29

47

80
VII VI V IV III



II




I
VIII

Periodic Table

S
m
a
l
l
e
r

A
t
o
m

S
m
a
l
l
e
r

L
a
t
t
i
c
e

C
o
n
s
t
a
n
t

S
h
o
r
t
e
r

W
a
v
e
l
e
n
g
t
h

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 9
III-V and II-VI Compounds
BN
BP
BAs
BSb
AlN
AlP
AlAs
AlSb
GaN
GaP
GaAs
GaSb
InN
InP
InAs
InSb
III-V Materials
II-VI Materials
HgO
HgS
HgSe
HgTe
ZnO
ZnS
ZnSe
ZnTe
CdO
CdS
CdSe
CdTe
MgO
MgS
MgSe
MgTe
Short
Wavelength
Long
Wavelength
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 10
400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800
Lasing Wavelengths of Common
Semiconductor Materials
InP


AlGaAs


InGaP
620-690 nm
700-1100 nm
1200-1600 nm
Telecom, Datacom
Wavelength (nm)
InGaAs
InGaAsP
InP
InGaAs
GaAs
AlGaAs
InGaP
AlInGaP
AlInP
DVDs, Laser Printers
CDs, Laser Printers, Datacom
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 11
350 400 450 500 550 600 650
Different Options for Blue Lasers
2f-GaAs


ZnSe


GaN
390-440 nm
480-550 nm
400-500 nm
Bulky, Complex External Optics
Wavelength (nm)
InGaAs
GaAs
AlGaAs
ZnCdSe
ZnSSe
ZnMgSSe
InGaN
GaN
AlGaN
Lattice-Mismatched System
Short Lifetimes (<1000 hrs)
Not Blue Enough
InN GaN
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 12
Epi Material Requirements
Active Layer: direct bandgap semiconductor
in the desired wavelength range
Cladding Layers: compatible higher-bandgap
semiconductors
large bandgap differences to confine electrons
large index differences to confine photons
Substrate: must be suitable for epitaxial growth
lattice-matched to desired epi materials
compatible crystal structure (zinc blende, wurtzite, etc.)

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 13
Role of Cladding Layers
P
N
E
c

e

h
+

n
a
c
t
i
v
e

b
a
r
r
i
e
r

c
l
a
d
d
i
n
g

index profile
mode profile
I
leak
~ exp[-E
c
/kT ]
Electron Confinement
Optical Confinement
want large E
c
smaller I
th

better over T
want large n

maximize
reduce substrate leakage
=
energy in active
total energy
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 14
Common Lattice-Matched Systems
AlAs
GaAs
InP
InAs
AlP
GaP
AlGaAs
InGaAsP
AlInGaP
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 6 6.1
B
a
n
d
g
a
p

(
e
V
)
Lattice Constant ()
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 15
AlInGaN Material System
GaN
InN
AlN
?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6
-4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12
B
a
n
d
g
a
p

(
e
V
)
Lattice Constant ()
Strain (%)
Lattice mismatch limits:
Al and In compositions
Epi layer thickness
InGaN
(In < ~20%)
AlGaN
(Al < ~20%)
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 16
Conduction Band Offsets
E
c
Material

GaAs/AlAs
InGaAsP/InP (1.55m)
InGaAsP/InP (1.3m)
InGaP/AlInP

InGaN/GaN (x
In
=10%)
InGaN/GaN (x
In
=20%)
GaN/AlGaN (x
Al
=10%)
GaN/AlGaN (x
Al
=20%)
440 meV
220 meV
160 meV
260 meV

100 meV
200 meV
100 meV
200 meV
(estimates do not take into account strain and quantum effects)

(GaN numbers assume 50% conduction band offset)

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers SPIE Photonics West '99 17
0.1
1
10
100
1000
10
4
10
5
150 200 250 300 350 400 450
I
l
e
a
k

/


I
l
e
a
k
(
3
0
0

m
e
V
,

R
T
)
Temperature (K)
Relative Leakage Current
200 meV
300 meV
~ AlGaAs
~ AlInGaN
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 18
One Method to Reduce Leakage
P N
a
c
t
i
v
e

b
a
r
r
i
e
r

c
l
a
d
d
i
n
g

a
c
t
i
v
e

b
a
r
r
i
e
r

c
l
a
d
d
i
n
g

e

P N
Electron
Blocking Layer
After
Shuji Nakamura
P-AlGaN (x=0.05) 5000
P-GaN 1000
AlGaN (x=0.2) 200
InGaN(x=0.2) MQW 360
N-GaN 1000
N-AlGaN (x=0.05) 5000
Example
Epi Design
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 19
Index Differences
n

Material

GaAs/AlAs
InGaAsP/InP (1.55m)
InGaAsP/InP (1.3m)
InGaP/AlInP

GaN/AlGaN (x
Al
=10%)
GaN/AlGaN (x
Al
=20%)
GaN/AlN
0.6
0.4
0.3
0.4

0.06
0.12
0.44
Al
x
Ga
1-x
N index @ 400nm, x < 0.3 ~ 2.54 - 0.6x
(from Brunner et. al., JAP, 82 (10), p5090, 1997)
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers SPIE Photonics West '99 20
AlGaN Refractive Index
Al
x
Ga
1-x
N index @ 400nm
(x < 0.3)
n ~ 2.54 - 0.6x
Brunner, et al.
J. Appl. Phys. 82, 5090 (1997)
400nm
Analytic Model Derived for
Al x value and Wavelength
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers SPIE Photonics West '99 21
Basic Waveguide Structure
Upper Cladding Layer
Lower Cladding Layer
Guiding/Active Layers
Contact Layer
Buffer Layer
contact metal
substrate
Maximize Field Strength
in Active Layer
- maximizes modal gain
Isolate Mode from
Contact and Buffer Layers
- eliminates optical leakage
to buffer and contact
Design Objectives:
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers SPIE Photonics West '99 22
0
0.001
0.002
0.003
0.004
0.005
3
3.2
3.4
-0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0 0.2 0.4
M
o
d
e

S
h
a
p
e

(
I
/
n
m
)
I
n
d
e
x

P
r
o
f
i
l
e
z (m)
GaAs/AlGaAs Waveguide Modes
Al
0.2
Ga
0.8
As
AlGaAs AlGaAs
x = 0.5
x = 0.75
x = 1.0
= 850 nm
Guide =
0.25m
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 23
0
0.001
0.002
0.003
0.004
0.005
2.46
2.5
2.54
-0.8 -0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6
M
o
d
e

S
h
a
p
e

(
I
/
n
m
)
I
n
d
e
x

P
r
o
f
i
l
e
z (m)
GaN
AlGaN AlGaN
x = 0.05
x = 0.1
x = 0.15
Typical Cladding:
x = 0.07-0.1
d = 0.4-0.6 m
= 410 nm
GaN/AlGaN Waveguide Modes:
Effect of Cladding Composition
Guide =
0.25m
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers SPIE Photonics West '99 24
0
0.001
0.002
0.003
2.5
2.55
-0.8 -0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
M
o
d
e

S
h
a
p
e

(
I
/
n
m
)
I
n
d
e
x

P
r
o
f
i
l
e
z (m)
GaN
AlGaN (5%)
d = 0.25m
d = 0.35m
d = 0.45m
Typical Guiding Layers:
GaN 0.1m
MQW 0.02-0.1m
GaN 0.1m
d = 0.15m
d
= 410 nm
GaN/AlGaN Waveguide Modes:
Effect of Guiding Layer Width
AlGaN (5%)
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 25 SPIE Photonics West '99
10
-8
10
-7
10
-6
10
-5
10
-4
10
-3
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5
F
i
e
l
d

S
t
r
e
n
g
t
h

@

0
.
6

m
GaN Guide Width (m)
0
0.001
0.002
0.003
0.004
0.005
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5
I
/
n
m
GaN Guide Width (m)
Confinement vs Guide Width
GaN/Al
x
Ga
1-x
N Waveguide

x = 5%
x = 10%
x = 15%
For x = 5-10%, Optimum
Guide Width = 0.2-0.3m

x = 15%
x = 10%
x = 5%
Fields at 0.6um from Guide
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers SPIE Photonics West '99 26
0
0.001
0.002
0.003
0.004
2.42
2.46
2.5
2.54
-0.8 -0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6
M
o
d
e

S
h
a
p
e

(
I
/
n
m
)
I
n
d
e
x

P
r
o
f
i
l
e
z (m)
b = 40nm
b = 20nm
b = 0nm
b
= 410 nm
GaN/AlGaN Waveguide Modes:
Effect of Al
0.2
Ga
0.8
N Electron Barrier
GaN
AlGaN (5%) AlGaN (5%)
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 27
Epi Material Requirements
Active Layer: direct bandgap semiconductor
in the desired wavelength range
Cladding Layers: compatible higher-bandgap
semiconductors
large bandgap differences to confine electrons
large index differences to confine photons
Substrate: must be suitable for epitaxial growth
lattice-matched to desired epi materials
compatible crystal structure (zinc blende, wurtzite, etc.)

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 28
Common Material Systems
AlAs
GaAs
InP
InAs
AlP
GaP
AlGaAs
InGaAsP
AlInGaP
GaAs
Substrate
InP
Substrate
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 6 6.1
B
a
n
d
g
a
p

(
e
V
)
Lattice Constant ()
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 29
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
2.6 2.8 3 3.2 3.4 3.6
-15 -10 -5 0 5 10
B
a
n
d
g
a
p

(
e
V
)
Lattice Constant ()
Strain (%)
Substrate Options for GaN
GaN
InN Sapphire SiC
AlN Buffer Layer
Required
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 30
GaN on Sapphire
Carrier Recombination,
Scattering, Reliability?

Sapphire
Substrate
GaN or AlN
Buffer Layer
(Low Temp)
GaN
(High Temp)
Dislocation Density
~ 10
9
- 10
10
cm
-2
TEM image from
D. Basile, HP Labs
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 31
SiC vs Sapphire
GaN Laser on SiC

Conductive Substrate Allows:
Vertical Current Flow
Single Top Contact
10x Better Thermal Conductivity
High Quality Cleaved Facets
But, Substrates are Expensive

GaN Laser on Sapphire

Insulating Substrate Requires:
Two Top Contacts
Poor Thermal Conductivity
Poor Cleaved Facets
But, Best Devices Still Made
on Cheap Sapphire Substrates

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 32
Cavity Requirements
Vertical Waveguiding: large index differences
Lateral Waveguiding: must be able to process
the epi materials
gain-guided (metal patterning)
stripe and ridge waveguides (etching)
Low Scattering Losses: smooth surfaces/interfaces
Optical Feedback: crystal facets or distributed
reflectors
smooth cleaved facets
smooth etched facets
etched periodic gratings (regrowth)

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 33
Cavity Requirements
Vertical Waveguiding: large index differences
Lateral Waveguiding: must be able to process
the epi materials
gain-guided (metal patterning)
stripe and ridge waveguides (etching)
Low Scattering Losses: smooth surfaces/interfaces
Optical Feedback: crystal facets or distributed
reflectors
smooth cleaved facets
smooth etched facets
etched periodic gratings (regrowth)

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 34
Types of Lateral Guides
Gain-Guided

Stripe

Ridge

Metal Stripe
No Etching
Simple to Make
Poor Confinement
High Threshold
Low Efficiency
Deep Mesa etched
past Active
Good Confinement
Low Threshold
Multi-Mode
Poor Heat Flow
Shallow Mesa etched
into Upper Cladding
Controlled Confinement
Low Threshold
Single-Mode
Good Heat Flow
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 35
Sidewall Etching Examples
Youtsey, et al.
Appl. Phys. Lett. 71, 2151 (1997)
Dry Etching Using
Cl
2
/H
2
/Ar ICP
(~ 0.7 m/min)

2 m 2 m
Shul, et al.
Appl. Phys. Lett. 69, 1119 (1996)
Wet (PEC) Etching Using
KOH under UV light
(~ 0.3 m/min)

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 36
Nakamura, et al.
Appl. Phys. Lett. 73, 832 (1998)
Ridge Laser for Single-Mode
Mesa Height and Width Control
Lateral Mode Structure
typical width ~ 3-5m
Etched Mesa
Effective Index Step
Current Confinement
active
guide
guide
cladding
cladding
contact
contact
n
eff2
n
eff2

n
eff1

2 m
Etched sidewalls can be
a source of scattering
70 mW
100 mW
3 m
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers SPIE Photonics West '99 37
Ridge Design Considerations:
Higher-Order Mode Cutoff
0
1
2
3
4
5
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05
R
i
d
g
e

W
i
d
t
h

(

m
)
Lateral Effective Index Step
Single-Mode
Potentially Multi-Mode
70 mW
100 mW
3 m
Nakamura, et al.
Appl. Phys. Lett. 73, 832 (1998)
Stripe Laser
(Index Step ~ 1.5)

Deeper Mesa
Increases
Index Step

Gain-Guided Laser
(Index Step ~ 0)

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 38
Cavity Requirements
Vertical Waveguiding: large index differences
Lateral Waveguiding: must be able to process
the epi materials
gain-guided (metal patterning)
stripe and ridge waveguides (etching)
Low Scattering Losses: smooth surfaces/interfaces
Optical Feedback: crystal facets or distributed
reflectors
smooth cleaved facets
smooth etched facets
etched periodic gratings (regrowth)

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 39
Cavity Loss Mechanisms
L
Internal Losses:
Absorption
Scattering
Mirror Losses
x
i
e P
o
~
Internal Loss
) (cm
-1
i
o
R L
m
1
ln
1
= o
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers SPIE Photonics West '99 40
0
20
40
60
80
100
0 20 40 60 80 100
M
i
r
r
o
r

L
o
s
s

(
c
m
-
1
)
Facet Reflectivity (%)
Mirror Loss vs Facet Reflectivity
Typical Mirror Loss
~ 30 cm
-1

L = 250m

500m

1mm

Uncoated GaN Facet
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers SPIE Photonics West '99 41
Measuring Internal Loss
i m
m
i ext

+
=q q
L

m
1

1
cm 43

=
i

% 76 =
i
q
Nakamura, et al.
MRS IJ-NSR 2, 5 (1997)
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 42
Internal Cavity Losses
o
i
Material

GaAs/AlAs
InGaAsP/InP
InGaN/AlGaN


35-50 cm
-1

3-10 cm
-1
Sources of Internal Loss
Absorption
Free Carriers in Doped Layers
Absorption Tails in Transparent Layers
Scattering
Dislocations
Rough Sidewalls
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 43
Measured AlGaN Absorption Curves
Brunner, et al.
J. Appl. Phys. 82, 5090 (1997)
Large
Absorption Tails

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 44 SPIE Photonics West '99
Quantum Efficiency vs Cavity Length
0
10
20
30
40
50
0 200 400 600 800 1000
D
Q
E
/
f
a
c
e
t

(
%
)
Cavity Length (m)
~ AlGaAs
~ InGaAsP
~ AlInGaN
o
i
= 10 cm
-1
30 cm
-1
50 cm
-1
100 cm
-1
Assuming Lossless
Uncoated Facets: R = 18%
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 45
Cavity Requirements
Vertical Waveguiding: large index differences
Lateral Waveguiding: must be able to process
the epi materials
gain-guided (metal patterning)
stripe and ridge waveguides (etching)
Low Scattering Losses: smooth surfaces/interfaces
Optical Feedback: crystal facets or distributed
reflectors
smooth cleaved facets
smooth etched facets
etched periodic gratings (regrowth)

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 46
Cleaving GaN on Sapphire
m-face
Cleavage Planes
of Sapphire
Sapphire
GaN
~2.4
3 m
) 10 2 1 (
) 00 1 1 (
Stocker, et al.
Appl. Phys. Lett. 73, 1925 (1998)
16 nm roughness
R ~ 4%
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 47
Cleaving GaN on SiC
1 m
High Quality
Cleaved Facets
Are Readily
Obtained

Doverspike, et al.
SPIE 98, 3284, 82 (1998)
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 48
Other Types of Mirrors
Dry-Etched Facets

3rd-Order Gratings

Hofstetter, et al.
Appl. Phys. Lett. 73, 2158 (1998)
Abare, et al.
Appl. Phys. Lett. 73, 3887 (1998)
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 49
Performance Requirements
High Optical Gain: small effective masses
low threshold current
high differential gain
High P- and N-Doping: shallow donor and
acceptor levels
low voltage operation
low series resistance
good ohmic contacts
Robust, Reliable Materials: low impurity and
defect concentrations
long lifetime

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 50
Performance Requirements
High Optical Gain: small effective masses
low threshold current
high differential gain
High P- and N-Doping: shallow donor and
acceptor levels
low voltage operation
low series resistance
good ohmic contacts
Robust, Reliable Materials: low impurity and
defect concentrations
long lifetime

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers SPIE Photonics West '99 51
Basic Threshold Gain Condition
1
cm 40 30
-
m
~ o
1
cm 50 35
-
i
~ o
1
cm 100 80

~ I
th
g
% 10 3 ~ I
1
cm 3000 1000

~
th
g
i m th
g o o + = I
Coated facets can be used to reduce o
m
reducing g
th

(but at the expense of reduced DQE)
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers SPIE Photonics West '99 52
Measured AlGaN Absorption Curves
Brunner, et al.
J. Appl. Phys. 82, 5090 (1997)
Order-of-Magnitude
Higher Absorption
than GaAs or InP!

Order-of-Magnitude
Higher Gain
than GaAs or InP?

Yes,
But Theres a Catch...

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 53
Relevant Gain Parameters
Material

GaAs/AlAs
InGaAsP/InP
InGaN/AlGaN


~10
19

1-2 x 10
18
m
C


0.15-0.2
0.04-0.07

m
HH


0.8-1.6
0.35-0.6

t
r
(ns)

Material

GaAs/AlAs
InGaAsP/InP
InGaN/AlGaN


2-3
2-3

J
tr
(A/cm
2
)



200-500
50-100

N
tr
(cm
-3
)

Large Effective Masses
Takes Lots of
Carriers to Get Gain

dg/dN (cm
2
)



0.5-2 x 10
-16

2-5 x 10
-16
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers SPIE Photonics West '99 54
Valence Band Structure
Cubic GaAs
(zinc-blende structure)

340 meV

HH

LH

SH

HH

LH

CH

k c

k || c

Hexagonal GaN
(wurtzite structure)

~ 30 meV

~ 6 meV

0.38

0.15-0.3

1.1-1.2

0.09

0.15

0.8-1.6

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers SPIE Photonics West '99 55
Theoretical Gain Curves
Bulk GaN
Gain Spectra

1

2

3

x 10
19
cm
-3
50 InGaN/GaN QW
Gain vs Carrier Density

3.4

E c

E || c

Carrier Density (10
19
cm
-3
)

2000

P
e
a
k

O
p
t
i
c
a
l

G
a
i
n

(
c
m
-
1
)

3000

4000

1000

0

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

TE

TM

Jeon, et al.
J. Appl. Phys. 82, 386 (1997)
Yeo, et al.
J. Appl. Phys. 84, 1813 (1998)
Energy (eV)

3.45

3.5

3.55

O
p
t
i
c
a
l

G
a
i
n

(
1
0
3

c
m
-
1
)

0

1

2

3

3.6

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 56
Gain vs Current Density (Theory)
Example Design:

If R = 18%, L= 500m
o
m
~ 35 cm
-1

Yeo, et al.
J. Appl. Phys. 84, 1813 (1998)
Current Density (kA/cm
2
)
M
o
d
a
l

G
a
i
n
,

I
g

(
c
m
-
1
)

1 0.5 1.5 2 2.5 3 0
n
w
= 1
n
w
= 2
n
w
= 3
n
w
= 4
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
(50)
In
0.2
Ga
0.8
N/GaN MQW
If o
i
= 0 cm
-1

J
th
~ 1 kA/cm
2

n
w
~ 1 or 2

If o
i
= 40 cm
-1

J
th
~ 2 kA/cm
2

n
w
~ 2, 3, or 4



Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 57
Other Issues for Gain in InGaN QWs
Very Unusual:
Broad Low Energy Gain Spectrum

Song, et al.
Appl. Phys. Lett. 72, 1418 (1998)
Indium Clustering?
localized transitions?
quantum dot effects?
Free Electron-Hole Pair or
Exciton Transitions?
Piezoelectric Field is Strong
in Strained InGaN
is gain affected?
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 58
Performance Requirements
High Optical Gain: small effective masses
low threshold current
high differential gain
High P- and N-Doping: shallow donor and
acceptor levels
low voltage operation
low series resistance
good ohmic contacts
Robust, Reliable Materials: low impurity and
defect concentrations
long lifetime

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 59
Voltage Drops in Laser Structure
R
n-contact
R
n-AlGaN/GaN
R
spread (n-GaN)
V
laser
= V
diode
+ I (E R)

GaN

AlGaN

Metal

Active

R
p-contact
R
p-AlGaN/GaN
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 60
Dopant Materials
P-Type Dopants

Material

GaAs




GaN
AlGaN
Si 5.8 ~3x10
18

Se 5.8 ~10
19




Si 12-17 ~10
19

Si 15-20 ~10
19

N-Type Dopants

Element E
act
(meV) C
max
(cm
-3
)

C 26 ~10
20

Zn 30.7 ~10
19

Mg 28.4 ~10
19

Be 28 ~10
19


Mg 170-200 ~10
18

Mg + 4 x[%] ~10
17

Element E
act
(meV) C
max
(cm
-3
)

(p-GaN) ~ 1-2 Ocm 0.1-0.2 V/m @ 1 kA/cm
2

(p-AlGaN) ~ 10-20 Ocm 1-2 V/m @ 1 kA/cm
2

(n-GaN/AlGaN) < 0.01 Ocm
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 61
Ohmic Contacts
P-Contacts

Material

GaAs

GaN
N-Contacts

Metal r
c
(O-cm
2
)

AuZn 10
-5
-10
-6


Ni/Au 10
-2
-10
-3

Pt/Ni/Au 5x10
-4

Pd/Au 4x10
-4

Ta/Ti 3x10
-5

Au/Ge/Ni 10
-5
-10
-6


Ti/Al 10
-5
-10
-6
Pd/Al 10
-5


Ti/Ag 5x10
-5
Ti/TiN 4x10
-6


Metal r
c
(O-cm
2
)

r
c
= 10
-3
O-cm
2

1 V @ 1 kA/cm
2
recently
reported

Want r
c
< 10
- 4
O-cm
2
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 62
Example: Voltage Drops @ 10kA/cm
2

0.1 Ocm (0.5m)
0.05V
V
laser
= 3V + 16.15V
~ 19V

GaN

AlGaN

Metal

Active

10
-3
O-cm
2
10V

10 Ocm (0.5m)
5V
10
-5
O-cm
2
0.1V

0.01 Ocm (100m) 1V
(assuming conduction x-section comparable
to laser stripe dimensions)
(assuming current crowding comparable
to laser stripe width)
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 63
Performance Requirements
High Optical Gain: small effective masses
low threshold current
high differential gain
High P- and N-Doping: shallow donor and
acceptor levels
low voltage operation
low series resistance
good ohmic contacts
Robust, Reliable Materials: low impurity and
defect concentrations
long lifetime

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 64 SPIE Photonics West '99
Common Degradation Scenario

Nonradiative Recombination Centers are Initially Present in Material
Deep-Level Impurities like Oxygen
Lattice Defects and Dislocations


Nonradiative Recombination Adds Heat to Lattice (Creates Lattice Vibrations)
Defects and Dislocations Move and Multiply
More Defects, More Nonradiative Recombination


Runaway Effect between Defect Propagation and Nonradiative Recombination
Defect Propagation More Nonradiative Centers
More Nonradiative Recombination More Defect Propagation
Nonradiative Current Takes Over Device Stops Lasing
Beginning of device life
During device lifetime
End of device life
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 65
Degradation Mechanisms

Material

AlGaAs



GaN
Oxygen Contamination is a Source of
Nonradiative Recombination which can
Limit Device Lifetimes
Laser Facet Damage
High Dislocation Densities are a Major
Concern. However:
(1) Defect Propagation is Slower than in GaAs
(but more temperature dependent)
(2) Defect Recombination Rates are Slow
Laser Facet Damage?
Reliability Issues
For Long Lifetime, Still Desirable to Minimize Defect Density

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 66
Epitaxial Lateral Overgrowth (ELOG)
Vertical Dislocation Threads
Cant Follow Lateral
Growth

Nam, et al.
Appl. Phys. Lett. 71, 2638 (1997)
Lateral
Growth

The Result:
Nearly Defect-Free Material!

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 67
Highlights of Challenges for
GaN Laser Research
Lattice Mismatched System
limits range of cladding layer compositions and thicknesses
difficult to create good electron and photon confinement
Lack of Suitable Substrate
high dislocation densities
reliability concerns
large scattering losses
high quality cleaved facets are difficult to make
Large Effective Masses (in Both Conduction and Valence Bands)
high carrier and current densities required for optical gain
low differential gain (due to asymmetry in band structure)
Large Acceptor Activation Energy
high p-type doping difficult (especially in AlGaN)
high series resistance
hard to make good p-ohmic contacts
high voltage operation
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 68
First GaN Blue Laser - Dec95
(Nichia)
Nakamura, et al.
Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., 35, L74 (1996)
1s pulse width
1ms rep rate
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 69
Nichias Early Laser Structure
c-face Sapphire
Substrate

RIE-Etched
Facets

InGaN MQW
Active

Ridge Waveguide

Nakamura, et al.
IEEE J. STQE, 3, 712 (1997)
Nakamura, et al.
Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., 35, L74 (1996)
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 70
Whos Got Blue? (circa 1998)
Operation

Company

Nichia
Meijo University
Toshiba
Cree
Fujitsu
UCSB
Sony
Xerox
Hewlett Packard
SDL
Pioneer
RT, CW: 6000 hr
RT, Pulsed
RT, Pulsed
RT, quasi-CW: 30 sec
250K, quasi-CW: 1 sec
RT, Pulsed
RT, quasi-CW: 1 sec
RT, Pulsed
RT, Pulsed
RT, Pulsed
RT, Pulsed
RT = Room Temperature
CW = Continuous Wave
Entry Date (CW)

Dec-95 (Nov-96)
Jun-96
Sep-96
Jun-97 (Jan-98)
Jul-97 (Oct-98)
Sep-97
Oct-97 (Jul-98)
Oct-97
Nov-97
Feb-98
Aug-98
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 71
Typical Commercial Laser Performance
CD Players, DVD Players, Laser Printers

Threshold Current, I
th
:

Threshold Voltage, V
th
:

Output Power, P
out
:
20-50 mA
2-3 V
5-30 mW
0.1-1 mA
1.6-2 V
1-2 W
High Performance/Specialty Applications

Threshold Current, I
th
:

Threshold Voltage, V
th
:

Output Power, P
out
:
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 72
0
500
1000
1500
2000
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
I
th
(mA)
J
th
(kA/cm2)
T
h
r
e
s
h
o
l
d

C
u
r
r
e
n
t

(
m
A
)
J
t
h

(
k
A
/
c
m
2
)
CW
1996 1997 1998
Nichias Amazing Progress
16 mA!
1.2 kA/cm
2

Nichia
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 73
Nichias Blue Laser (circa 1998)
: ~ 410 nm
I
th
: ~ 50 mA
J
th
: 3-5 kA/cm
2

V
th
: ~ 5 V
P
out
: > 30 mW
CW
Nakamura, et al.
Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., 37, L1020 (1998)
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 74
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
T
h
r
e
s
h
o
l
d

C
u
r
r
e
n
t

(
m
A
)
J
t
h

(
k
A
/
c
m
2
)
1997 1998
= CW
Other quasi-CW Players
Cree
Sony
Fujitsu
CW lifetimes
all < 1 min
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 75
Crees Blue Laser (circa 1998)
Pulsed

CW

SiC Substrate
Stripe Waveguide
Cleaved Facets
Wavelength : 408 nm 425 nm
Lowest I
th
: 107 mA 600 mA
Lowest J
th
: 7.1 kA/cm
2
25 kA/cm
2

Lowest V
th
: 15.7 V 25 V
P
max
: 2.4 mW 1.2 mW
Pulsed CW
Doverspike, et al.
SPIE 98, 3284, 82 (1998)
Bulman, et al.
LEOS 98, FI2 (1998)
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 76
Fujitsus Blue Laser (circa 1998)
Pulsed

CW

Wavelength : 406 nm 406 nm
Lowest I
th
: 300 mA 380 mA
Lowest J
th
: 9.5 kA/cm
2
12 kA/cm
2

Lowest V
th
: 12.5 V 12.6 V
P
max
: > 20 mW > 0.2 mW
SiC Substrate
Ridge Waveguide
Cleaved Facets
Pulsed CW
Soejima, et al.
Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., 37, L1205 (1998)
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 77
UCSBs Blue Laser (circa 1998)
c-face & a-face Sapphire Substrate
Gain-Guided Waveguide
RIE-Etched & Cleaved Facets
Pulsed

Wavelength : 422 nm
Lowest I
th
: 650 mA
Lowest J
th
: 9.2 kA/cm
2

Lowest V
th
: 19 V
P
max
: 67 mW
Pulsed
A.C. Abare, M.P. Mack, et al.
IEEE JSTQE, 4, 505 (1998)
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 78
Sonys Blue Laser (circa 1998)
Pulsed

CW

c-face Sapphire Substrate
Ridge Waveguide
Cleaved Facets
Wavelength : 411 nm 411 nm
Lowest I
th
: 280 mA 466 mA
Lowest J
th
: 7 kA/cm
2
11.7 kA/cm
2

Lowest V
th
: 11.8 V 11.5 V
P
max
: > 5 mW > 5 mW
Pulsed CW
Kobayashi, et al.
Electron. Lett., 34, 1494 (1998)
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 79
Xeroxs Blue Laser (circa 1998)
c-face Sapphire Substrate
Gain-Guided Waveguide
CAIBE-Etched Facets
Pulsed

Wavelength : 419 nm
Lowest I
th
: 740 mA
Lowest J
th
: 20 kA/cm
2

Lowest V
th
: 19 V
P
max
: ~ 50 mW
Pulsed
David P. Bour, et al.
IEEE JSTQE, 4, 498 (1998)
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 80
0
10
20
30
40
50
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
Current (A)
F
o
r
w
a
r
d

V
o
l
t
a
g
e

(
V
)
0
20
40
60
80
100
L
i
g
h
t

O
u
t
p
u
t

p
e
r

f
a
c
e
t

(
m
W
)
HPs Blue Laser (circa 1998)
p-contact (Ni/Au)
p-GaN
p-AlGaN
p-GaN
QW(n-GaInN/n-GaInN)
n-GaN
n-AlGaN
n-GaN
Buffer(AlN)
Sapphire (0001)
n-contact (Ti/Al)
RIE etched wall
Cleaved facet
c-face Sapphire Substrate
Ridge Waveguide
Cleaved Facets
Pulsed

Wavelength : 415 nm
Lowest I
th
: 300 mA
Lowest J
th
: 16 kA/cm
2

Lowest V
th
: 14 V
P
max
: ~ 100 mW
Pulsed
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 81
0.0001
0.001
0.01
0.1
1
10
100
1000
10
4
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
R
T
-
C
W

L
i
f
e
t
i
m
e

(
h
o
u
r
s
)
T
h
r
e
s
h
o
l
d

V
o
l
t
a
g
e

(
V
)
1996 1997 1998
Nichias Amazing Progress II
V Drop
CW
stripe
LD
ridge
LD
c-face
sapph
thick
ELOG
extrapolates to
> 10 kHrs!
Si-doping
in MQW
MD-SLS
cladding
&

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 82
Nichia RT-CW Lifetime Data
> 6000 Hrs
Lifetime
Nakamura, et al.
Science, 281, 956 (1998)
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 83
Evolution of Nichias Substrate

Free Standing GaN Substrate

+
ELOG with Thick Buffer

Sapphire Substrate

Polished
Off

LT
Buffer

ELOG + Sapphire Removal

10-20m

80-150m

c-face

Defect-Free Regions

Epi
Layers

80m LP-MOCVD
or
150m HVPE

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 84 SPIE Photonics West '99
Lifetime Dependence on Temperature
RT 60C:
10X Drop in Lifetime
Nakamura, et al.
SPIE 98, 3283, 2 (1998)
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 85
0
100
200
300
400
500
0
10
20
30
40
50
C
W

P
o
w
e
r
/
F
a
c
e
t

(
m
W
)
Q
u
a
n
t
u
m

E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y

(
%
)
1997 1998
Nichias Amazing Progress III
RIE etched
mirrors
cleaved
facets
420 mW!
ELOG
sub
GaN
sub
uncoated/HR
stripe widths = 3 or 4 m
in all cases
AP
growth
LP
growth
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 86
Nichia High Power Blue Laser
420 mW with
11% WP Eff.
Nakamura, et al.
Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., 37, L627 (1998)
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 87
Summary of Best Results (circa 1998)
I
th
(mA)

Company

Nichia
Cree
Sony
Fujitsu
Toshiba
Xerox
HP
SDL
Pioneer
Meijo
UCSB
16
600
466
380
(P and q are per facet)
V
th
(V)
4.3
15.7
11.5
12.5
20
16
14

35
16
19

107
280
300
530
600
300

820
290
650
CW

Pulsed

J
th
(kA/cm
2
)

1.2
25
11.7
12

7.1
7
9.5
10.6
16
16
8.5
41
2.9
9.2
CW

Pulsed

P

(mW)
420
1.2
5
0.2
q
ext
(%)

8
49
20

0.7
5



4.2

235
280
80

50
100
150
35

67
39
0.3


CW

Pulsed

CW

Pulsed

Lifetime
6000 hrs
30 sec
1 sec
1 sec
RT-CW

Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers SPIE Photonics West '99 88
Summary of Device Structures
Sub

Company

Nichia
Cree
Sony
Fujitsu
Toshiba
Xerox
HP
SDL
Pioneer
Meijo
UCSB
Coat
un/50
93/99
64/88
90/90
un/un
un/un
un/un

un/un
un/un
un/un
ELOG
SiC
c-face
SiC
c-face
c-face
c-face
sapph
a-face
c-face
c-face
Facets

cleaved
cleaved
cleaved
cleaved
cleaved
CAIBE
cleaved

cleaved
FIB
RIE/FIB
Guide InGaN MQW Active
ridge
stripe
ridge
ridge
gain
gain
ridge
gain
ridge
stripe
gain
E
l
e
c
t
r
o
n


B
a
r
r
i
e
r
?

(a-face, c-face
= sapphire)
Y
N
Y
Y
N
N
Y

Y
Y
N
2
8
4
3
25
10
5

10
5
10
0.15/0.02
0.14/0
0.08/0.025
0.12/0.02
0.15/0.05
0.2/0
0.2/0.05

0.15/0.03
0.01/0.03
0.18/0.06
40/100
15/30
30/60
40/50
20/40
20/60
25/75

45/90
20/40
24/60
Y
N
Y
N

N
Y

Y
N
N
N Si xW/xB dW/dB
AlGaN Guide/Clad
0/0.07*
0.06/0.12
0/0.07
0/0.09
0/0.15
0/0.08
0/0.07

0/0.08
0/0.07
0/0.06
0.1/0.6
0.1/0.5
0.1/0.7
0.1/0.5
0.1/0.3
0.1/0.5
0.1/0.5

0.1/0.4
0.08/0.6
0.03/0.4
xG/xC dG/dC
(/) (m/m) *(MD-SLS)
(0/0.14,25/25)
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 89
Date Wed, 13 Jan 1999 103425 +1728
From shuji NAKAMURA <shuji@nichia.co.jp>
Subject commercialization of violet laser diodes

Announcement of a start of sample shipments of InGaN-based
violet laser diodes

We announced a commercilization of first InGaN-based violet
laser diodes through Japanese Nikkei Sangyo news paper
yesterday on January 12, 1999. The charactersistics of the
violet laser diodes are an output power of 5 mW, an emission
wavelength of 400 nm, an operating current of 40 mA and an
operating voltage of 5V. The lifetime of the laser diodes is
more than10,000 hours at room temperature. If you were
interested in testing our laser diodes, please check URL
http//www1a.mesh.ne.jp/nichia/index-e.htm. Just for your
information.
Sincerely yours,

Shuji Nakamura
-----------------------------
Shuji Nakamura
R & D Department
Nichia Chemical Industries Ltd.
491, Oka, Kaminaka, Anan
Tokushima 774, Japan
Phone +81-884-23-7787
Fax +81-884-23-1802
e-mail (Office) shuji@nichia.co.jp
------------------------------
Nichia Announces Commercial Sampling of
Blue Laser Diodes - Jan 12, 1999
E-mail sent out
by Nakamura:
Nichias Web Page:
]
V I O L E T L A S E R D I O D E
N i c h i a a n n o u n c e s t o r e l e a s e s a m p l e s h i p m e n t o f V I O L E T L A S E R D I O D E .
S P E C I F I C A T I O N
T y p e N o . N L H V 5 0 0
W a v e L e n g t h 4 0 0 ( n m )
O u t p u t P o w e r 5 ( m W )
P a c k a g e s i z e & p h i ; 5 . 6 c a n t y p e
C O N T A C T
T O K Y O T E C H N I C A L C E N T E R
N I C H I A C H E M I C A L I N D U S T R I E S , L T D .
T E L : + 8 1 - 3 - 3 4 5 6 - 3 7 4 6 F A X : + 8 1 - 3 - 5 4 4 0 - 7 5 1 6
E - m a i l : h s h i m i z u @ t o k y o . n i c h i a . c o . j p
[ H O M E ] [ C O M P A N Y P R O F I L E ] [ H I G H B R I G H T N E S S L E D s ] [ U L T R A G L O W ] [ I R V I C O N ] [ R E F E R E N C E
C o p y r i g h t 1 9 9 8 , 1 9 9 9 N i c h i a C h e m i c a l I n d u s t r i e s , L t d .
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers SPIE Photonics West '99 90
Do Nichia Lasers Use
Alien Technology?
Alien visitors are responsible for
some of the basic tools of Silicon Valley --
semiconductors, fiber optics, and lasers.

Joe Firmage
Former CEO of USWeb
Quote from San Jose Mercury News:
January 12, 1999
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 91
Fast-Forward 5 Years
Sony At Photonics West 2004:
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 92
Progress in the U.S.
Xerox Blue Laser in 2001
M. Kneissl et al., IEEE Jour. Sel. Topics in Quantum Electronics 7, 188 (2001).
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 93
DVD Market
Blu-ray Disc Standard
27GB
12 cm disc
single-sided
single-layer

(conventional DVDs = 4.7GB)
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 94
What Happened to Nakamura?
January 30, 2004the Japanese court ruled in favor of Nakamura
over Nichia in a lawsuit quoting that:
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 95
Fast-Forward 10 Years
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 96
Shuji wins the Nobel Prize in 2014
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers
Isamu Akasaki
Hiroshi Amano
Shuji Nakamura


97
share the Nobel Prize
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 98
Tetsuya Takeuchi
Part of Agilent Labs Blue Laser Team (led by Rick Schneider)
Now a Professor at Meijo University
In 1973, Professor Akasaki embarked upon the
previously unexplored challenge of using nitride
semiconductors to create a p-n junction-type high-
performance blue luminescent device.

However, the issues were even more difficult than
predicted, resulting in many challenges and
setbacks. In the last half of the 1970s, many
researchers abandoned the "unexplored
semiconductor" research.

Feeling like he was "walking alone in a
wasteland", Professor Akasaki worked on gallium
nitride (GaN) crystal growth day and night.

One day, he saw a tiny crystal under his
fluorescent microscope that gave off cobalt blue
light, and became convinced of the major
possibilities of GaN.
Isamu Akasaki
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 99
I joined Professor Isamu Akasaki's group
in 1982 as an undergraduate student.

In 1985, I developed low-temperature
deposited buffer layers for the growth of
group III nitride semiconductor films on
a sapphire substrate, which led to the
realization of group-III-nitride
semiconductor based light-emitting
diodes and laser diodes.

In 1989, I succeeded in growing p-type
GaN and fabricating a p-n-junction-type
GaN-based UV/blue light-emitting diode
for the first time in the world.
Hiroshi Amano
Scott Corzine
Scott Corzine
The Race for GaN Blue Lasers 100
It also makes me happy to see that my
dream of LED lighting has become a
reality, Nakamura said in a statement a
press conference this morning.

Nakamura also said he did not
anticipate developing the blue LED
from the outset of his research but
rather started with the goal of simply
getting a Ph.D.

My dream was to get a Ph.D. At that
time, in Japan, by submitting several
scientific papers, you can get a Ph.D
you dont have to go to university so
at the time, my dream was to publish
five scientific papers, not blue LED,
Nakamura said.
Shuji Nakamura