Heterogeneous tunneling junctions for hole injection in nitride based light-emitting devices

摘要

Light-emitting devices having a multiple quantum well (MQW) pin diode structure and methods of making and using the devices are provided. The light-emitting devices include: a tunneling heterojunction as a hole injector; an n-type contact; and a light-emitting active region disposed between the tunneling heterojunction and the n-type contact. The tunneling heterojunction facilitates interband tunneling hole injection under bias, whereby electrons in the valence band of a p-type group III-nitride semiconductor tunnel directly into the conduction band of the n-type doped semiconductor, resulting in the generation of holes in the p-type group III-nitride.