Patent ID: 9570651
Date: 2017-02-14
CPC Classifications: H01L

Claim:
1. A semiconductor device, comprising: a plurality of first conductivity type semiconductor nanowire cores located over a support; an active region shell surrounding each nanowire core; a first continuous layer of a second conductivity type semiconductor extending over and surrounding the cores; a second continuous layer of the second conductivity type semiconductor extending over and surrounding the cores; a plurality of interstitial voids located within the second continuous layer of the second conductivity type semiconductor and extending between the cores; and a first electrode layer that contacts the second continuous layer of the second conductivity type semiconductor; wherein: the device comprises a light emitting diode (LED) device; the active region shell comprises at least one quantum well and the first continuous layer of second conductivity type semiconductor contacts the at least one quantum well to form a light emitting p-n junction at each nanowire core surrounded by the at least one quantum well shell; the second continuous layer of the second conductivity type semiconductor extends over and surrounds the first continuous layer of second conductivity type semiconductor and the second continuous layer of second conductivity type semiconductor comprising the plurality of interstitial voids interposing the cores, wherein the interstitial voids are completely enclosed on top and sides by the second continuous layer of the second conductivity type; the first electrode layer that contacts the second continuous layer of the second conductivity semiconductor does not extend into the interstitial voids; the first conductivity type comprises n-type, the second conductivity type comprises p-type and the first electrode layer comprises a p-electrode layer; the support comprises an n-type semiconductor buffer layer on a substrate; the substrate comprises an n-Si or sapphire substrate, the buffer layer comprises an n-GaN or n-AlGaN layer, the cores comprise n-GaN nanowires epitaxially extending from portions of the buffer layer surface exposed through openings in an insulating mask layer on the buffer layer, the at least one quantum well comprises an InGaN quantum well, and the second continuous layer of second conductivity type semiconductor comprises a p-GaN layer.