Patent ID: 6238947
Filing Date: 2001-05-29
Classification: H01L,H01S

Abstract:
A method of fabricating a semiconductor light-emitting device, comprising:(a) epitaxially growing, one above another on a substrate, a light-emitting layer forming portion formed from a gallium nitride based compound semiconductor and including a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type and a semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type, an etching stop layer of the second conductivity type formed from a gallium nitride based compound semiconductor containing Al, a current blocking layer of the first conductivity type formed from GaN, and a protective layer formed from a gallium nitride based compound semiconductor containing Al;(b) etching said protective layer and said current blocking layer and thereby forming a recessed portion defining a light-emitting region through said protective layer and through a portion of said current blocking layer in a depthwise direction thereof;(c) exposing said etching stop layer by thermally etching portions of said current blocking layer remaining in said recessed portion in an atmosphere containing hydrogen and ammonia gases in a growth furnace used for epitaxial growth of semiconductor layers;(d) then epitaxially growing a semiconductor layer of the second conductivity type formed from a gallium nitride based compound semiconductor; and(e) forming electrodes electrically connected to said semiconductor layers of the first and second conductivity types, respectively.