Patent ID: 8426224

Claim:
A method for fabricating a solid state lighting device, comprising: selecting a conductive substrate; depositing an electrode layer on a surface of the substrate; forming a core material comprising one of a p-type and n-type compound semiconductor material on top of the electrode as a planar base with a plurality of nanowires extending substantially vertically therefrom; forming a shell material comprising the other of the p-type and n-type compound semiconductor material over an outer surface of the core material so that a p-n junction is defined across the planar base and over each of the plurality of nanowires; and forming an electrode coating over an outer surface of the shell material for providing electrical contact to a current source, wherein one of the electrode coating and electrode layer receives a current from the current source to cause the solid state lighting device to emit light; and wherein the p-type compound semiconductor is p-type ZnO formed by chemical vapor deposition using a source mixture comprising zinc oxide powder, graphite powder and a phosphorous source; and injecting a carrier gas through the source mixture while the furnace temperature is elevated for a predetermined period of time until nanowires of a pre-determined size are formed.