Patent ID: 7977664

Claim:
A nitride semiconductor light emitting device for emitting ultraviolet light comprising: a substrate; at least one nitride semiconductor layer grown on the substrate and including a top layer of Al x Ga y In 1-x-y N (0≦x≦1, 0<y≦1, 0<x+y≦1); a single quantum well layer grown on the top layer of Al x Ga y In 1-x-y N (0≦x≦1, 0<y≦1, 0<x+y≦1), the quantum well layer being made of In-rich InGaN resulting from the lattice mismatch with the top layer of Al x Ga y In 1-x-y N (0≦x≦1, 0<y≦1, 0<x+y≦1) and Ga in the In-rich InGaN being mainly supplied from the top layer of Al x Ga y In 1-x-y N (0≦x≦1, 0<y≦1, 0<x+y≦1); and, an additional nitride semiconductor layer grown on the In-rich InGaN quantum well layer and having a band gap energy higher than that of the In-rich InGaN quantum well layer; wherein the In-rich InGaN quantum well layer comprises an In-rich region formed of In x Ga 1-x N, where x in the In-rich region of the quantum well layer is greater than 0.5 and less than or equal to 0.8, a first compositional grading region with In content increasing between the top layer of Al x Ga y In 1-x-y N (0≦x≦1, 0<y≦1, 0<x+y≦1) and the In-rich region, and a second compositional grading region with In content decreasing between the In-rich region and the additional nitride semiconductor layer wherein the second compositional grading region substantially overlies the first compositional grading region, wherein the light emitting device is configured to emit ultraviolet light using said In-rich InGaN quantum well layer, wherein the quantum well layer is grown using an In source and a nitrogen source, and the thickness of the quantum well is reduced by growth interruption which is performed by supplying the nitrogen source with the supply of the In source intercepted to flatten the surface of the quantum well layer.