Patent ID: 8525221

Claim:
A light emitting device comprising: a p-type semiconductor layer comprising a p-type semiconductor material; an n-type semiconductor layer comprising an n-type semiconductor material; and an active layer sandwiched between said p-type and n-type semiconductor layers, said active layer emitting light when holes from said p-type semiconductor layer combine with electrons from said n-type semiconductor layer therein, said active layer comprising a plurality of sub-layers, each of said plurality of sub-layers comprising a side surface and a top surface, said active layer having a plurality of pits in which side surfaces of said plurality of said sub-layers are in contact with said p-type semiconductor material such that holes from said p-type semiconductor material are injected into those sub-layers through said exposed side surfaces without passing through another sub-layer, and wherein the active layer is configured such that at least 10 percent of said holes are injected into said active layer through said side surfaces of said plurality of said sub-layers, wherein said pits are located on random dislocations in said n-type semiconductor material.