Patent ID: 8455894

Claim:
A photonic-crystal light emitting diode, comprising: a semiconductor active layer comprising a gallium species and a nitrogen species, the semiconductor active layer characterized by a peak emission wavelength λ and an active layer surface dislocation density below about 10 5 cm −2 ; a semiconductor n-type layer comprising a gallium species and a nitrogen species, and an n-type surface dislocation density below about 10 5 cm 2 ; a semiconductor p-type layer comprising a gallium species and a nitrogen species, and a p-type surface dislocation density below about 10 5 cm 2 ; an electrical contact coupled to the semiconductor n-type layer; a reflective electrical contact coupled to at least either or both the semiconductor p-type layer and the semiconductor n-type layer; and one or more photonic crystals configured within one or more regions provided by at least the semiconductor active layer, the semiconductor n-type layer, or the semiconductor p-type layer, the one or more of the photonic crystals having a mean nearest-neighbor, center-to-center separation between a first feature and a second feature having a refractive index variation between about 10 nm and about 1000 nm and one or more of the first feature and the second feature having one or more side walls having an angle between about 60 degrees and about 90 degrees with respect to a top surface of the one or more regions; wherein the semiconductor active layer, the semiconductor n-type layer, and the semiconductor p-type layer, is characterized by a total thickness that is greater than the depth of the hole regions by less than 5λ/n and is uniform to within approximately ±λ/(4n), where n is an index of refraction at the peak emission wavelength characterizing the total thickness of the semiconductor active layer, the semiconductor n-type layer, and the semiconductor p-type layer.