Candela-class high-brightness InGaN/AlGaN double-heterostructure (DH) blue-light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with the luminous intensity over 1 cd were fabricated. As an active layer, a Zn-doped InGaN layer was used for the DH LEDs. The typical output power was 1500 μW and the external quantum efficiency was as high as 2.7% at a forward current of 20 mA at room temperature. The peak wavelength and the full width at half-maximum of the electroluminescence were 450 and 70 nm, respectively. This value of luminous intensity was the highest ever reported for blue LEDs.

InGaN multi-quantum-well (MQW) structure laser diodes (LDs) fabricated from III-V nitride materials were grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on sapphire substrates. The mirror facet for a laser cavity was formed by etching of III-V nitride films without cleaving. As an active layer, the InGaN MQW structure was used. The InGaN MQW LDs produced 215 mW at a forward current of 2.3 A, with a sharp peak of light output at 417 nm that had a full width at half-maximum of 1.6 nm under the pulsed current injection at room temperature. The laser threshold current density was 4 kA/cm2. The emission wavelength is the shortest one ever generated by a semiconductor laser diode.

High-brightness blue, green and yellow light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with quantum well structures based on III-V nitrides were grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on sapphire substrates. The typical green LEDs had a peak wavelength of 525 nm and full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 45 nm. The output power, the external quantum efficiency and the luminous intensity of green LEDs at a forward current of 20 mA were 1 mW, 2.1% and 4 cd, respectively. The luminous intensity of green LEDs (4 cd) was about 40 times higher than that of conventional green GaP LEDs (0.1 cd). Typical yellow LEDs had a peak wavelength of 590 nm and FWHM of 90 nm. The output power of yellow LEDs was 0.5 mW at 20 mA. When the emission wavelength of III-V nitride LEDs with quantum well structures increased from the region of blue to yellow, the output power decreased dramatically.

Low-resistivity p-type GaN films, which were obtained by N2-ambient thermal annealing or low-energy electron-beam irradiation (LEEBI) treatment, showed a resistivity as high as 1×106 Ω·cm after NH3-ambient thermal annealing at temperatures above 600°C. In the case of N2-ambient thermal annealing at temperatures between room temperature and 1000°C, the low-resistivity p-type GaN films showed no change in resistivity, which was almost constant between 2 Ω·cm and 8 Ω·cm. These results indicate that atomic hydrogen produced by NH3 dissociation at temperatures above 400°C is related to the hole compensation mechanism. A hydrogenation process whereby acceptor-H neutral complexes are formed in p-type GaN films was proposed. The formation of acceptor-H neutral complexes causes hole compensation, and deep-level and weak blue emissions in photoluminescence.

Low-resistivity p-type GaN films were obtained by N2-ambient thermal annealing at temperatures above 700°C for the first time. Before thermal annealing, the resistivity of Mg-doped GaN films was approximately 1×106 Ω·cm. After thermal annealing at temperatures above 700°C, the resistivity, hole carrier concentration and hole mobility became 2 Ω·cm, 3×1017/cm3 and 10 cm2/V·s, respectively. In photoluminescence measurements, the intensity of 750-nm deep-level emissions (DL emissions) sharply decreased upon thermal annealing at temperatures above 700°C, as did the change in resistivity, and 450-nm blue emissions showed maximum intensity at approximately 700°C of thermal annealing.