Diamond semiconductor and diamond semiconductor light-emitting device that uses the semiconductor

Abstract

A diamond semiconductor has an exciton light-emission intensity characteristic that varies nonlinearly.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . Diamond semiconductor having an exciton light-emission intensity characteristic that varies nonlinearly.  
     
     
         2 . The diamond semiconductor according to    claim 1   , wherein the exciton light-emission is due to electron beam injection.  
     
     
         3 . The diamond semiconductor according to    claim 1   , wherein the exciton light-emission has an optical wavelength of not more than 300 nm.  
     
     
         4 . The diamond semiconductor according to    claim 1   , wherein the exciton light-emission intensity increases rapidly in response to an electron beam above a threshold value.  
     
     
         5 . The diamond semiconductor according to    claim 1   , wherein said diamond semiconductor is of high quality sufficient to emit ultraviolet light at room temperature in response to energy injection.  
     
     
         6 . The diamond semiconductor according to    claim 1   , wherein said diamond semiconductor is an epitaxial diamond thin film obtained by diamond synthesis by means of a microwave plasma CVD method.  
     
     
         7 . A diamond semiconductor light-emitting device comprising: 
 an n-type diamond semiconductor layer,    a p-type diamond semiconductor layer formed while maintaining a predetermined interval between it and said n-type diamond semiconductor layer, and    a high-quality undoped diamond semiconductor layer sandwiched between said n-type diamond semiconductor layer and said p-type diamond semiconductor layer,    wherein an exciton light emission that varies nonlinearly according to a current value is output from said undoped diamond semiconductor layer when current is injected to respective electrodes formed on said n-type and p-type diamond semiconductor layers.    
     
     
         8 . A diamond semiconductor light-emitting device comprising: 
 a high-quality n-type diamond semiconductor layer,    a high-quality p-type diamond semiconductor layer formed in contact with said n-type diamond semiconductor layer, and    an activation region layer formed in an interface between said n-type diamond semiconductor layer and said p-type diamond semiconductor layer,    wherein an exciton light emission that varies nonlinearly according to a current value is output from the activation region layer when current is injected to respective electrodes formed on said n-type and p-type diamond semiconductor layers.    
     
     
         9 . The diamond semiconductor light-emitting device according to    claim 7   , wherein said n-type and p-type diamond semiconductor layers are each formed by doping with an impurity under a gas phase during gas phase synthesis using a CVD method.  
     
     
         10 . The diamond semiconductor light-emitting device according to    claim 8   , wherein said n-type and p-type diamond semiconductor layers are each formed with a high-quality undoped diamond semiconductor layer and by ion injection of an impurity in said undoped diamond semiconductor layer.