EP0966766A2 - Mit kanälen versehene lichtemittierende diode aus einer aiii-nitridverbindung - Google Patents
Mit kanälen versehene lichtemittierende diode aus einer aiii-nitridverbindungInfo
- Publication number
- EP0966766A2 EP0966766A2 EP98955828A EP98955828A EP0966766A2 EP 0966766 A2 EP0966766 A2 EP 0966766A2 EP 98955828 A EP98955828 A EP 98955828A EP 98955828 A EP98955828 A EP 98955828A EP 0966766 A2 EP0966766 A2 EP 0966766A2
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- led
- contact layer
- channels
- layers
- layer
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
- 239000004065 semiconductor Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 16
- 239000000758 substrate Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 16
- 239000004593 Epoxy Substances 0.000 description 22
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 17
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 17
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 15
- 238000005253 cladding Methods 0.000 description 10
- 238000002488 metal-organic chemical vapour deposition Methods 0.000 description 8
- 229910052594 sapphire Inorganic materials 0.000 description 7
- 239000010980 sapphire Substances 0.000 description 7
- 238000002248 hydride vapour-phase epitaxy Methods 0.000 description 6
- 238000000605 extraction Methods 0.000 description 5
- 230000001965 increasing effect Effects 0.000 description 5
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 5
- VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicium dioxide Chemical compound O=[Si]=O VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 230000009467 reduction Effects 0.000 description 4
- 229910002704 AlGaN Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- 238000005530 etching Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 3
- 229910052681 coesite Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 229910052906 cristobalite Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000001020 plasma etching Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000000377 silicon dioxide Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000007480 spreading Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000003892 spreading Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229910052682 stishovite Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 229910052905 tridymite Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 229910001020 Au alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000010521 absorption reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004308 accommodation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000006243 chemical reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000002708 enhancing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910052736 halogen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 150000002367 halogens Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 238000002347 injection Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000007924 injection Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000004806 packaging method and process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000000927 vapour-phase epitaxy Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L33/00—Semiconductor devices having potential barriers specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
- H01L33/02—Semiconductor devices having potential barriers specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by the semiconductor bodies
- H01L33/20—Semiconductor devices having potential barriers specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by the semiconductor bodies with a particular shape, e.g. curved or truncated substrate
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L33/00—Semiconductor devices having potential barriers specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
- H01L33/02—Semiconductor devices having potential barriers specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by the semiconductor bodies
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L33/00—Semiconductor devices having potential barriers specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
- H01L33/02—Semiconductor devices having potential barriers specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by the semiconductor bodies
- H01L33/08—Semiconductor devices having potential barriers specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by the semiconductor bodies with a plurality of light emitting regions, e.g. laterally discontinuous light emitting layer or photoluminescent region integrated within the semiconductor body
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L33/00—Semiconductor devices having potential barriers specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
- H01L33/02—Semiconductor devices having potential barriers specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by the semiconductor bodies
- H01L33/26—Materials of the light emitting region
- H01L33/30—Materials of the light emitting region containing only elements of Group III and Group V of the Periodic Table
- H01L33/32—Materials of the light emitting region containing only elements of Group III and Group V of the Periodic Table containing nitrogen
Definitions
- This invention relates to semiconductor light emitting diodes ("LEDs”) and, in particular, to the light output of such devices.
- a '-nitride LEDs are known.
- such LEDs having GalnN or GaN active regions have been fabricated on transparent substrates, such as sapphire or 6H-SiC.
- a "-nitride LEDs having a high luminous efficiency are desirable.
- such LEDs must have luminous efficiency that compete with conventional incandescent or halogen light sources and thus must be on the order of 30 Lumens Watt or higher. Efficiencies on the order of 30 and even 40 Lumens/Watt have been achieved for yellow, amber and red LEDs using an AlInGaP material system, by designing the LED to enhance the extraction of light generated inside the device.
- Such enhanced light extraction for yellow, amber and red LEDs using an AlInGaP material system has been accomplished by designing the LED in a particular manner and, in particular, by using thick GaP contact layers.
- the refractive indices of the layers in these known LEDs are larger than the epoxy packaging.
- the internally generated light incident on a surface of the LED at angles smaller than the critical angle (“P c ”) for total internal reflection (“TIR”) may be extracted from the LED chip.
- the value of the critical angle is determined by the refractive indices of the contact layers of the device and the epoxy surrounding the contact layers.
- GaP contact layers For the known (yellow, amber and red) LEDs, extraction of sufficient external light from the AlInGaP material system is achieved by using thick GaP contact layers.
- the GaP layers have an index of refraction close to the other (cladding and active) layers, and are also transparent at the emission wavelength. These thick contact layers act as "window" layers by permitting light within a critical angle cone to pass through the sides of the chip.
- the AlInGaP material system is comprised of a light generating region 10, which is comprised of a InGaP or AlInGaP active region 12, surrounded by an upper p-doped AllnP cladding layer 14 and a lower n-doped AllnP cladding layer 16.
- the AlInGaP active layer 12 and the AllnP 14, 16 cladding layers are each on the order of one micron in thickness.
- the light generating region 10 is surrounded by an upper p- doped GaP contact layer 18 and a lower n-doped GaP contact layer 20.
- the thicknesses of the contact layers 18, 20 are related to the extraction of light from the device, as described in more detail below. (The x and y dimensions of the figures are generally not to the same scale.)
- the LED is typically surrounded by an epoxy 24.
- the indices of refraction of the LED layers 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 are roughly equivalent and greater than the index of refraction of the surrounding epoxy 24. It follows from Snell's law of refraction that there are six cones 26a-e from which light emitted at the light generating region 10 pass to the outside of the LED, into the epoxy, without TLR.
- light ray 28 from light generating region 10 is emitted at an angle less than P c with respect to the upper planar interface between the top surface of upper GaP contact layer 18 and epoxy 24.
- ray 28 is refracted away from the normal, but not totally internally reflected, and passes into the epoxy 24.
- the epoxy 24 encasing the LED is generally made sufficiently thick and is given a rounded surface, such that ray 28 incident on the interface between the epoxy 24 and air is approximately normal to the interface, and passes into the air with little or no further refraction.
- all rays within upper shaded critical angle cone 26a will pass into the air.
- a similar analysis may be performed for a ray 30 emitted at an angle less than
- Figs. 1 and 2 demonstrate how a thick upper GaP contact layer 18 increases the luminous efficiency of the LED.
- the width d of upper GaP contact layer 18 is sufficiently wide so that side cones 26c, 26d, include all light emitted within critical angle P c .
- lower GaP contact layer 20 is usually sufficiently thick to capture lower side critical angle cones 26d, 26e. In other words, all of the light emitted to the side that can be extracted, i.e., within P c , is incident on a side interface, and is extracted.
- Fig. 2 demonstrates how the amount of light extracted is reduced for the same chip width L if the thickness d' of the upper contact layer 18' is reduced.
- the side cones 26c',26f are circumscribed by the thickness d' (or, equivalently, the angle ⁇ ), not by the critical angle P c .
- the critical angle P c For light emitted at an angle between ⁇ and P c , there is total internal reflection: Because of the reduction in thickness d', that light is incident on top surface of upper GaP contact layer 18'. Because this light does not fall within critical angle cone 26a' for the interface with the epoxy or substrate, it is totally internally reflected.
- the minimum contact layer thickness necessary to extract all the light within the critical angle cone increases linearly with the width L of the chip die.
- Typical dimensions for the known (blue, green, yellow and red) high efficiency LEDs shown in Fig. 1 include, for example, a width L of the chip die on the order of 300 microns.
- the refractive index ("n") of the LED device having the material layers described above with respect to Fig. 1 i.e., for a GaP based system
- n the refractive index
- the indices of refraction for each particular layer is generally "matched," but may differ slightly from other layers, because the composition of the layer will also be chosen, for example, to optimize light generation.
- the thick GaP lower contact layer 20 will typically have a thickness on the order of 150 microns.
- the LED described has side cones 26c-f with critical angle P c of approximately 17/.
- the thicknesses d is thus approximately 45 microns in order to accommodate the entire side critical angle cones 26c, 26f.
- the side critical angle cones 26c, 26f would have P c of approximately 25/, and the thickness d would be approximately 71 microns.
- a disadvantage of the design of the known high efficiency GaP based LEDs is that the thickness of the contact layers must be relatively large, on the order of 100 microns, for a typically dimensioned LED chip die.
- Growing such thick window contact layers requires Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy (“HVPE”), which gives growth rates in the range of 10 to 100 microns per hour.
- HVPE Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy
- Such a system might have a AlInGaN active layer, AlGaN cladding layers, and GaN contact layers.
- the substrate for the system might be transparent SiC or Sapphire.
- a nominal value of the index of refraction for the GaN based layers is approximately 2.5.
- the LED will have side cones (analogous to those shown as 26c-f for the GaP system of Fig. 1) with critical angle of approximately 24/.
- the thicknesses of the upper and lower contact layers would have to be approximately 65 microns (or more) in order to entirely accommodate the light emitted within the side critical angle cones. If the refractive index of the epoxy is 1.5, then the thicknesses would have to be approximately 110 microns. For a chip width of 500 microns, then the thickness would have to be 110 and 180 microns for epoxy having indices of refraction of 1.0 and 1.5, respectively.
- both upper and lower GaN contact layers would also have to be on the order of hundreds of microns.
- the growth of such thick p- doped GaN layers has never been achieved using HVPE.
- This present invention is a ultra-violet ("UV”) or visible LED structure having relatively thin transparent contact layers.
- the LED structure is "channeled": Within the LED that is cast on an LED chip die, there are one or more channels that extend into the LED. The channels create a multiplicity of LED sub-structures within the dimensions of the chip die. The widths of the LED sub-structures are, accordingly, less than the width of the chip die. As noted above, the requisite thickness of the contact layer for capturing the entire side critical angle cone scales linearly with the width of LED. By creating such LED islands, their width is effectively reduced. Thus, the thicknesses of the contact layer(s) necessary to capture the entire critical angle cone of the sideways emission is reduced proportionally.
- Feasible widths of the islands may be, for example, as low as 10 microns.
- the thicknesses of the contact layers would be on the order of 4 to 5 microns to capture the entire side critical angle cones. Side electrical contacts to such LED islands could be readily fabricated and the reduced widths of the contact layers would result in high operational efficiency.
- Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a prior art, thick contact layer LED structure
- Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the device of Fig. 1 with a reduction of thickness in the contact layers
- Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a channeled LED structure in accordance with the present invention, with an enlarged view of a number of the LED substructures and channels;
- Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of one of the LED substructures shown in Fig. 3 and the adjacent channels;
- Fig. 4a is a cross-sectional view of the LED sub-structure of Fig. 4, taken across line 4a-4a in Fig. 4;
- Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a channeled LED structure in accordance with the present invention, showing a number of the LED sub- structures and channels;
- Fig. 5a is a cross-sectional view of one of the LED sub-structures of Fig. 5, taken across line 5a-5a in Fig. 5;
- Fig. 6 is a partial top view of a channeled LED structure in accordance with the present invention
- Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of the LED sub-structure and adjacent channels shown in Fig. 6 within the dashed lines;
- Fig. 8 is an alternative configuration of the channeled LED structure of Figs. 6 and 7;
- Fig. 9 is an alternative configuration of the channeled LED structure of Figs. 6 and 7.
- LED chip 98 on substrate 100 has width L (determined by the chip die) and a multiplicity of sub-structures 102.
- the enlarged portion of Fig. 3 shows the structure of each sub-structure in greater detail. For the purposes of this description, it is presumed that all sub-structures have the same characteristics.
- the sub-structures 102 may each be comprised of a AlInGaN material system and GaN contact layers, analogous to that described above with respect to Fig. 1.
- the AlInGaN material system is comprised of a light generating region 104, which is comprised of an InGaN active layer, surrounded by an upper p-doped AlGaN cladding layer and a lower n- doped AlGaN or GaN cladding layer.
- the active layer is typically on the order of 30 to 1000 angstroms and the cladding layers are typically on the order of 1000 angstroms.
- the light generating region 104 for each sub-structure 102 is surrounded by an upper p-doped GaN contact layer 106 and a lower n-doped GaN contact layer 108.
- the substrate 100 supporting the sub-structures 102 may be Sapphire.
- the thickness of upper GaN contact layer 106 is shown to be t p and the thickness of lower GaN contact layer 108 is t n .
- the width of each sub-structure 102 is w and each sub-structure 102 is separated by a channel of width s.
- the critical angle cones are shown shaded for one of the substructures 102.
- the thicknesses of the contact layers necessary to capture the entire side critical angle cones is linearly proportional to the width of the LED chip.
- the thicknesses t p and t formula of upper and lower GaN contact layers 106, 108 required to capture the side critical angle cones is proportional to the width w of LED sub-structure 102.
- the width w of the sub-structure 102 is considerably less than the width of the LED chip 98 (or, equivalently, the width of the LED chip die L), the thickness of the contact layers 106, 108 will be significantly less than the thick layers of the device of Fig. 1.
- metal mirror layers 110 in the channels between the LED sub-structures 102 reflect light emitted in the downward direction from the side critical angle cones upward toward the epoxy-air interface.
- the width s of the channels it is preferable for the width s of the channels to allow a significant amount of the downward extracted light to be reflected without being blocked by the side of the adjacent LED sub-structure.
- the relative widths w,s of the sub-structures 102 and channels should be such that the operating current density in the active region remains in the linear regime of the light output versus current density characteristic at the rated operating current value.
- particular dimensions of the LED sub- structures and channels for the material system given above, and the resulting light output of the LED may be as follows:
- the minimum thicknesses t p and t n of the upper and lower GaN contact layers 106, 108 required to capture the side critical angle cones is determined from Snell's law and geometric considerations:
- KLEDGaN where ri o is the index of refraction of the LED package (i.e., epoxy), nLED Ga N is the index of refraction of the GaN contact layers 106, 108 and the thicknesses of the contact layers 106 are much greater than the light emitting region 104.
- MOVPE Metal Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy
- the channels between sub-structures 102 may be fabricated by etching trenches using known methods, such as Reactive Ion Etching.
- the above described layers, once deposited on the substrate 100, would be masked so as to create the sub-structures 102 after the etching process.
- the sub-structures 102 may be fabricated using masked epitaxial growth. After first growing an n-type Ga ⁇ layer (of thickness t ⁇ ), the portions of the wafer that will be the channels are covered with a mask layer (such as SiO 2 ). Then, the lower (n-doped) Ga ⁇ contact layer 108 is grown using either HVPE or MOVPE, followed by MONPE growth of the light generating region 104, followed by MOVPE growth of the upper (p-doped) Ga ⁇ contact layer 106. As is known in the art, under appropriate conditions such growth will occur in the areas not covered by the SiO 2 .
- width w of the sub-structures 102 and width s of the adjacent channels is also such that L-I characteristic of the junction is still linear for the current density of the device.
- L width of the chip die
- the current I is on the order of 20mA.
- L-I curves show approximately linear behavior between 20 and 40mA.
- the current density of the channeled LED structure is:
- L is also the width of the LED chip (or, equivalently, the chip die, as shown in Fig. 3).
- the junction operates at a current density two times that of the nominal current density of a regular LED.
- the doubling of the current density compensates for the reduction (by half) of the junction area of the channeled LED and, because the linearity of L-I for these values, the internal power output generated by the channeled LED is essentially identical to that from a regular LED.
- the metal layer 110 used to reflect light in the channel upward may be made aluminum and also serves as the electrical contact for the lower GaN contact layer 108.
- a thin layer of n- doped GaN of width t c is interposed between the Sapphire substrate 100 and metal layer 110 at the bottom of each channel. This thin layer of n-doped GaN underlaying each channel is contiguous with the lower GaN contact layer 108 of each island 102.
- metal layer 110 is a side electrical contact, the thickness t ⁇ . determines the current spreading in the lower n-doped GaN contact layer 108 and contributes to the series resistance. Thus, in order to achieve the appropriate current densities, referred to above, metal layer 110 is relatively thick. Typical values of t c 3 0.5 microns and the corresponding thickness of metal layer 110 3 0.1 microns.
- the upper GaN contact layer 106 in this example is thin (on the order of 2 to 4 microns) with respect to the upper contact layer 18 of the thick contact layer devices described with respect to Fig. 1.
- a thickness on the order of 2 to 4 microns for the upper contact layer 106 is itself thick relative to "regular" LEDs (i.e., typical LEDs that do not use thick contact layers to enhance the power output, as the devices described with respect to Fig. 1).
- the sheet conductivity of the upper contact layer 106 is on the order often times larger than a regular LED structure.
- an enhanced current spreading in this layers permits the use of a thin electrical contact layer, without complete coverage of the top surface of the upper GaN contact layer 106.
- upper electrical contacts 112 of Figs. 3 and 4 may be, for example, thin partially transparent strips of Ni-Au alloy that cover approximately 50% of the surface and thickness on the order of 100 to 300 angstroms. Because they do not cover the entire upper GaN contact layer 106, the optical absorption losses in the emission through the top critical angle cone of the sub-structure 102 is reduced.
- a structure analogous to that shown in Fig. 3 with a lower p-doped GaN contact layer and an upper n-doped GaN contact layer could also be fabricated as a channeled LED.
- This structure would allow an even further reduction in the metal coverage of the upper n- doped GaN contact layer compared to an upper p-doped GaN contact layer, thus enhancing extraction of light through the upward cone.
- the lower conductivity of p-doped GaN compared to n-doped GaN would require significantly smaller values of the width w of the sub-structure in order to reduce the lateral voltage drop and ensure uniform current injection in the junction.
- the width w would typically have to be reduced by a factor of 10, giving width w on the order of one micron.
- the dimensions of t p and t n would also be reduced, and would be on the order of one micron. Also, accommodation would have to be made so that the structure had the desirable power conversion efficiency despite the voltage drop due to the lateral contact in the lower p-doped GaN contact. (For example, where the resistivity of the p-type GaN is 100 times larger than the n-type GaN, the disparity may be compensated by increasing the ratio t ⁇ to w by a factor of 100. Thus, t c 3 5 microns.
- Fig. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of a channeled LED in accordance with the present invention.
- Fig. 5 has structure analogous to Fig. 3, with analogous structure marked with a corresponding "200" series of reference numbers.
- lower n-doped GaN contact layer 208 is a relatively thick layer, which extends well below metal contact layers 210.
- Lower contact layer 208 provides one continuous flat surface on which metal contact layers 210 and the light emitting layers 204 of the LED sub-structures 202 lie.
- An upper p-doped GaN contact layer 206 lies on top of each light emitting layer 204. (Upper metal contact layers 212 are shown for one sub-structure 202, but are omitted from the others for clarity.)
- the structure of Fig. 5 includes sub-structures, similar to Fig. 3, but with a thick lower contact layer 208.
- the parameter t n of Fig. 3 has been reduced to zero, while the parameter t c has been expanded.
- the thick lower contact layer 208 could be grown using HVPE, with the light emitting layers 204 and upper contact layers 206 grown using MOVPE.
- the sub-structures 202 would be created by etching channels to the lower contact layer 208. Fabrication of the sub-structures 202 and channels may be done by analogous methods as described above with respect to Fig. 4. Of course, the various methods described would have to be adjusted to account for an increased value of t c and a value of t n equal to approximately zero.
- Exemplary dimensions for the structure of Fig. 5 would be L (width of the LED chip or, equivalently, width of the chip die) equal to 300 microns.
- the widths of the substructures 202 and channels, w and s, respectively, could each be on the order of 10 microns.
- the value t p (thickness of upper GaN contact layers 206) is on the order of 2.2 to 4.3 microns and the value of t c (thickness of lower GaN contact layer 208) is on the order of 65 to 110 microns.
- the thickness of the cladding layers of light emitting layer 204 is known in the art and is on the order of 1000 angstroms for an AlInGaN material structure.
- the thickness of active layer of light emitting layer 204 is likewise known in the art for an AlInGaN material structure to be on the order of 30 to 1000 angstroms.
- the light emitted into the lower side cones is not reflected by metal layer 210 and will not be blocked by an adjacent sub-structure.
- t c is large enough in relation to the width of the LED (or chip die), the light from the lower side cones will be emitted completely (and thus may be completely collected) from the side of the LED.
- n o is the index of refraction of the material surrounding the LED, such as epoxy
- n ED GaN is the index of refraction of the lower contact layer 208.
- Fig. 5a a cross-sectional view of one of the substructures 202 parallel to the channel, the increased thickness of the lower contact layer 208 means that light will be extracted from lower side critical angle cones at all four sides of the LED chip.
- Fig. 4a gives a view analogous to Fig. 5a, but for the structure of Fig. 3, and shows that each island 102 has only two lower side critical angle cones: Because of the small thickness of lower contact layer 108, lower light emitted to the side is incident on substrate 100, not the side of the chip die. It thus lies outside the critical angle cone for the contact/substrate interface and is totally internally reflected.
- a cross-section of the channeled LED of the present invention is shown. Referring back to Figs. 3 and 5, this is a cross-sectional view in the x-y plane.
- Fig. 6 a top view of a channeled LED structure, in the x-z plane, is shown. This top view is applicable to both of the embodiments shown in cross-section in Fig. 3 and Fig. 5, and reference numbers in the 300s are used for analogous structure. (For clarity, Fig. 6 omits the metal contact layers 110, 112, 210, 212 of Figs. 3 and 5.) As shown in Fig. 6, the "sub-structures" 302 are not separate islands, but are interdigitated among channels comprising contiguous p-type contact layer 306 on top of a contiguous n-doped contact layer 308.
- the interdigitated sub-structures 302 and channels allow the contiguous p-type contact layer 306 to have a common metal contact. If the "sub-structures" 302 were separate “islands”, then there would have to be separate metal contacts for each p-type contact layer. (The n-type contact layer 308 is already contiguous in the x-y plane, see Figs. 3 and 5, so only one metal contact layer would be required even in the case where the p contact layer forms separate islands.)
- Figs. 7-9 demonstrate how the interdigitated channel structure of Fig. 6 may be manipulated to extract even more light from the side cones for the channeled LED of the present invention.
- light emitted into the side cones from the light emitting region were only shown in two dimensions (x-y plane). However, when considered from the top view, such as that shown in Fig. 6, the side cones will also be "spread" out in the x-z plane.
- a closer view of a sub-structure 302 and adjacent channels of Fig. 6 is shown.
- Light emitted into the x-z plane from side cones of the light emitting layer is shown outlined through the p-doped contact layer 302.
- Geometric considerations show that each side cone will have light extracted over an angle of 2P C in the x-z plane.
- Figs. 8 and 9 show that by contouring the interdigitated sub-structures 302 and channels of Fig. 6 into a series of polygonal shapes, the extent of the side cones in the x-z plane, and thus the light extracted from the LED, is increased.
- the interdigitated substructures 302 and channels are given a series of hexagonal shapes, with each side of a channel that borders a hexagon formed in the sub-structure 302 defining an angle 2P C with respect to the center of the hexagon.
- Geometric considerations show that, for a point source at the center of the hexagon, light emitted from each side cone will be extracted from the LED over an angle of 4P C in the x-z plane.
- Fig. 8 and 9 show that by contouring the interdigitated sub-structures 302 and channels of Fig. 6 into a series of polygonal shapes, the extent of the side cones in the x-z plane, and thus the light extracted from the LED, is increased.
- the interdigitated sub-structures 302 and channels are given a series of octagonal shapes, with each side of a channel that borders an octagon formed in the sub-structure 302 defining an angle 2P C with respect to the center of the octagon.
- Geometric considerations show that, for a point source at the center of the octagon, light emitted from each side cone will be extracted from the LED over an angle of 6P C in the x-z plane. Light will be emitted over the entire extent of the light emitting region for each of Figs. 7-9 and not just a point source. Thus, for Figs.
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Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US99152297A | 1997-12-16 | 1997-12-16 | |
US991522 | 1997-12-16 | ||
PCT/IB1998/001933 WO1999031738A2 (en) | 1997-12-16 | 1998-12-03 | Aiii-nitride channeled led |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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EP0966766A2 true EP0966766A2 (de) | 1999-12-29 |
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EP98955828A Withdrawn EP0966766A2 (de) | 1997-12-16 | 1998-12-03 | Mit kanälen versehene lichtemittierende diode aus einer aiii-nitridverbindung |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
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EP (1) | EP0966766A2 (de) |
JP (1) | JP2001511956A (de) |
WO (1) | WO1999031738A2 (de) |
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Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6410942B1 (en) * | 1999-12-03 | 2002-06-25 | Cree Lighting Company | Enhanced light extraction through the use of micro-LED arrays |
DE10033496A1 (de) | 2000-07-10 | 2002-01-31 | Osram Opto Semiconductors Gmbh | Halbleiterchip für die Optoelektronik |
DE10142541B9 (de) * | 2001-08-30 | 2014-05-28 | Osram Opto Semiconductors Gmbh | Elektrolumineszierender Körper |
WO2003026355A2 (de) * | 2001-08-30 | 2003-03-27 | Osram Opto Semiconductors Gmbh | Elektrolumineszierender körper |
DE10220333B4 (de) * | 2002-05-07 | 2008-03-27 | Osram Opto Semiconductors Gmbh | Strahlungsemittierendes Halbleiterbauelement mit einer Mehrzahl von Strukturelementen |
DE10229231B9 (de) * | 2002-06-28 | 2006-05-11 | Osram Opto Semiconductors Gmbh | Verfahren zum Herstellen eines Strahlung emittierenden und/oder empfangenden Halbleiterchips mit einer Strahlungsein- und/oder -auskoppel-Mikrostruktur |
WO2004015784A2 (en) * | 2002-07-31 | 2004-02-19 | Firecomms Limited | A light emitting diode |
KR100690635B1 (ko) * | 2005-09-07 | 2007-03-09 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | 광출력을 향상시킨 엘이디 소자 |
KR20070088145A (ko) | 2006-02-24 | 2007-08-29 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | 발광 다이오드 및 그 제조방법 |
KR101101134B1 (ko) | 2008-07-03 | 2012-01-05 | 삼성엘이디 주식회사 | Led 패키지 및 그 led 패키지를 포함하는 백라이트 유닛 |
US8258526B2 (en) | 2008-07-03 | 2012-09-04 | Samsung Led Co., Ltd. | Light emitting diode package including a lead frame with a cavity |
CN102258805B (zh) * | 2010-05-28 | 2016-08-10 | 温州智创科技有限公司 | 医用金属植入材料多孔铌及其制备方法 |
US20150340557A1 (en) * | 2013-01-08 | 2015-11-26 | Koninklijke Philips N.V. | Shaped led for enhanced light extraction efficiency |
Family Cites Families (1)
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JPH04264781A (ja) * | 1991-02-20 | 1992-09-21 | Eastman Kodak Japan Kk | 発光ダイオードアレイ |
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1998
- 1998-12-03 JP JP53224199A patent/JP2001511956A/ja active Pending
- 1998-12-03 WO PCT/IB1998/001933 patent/WO1999031738A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1998-12-03 EP EP98955828A patent/EP0966766A2/de not_active Withdrawn
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WO1999031738A3 (en) | 1999-09-02 |
WO1999031738A2 (en) | 1999-06-24 |
JP2001511956A (ja) | 2001-08-14 |
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