High voltage monolithic LED chip with improved reliability

• US 10,243,121 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2015
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Creeled Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Williams, Bradley E, Haberern, Kevin W, Langsdorf, Bennett D, Breva, Manuel L
• Primary Examiner(s): Galvin, III, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US14/699,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20150249196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,427 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32245 the item being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32257 the layer connector connecting to a bonding area disposed in a recess of the surface of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45015 being circular
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0753 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/15 including semiconductor components having potential barriers, specially adapted for light emission
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/156 two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/207 Diameter ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0016 relating to electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0025 relating to coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0058 relating to optical field-shaping elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0066 relating to arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/08 with a plurality of light emitting regions, e.g. laterally discontinuous light emitting layer or photoluminescent region integrated within the semiconductor body H01L27/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/382 : the electrode extending partially in or entirely through the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/405 : Reflective materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/46 : Reflective coating, e.g. dielectric Bragg reflector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/60 : Reflective elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/62 : Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the semiconductor body, e.g. lead-frames, wire-bonds or solder balls

Abstract

Monolithic LED chips are disclosed comprising a plurality of active regions on a submount, wherein the submount comprises integral electrically conductive interconnect elements in electrical contact with the active regions and electrically connecting at least some of the active regions in series. The submount also comprises an integral insulator element electrically insulating at least some of the interconnect elements and active regions from other elements of the submount. The active regions are mounted in close proximity to one another to minimize the visibility of the space during operation. The LED chips can also comprise layers structures and compositions that allow improved reliability under high current operation.

Claims

1. A monolithic LED chip, comprising:

a plurality of active regions on a submount;

electrically conductive interconnect elements connecting at least two of said active regions, wherein said interconnect elements comprise a material and/or structure that resists electromigration, wherein said interconnect elements comprise at least one reflective layer between adjacent active regions and around the edge of said adjacent active regions, wherein said at least one reflective layer reflects light from at least one of said plurality of active regions that would otherwise reach said interconnect elements, wherein said interconnect elements interconnect said active regions from a same side of said active regions, wherein said interconnect elements are embedded within said submount.

2. The LED chip of claim 1, wherein said interconnect elements are in said submount and in electrical contact with said active regions and electrically connect at least some of said active regions in series.

3. The LED chip of claim 1, wherein said interconnect elements are between said submount and said active regions.

4. The LED chip of claim 1, wherein said active regions comprise epitaxial layers and wherein the primary emission surface is an epitaxial layer.

5. The LED chip of claim 1, wherein said active regions are on a growth substrate.

6. The LED chip of claim 5, wherein the primary emission surface is said growth substrate.

7. The LED chip of claim 1, wherein said interconnect elements connect at least two of said active regions in series.

8. The LED chip of claim 1, wherein said interconnect elements comprise layer structures having separate electrically conductive and reflective layers.

9. The LED chip of claim 1, wherein said conductive interconnect elements comprise an interconnection layer comprising a material that resists electromigration under high current operation.

10. The LED chip of claim 9, wherein said at least one reflective layer has higher reflectivity than said interconnection layer.

11. The LED chip of claim 1, wherein said at least one reflective layer is electrically isolated from the interconnect elements in said LED chip.

12. The LED chip of claim 9, wherein said at least one reflective layer is below said active regions and above said interconnection layer.

13. The LED chip of claim 9, wherein said interconnection layer comprises a plurality of layers in a stack.

14. The LED chip of claim 13, wherein said plurality of layers comprises at least one adhesion/barrier and electrically conductive layer.

15. The LED chip of claim 1, wherein said conductive interconnect elements comprise a conductive layer sandwiched between layers of material having higher resistance to electromigration than said conductive layer.

16. The LED chip of claim 1, wherein said conductive interconnect elements comprises a metal alloy.

17. The LED chip of claim 1, wherein said materials that resist electromigration can comprise Al, Ti, TiW and Pt, combinations thereof, or multiple layers thereof.

37. The LED chip of claim 5, wherein said active regions are between said interconnect elements and said growth substrate.

18. A monolithic LED chip, comprising:

a plurality of active regions on a submount;

interconnection layers between said active regions and said submount that carry an electrical signal to and are in electrical contact with said active regions, wherein said interconnection layers are embedded within said submount between said active regions, wherein said interconnection layers interconnect said active regions from a same side of said active regions;

a reflective layer in said submount that is positioned to reflect LED chip light that would otherwise reach said interconnection layers; and

a current spreading layer between said reflective layer and one of said active regions.

19. The LED chip of claim 18, wherein said interconnection layers electrically connect at least some of said active regions in series.

20. The LED chip of claim 18, wherein said reflective layer has a higher reflectivity than said interconnection layers.

21. The LED chip of claim 18, wherein said interconnection layers comprises a material that resists electromigration under high current operation.

22. The LED chip of claim 18, wherein said reflective layer is electrically isolated from the interconnection layers in said LED chip.

23. The LED chip of claim 18, wherein said reflective layer is below said active regions and above said interconnection layers.

24. The LED chip of claim 18, wherein said reflective layer is between said active regions.

25. The LED chip of claim 18 wherein said reflective layer is around the edge of said active regions.

26. A monolithic LED chip, comprising:

a plurality of active regions on a submount; and

electrically conductive interconnect elements in said submount between said active regions, wherein said interconnect elements are in electrical contact with said active regions, wherein said conductive interconnect elements comprise a first layer of electrically conductive material and a second layer of material having a higher resistance to electromigration than said first layer, wherein said interconnect elements interconnect said active regions from a same side of said active regions, and wherein said first layer extends beyond four edges of said second layer.

27. The LED chip of claim 26, further comprising another second layer, with said first layer sandwiched between said layers of second material.

28. The LED chip of claim 26, comprising a plurality of first and second layers arranged in stack.

29. The LED chips of claim 28, wherein the topmost and bottommost layers comprise said second layers.

30. The LED chip of claim 27, wherein said first layer comprises a material with a higher reflectivity than said second layers.

31. The LED chip of claim 27, wherein said second layers comprise a material with higher reflectivity than said first layers.

32. A monolithic LED chip, comprising:

a plurality of active regions on a submount;

integral electrically conductive interconnect elements in said submount between said active regions, wherein said interconnect elements are in electrical contact with said active regions on a same side of said active regions wherein said conductive interconnect elements comprise a metal alloy interconnection layer; and

a current spreading layer between a reflective layer and one of said active regions, wherein said reflective layer is at least partially between said interconnect elements and said active regions, and wherein said reflective layer is distinct from said interconnect elements.

33. The LED chip of claim 32, wherein said metal alloy interconnection layer exhibits reduced electromigration compared to a non-alloy conductive interconnection layer.

34. The LED chip of claim 32, wherein said metal alloy interconnection layer comprises Al with alloying materials.

35. The LED chip of claim 34, wherein said alloying materials comprise copper, silicon, scandium, or combinations thereof.

36. The LED chip of claim 32, wherein said metal alloy interconnection layer comprises a metal with an alloying material comprising copper, silicon, scandium, or combinations thereof.