Light-emitting element with electrode structure

• US 10,374,130 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2016
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Epistar Corporation
• Original Assignee: Epistar Corporation
• Inventors: Hon, Schang-Jing, Chen, Chao-Hsing, Ko, Tsun-Kai, Shen, Chien-Fu, Wang, Jia-Kuen, Chen, Hung-Che
• Primary Examiner(s): Bradley, Stephen M
• Application Number:
  US15/279,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20170018684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/20 with a particular shape, e.g. curved or truncated substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/24 of the light emitting region, e.g. non-planar junction
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/38 with a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/387 with a plurality of electrode regions in direct contact with the semiconductor body and being electrically interconnected by another electrode layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/44 characterised by the coatings, e.g. passivation layer or anti-reflective coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/46 Reflective coating, e.g. dielectric Bragg reflector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/54 having a particular shape
• 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

A light-emitting element comprises a substrate; a light-emitting semiconductor stack on the substrate, the light-emitting semiconductor stack comprising a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer on the first semiconductor layer, and a light-emitting layer between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer; a first electrode on the first semiconductor layer; a reflective layer formed on the light-emitting semiconductor stack; a protection layer formed on the light-emitting semiconductor stack; and a conductive contact layer formed on the light-emitting semiconductor stack, wherein each layer above the substrate comprises a side surface inclined to a top surface of the substrate.

Claims

1. A light-emitting element, comprising:

a substrate comprising a surface;

a light-emitting semiconductor stack, formed on the substrate, comprising;

a first semiconductor layer;

a second semiconductor layer on the first semiconductor layer; and

a light-emitting layer between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer;

a first electrode on the first semiconductor layer;

a first protection layer covering a sidewall of the light-emitting semiconductor stack;

a second protection layer comprising a first through hole exposing the first electrode and a plurality of second through holes, wherein the second protection layer covers and surrounds the first protection layer, and the first protection layer and the second protection layer directly contact a surface of the first semiconductor layer, wherein two of the plurality of second through holes are formed on opposite sides of the first electrode from a top view of the light-emitting element, wherein the first through hole is not between the two of the plurality of second through holes;

a reflective layer formed on the light-emitting semiconductor stack; and

a conductive contact layer formed on the second protection layer,

wherein the light-emitting semiconductor stack, the first electrode, the first protection layer, the second protection layer, the reflective layer, and the conductive contact layer respectively comprises a first inclined side surface relative to the surface of the substrate, and wherein an angle between a side face and a lower face of the first electrode ranges from 15 degrees to 70 degrees.

2. The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the angle ranges from 30 degrees to 45 degrees.

3. The light-emitting element according to claim 1, further comprising a second electrode formed on the second semiconductor layer, wherein the second electrode comprises a second inclined side surface relative to the surface of the substrate.

4. The light-emitting element according to claim 3, wherein the second electrode comprises indium tin oxide (ITO), indium oxide (InO), tin oxide (SnO), cadmium tin oxide (CTO), antimony tin oxide (ATO), aluminium zinc oxide (AZO), zinc tin oxide (ZTO), zinc oxide (ZnO), gallium doped zinc oxide (GZO), or indium zinc oxide (IZO).

5. The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the conductive contact layer comprises a first conductive part and a second conductive part, and a distance between the first conductive part and the second conductive part is at least 50 μ

m.

6. The light-emitting element according to claim 5, wherein the first conductive part and the second conductive part each comprises a top surface comprising a concave-convex profile above a topmost surface of the light-emitting semiconductor stack.

7. The light-emitting element according to claim 5, wherein the first conductive part comprises a first width, the second conductive part comprises a second width, and a ratio of the first width to the second width ranges from 0.8 to 1.2.

8. The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the first protection layer and the second protection layer directly contact the surface of the substrate.

9. The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the conductive contact layer comprises a first conductive part and a second conductive part, the first electrode comprises a contact area and an extension area, the extension area is formed beyond a projected area of the second conductive part and not covered by the first conductive part, and the contact area is covered by the first conductive part.

10. The light-emitting element according to claim 1, further comprising a barrier layer covering and surrounding the reflective layer.

11. The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode comprises multiple contact areas and multiple extension areas, and the multiple contact areas are physically separated from one another.

12. The light-emitting element according to claim 11, wherein the conductive contact layer comprises a first conductive part and a second conductive part, the multiple extension areas are formed beyond a projected area of the second conductive part and not covered by the first conductive part, and the multiple contact areas are covered by the first conductive part.

13. The light-emitting element according to claim 11, wherein the conductive contact layer comprises a first conductive part and a second conductive part, the first conductive part is electrically connected to the first electrode, the second conductive part is electrically connected to the reflective layer, and part of the multiple contact areas are not covered by the first conductive part.

14. A light-emitting element, comprising:

a substrate;

a light-emitting semiconductor stack on the substrate, comprising;

a first semiconductor layer;

a second semiconductor layer on the first semiconductor layer; and

a light-emitting layer between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer; and

a first conductive part and a second conductive part on the light-emitting semiconductor stack,

wherein the first conductive part, the second conductive part and the substrate each comprises an upper surface, a horizontal distance between the first conductive part and the second conductive part is at least 50 μ

m, a first height between the upper surface of the first conductive part and the upper surface of the substrate is larger than a second height between the upper surface of the second conductive part and the upper surface of the substrate.

15. The light-emitting element according to claim 14, wherein the first conductive part and the second conductive part comprises different surface areas.

16. The light-emitting element according to claim 14, further comprising a first height balancer under the first conductive part and a second height balancer under the second conductive part.

17. The light-emitting element according to claim 16, further comprising a protection layer formed between the first conductive part and the light-emitting semiconductor stack, and formed between the second conductive part and the light-emitting stack,

wherein the protection layer comprises a first group of through holes covered by the first conductive part and a second group of through holes covered by the second conductive part, the second group of through holes comprises an amount larger than that of the first group of through holes.

18. The light-emitting element according to claim 14, wherein the first conductive part and the second conductive part respectively comprises a first inclined side surface relative to the upper surface of the substrate.