Manufacturable laser diode formed on c-plane gallium and nitrogen material

• US 10,439,364 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2017
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera SLD Laser Incorporated (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Soraa Laser Diode, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: McLaurin, Melvin, Raring, James W., Sztein, Alexander, Hsu, Po Shan
• Primary Examiner(s): Karimy, Timor
• Application Number:
  US15/694,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20180013265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/18 High density interconnect [HDI] connectors; Manufacturing methods related thereto
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48465 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area being a wedge bond, i.e. ball-to-wedge, regular stitch
• 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 2924/00014 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 2924/16152 Cap comprising a cavity for hosting the device, e.g. U-shaped cap
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3512 Cracking
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2301/173 The laser chip comprising special buffer layers, e.g. dislocation prevention or reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2301/176 Specific passivation layers on surfaces other than the emission facet
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/005 Optical components external to the laser cavity, specially adapted therefor, e.g. for homogenisation or merging of the beams or for manipulating laser pulses, e.g. pulse shaping H01S5/026, H01S5/18388 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0087 for illuminating phosphorescent or fluorescent materials, e.g. using optical arrangements specifically adapted for guiding or shaping laser beams illuminating these materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0215 Bonding to the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0217 Removal of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02325 Mechanically integrated components on mount members or optical micro-benches
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02345 Wire-bonding
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2009 by using electron barrier layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2081 using special etching techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/22 having a ridge or stripe structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2201 in a specific crystallographic orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3202 grown on specifically orientated substrates, or using orientation dependent growth
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/320225 : polar orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/32025 : non-polar orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3211 : characterised by special cladding layers, e.g. details on band-discontinuities
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3214 : comprising materials from other groups of the Periodic Table than the materials of the active layer, e.g. ZnSe claddings and GaAs active layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/34333 : with a well layer based on Ga(In)N or Ga(In)P, e.g. blue laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4043 : with vertically stacked active layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4056 : emitting light in more than one direction
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4093 : Red, green and blue [RGB] generated directly by laser action or by a combination of laser action with nonlinear frequency conversion

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a laser diode device includes providing a substrate having a surface region and forming epitaxial material overlying the surface region, the epitaxial material comprising an n-type cladding region, an active region comprising at least one active layer overlying the n-type cladding region, and a p-type cladding region overlying the active layer region. The epitaxial material is patterned to form a plurality of dice, each of the dice corresponding to at least one laser device, characterized by a first pitch between a pair of dice, the first pitch being less than a design width. Each of the plurality of dice are transferred to a carrier wafer such that each pair of dice is configured with a second pitch between each pair of dice, the second pitch being larger than the first pitch.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a laser diode device, the method comprising:

providing a gallium and nitrogen containing substrate having a surface region;

forming an epitaxial material overlying the surface region, the epitaxial material comprising a release material overlying the surface region, an n-type gallium and nitrogen containing region overlying the release material, an active region comprising at least one quantum well layer overlying the n-type gallium and nitrogen containing region, a p-type gallium and nitrogen containing region overlying the active region; and

an interface region overlying the p-type gallium and nitrogen containing region;

forming a plurality of dies by patterning the epitaxial material, each pair of adjacent dies being characterized by a first pitch between the pair of dies, each of the dies corresponding to at least one laser diode device;

bonding the interface region associated with a portion of the plurality of dies to a carrier substrate to form bonded dies;

subjecting the release material of the bonded dies to an energy source to release the bonded dies from the gallium and nitrogen containing substrate and transfer the bonded dies to the carrier substrate;

configuring at least a pair of adjacent transferred dies with a second pitch on the carrier substrate that is different from the first pitch; and

processing at least one of the transferred dies on the carrier substrate to form the laser diode device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pitch is less than a design width;

wherein the second pitch is larger than the first pitch and corresponds to the design width;

wherein the bonding is provided before subjecting.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface region is comprised of metal, a semiconductor, or an oxide;

wherein the energy source is selected from a light source, a chemical source, a thermal source, or a mechanical source, and their combinations;

wherein the interface region comprises a contact material;

wherein the release material is selected from GaN, InGaN, AlInGaN, or AlGaN; and

wherein the bonded dies released using photo-electrical-chemical (PEC) etching.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each die is shaped as a mesa using an etching process, and each pair of dies having the first pitch ranging between 1 μ

m and 10 μ

m or between 10 micron and 50 microns or between 50 μ

m and 100 μ

m with a length of 50 μ

m to 3000 μ

m; and

wherein the second pitch on the carrier substrate is between 50 microns and 200 microns, or between 200 microns and 500 microns, or between 500 microns and 1000 microns, or greater than 1000 microns.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing each of the dies to form at least one laser device on each die after the transferring or further comprising forming one or multiple laser diode cavities on each die of epitaxial material.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising separating the transferred dies by initiating a cleaving process, a scribing and breaking, or a sawing process in the carrier substrate;

wherein the carrier substrate has a larger diameter than the gallium and nitrogen containing substrate; and

wherein the interface region is at least one of a metal-metal pairs, oxide-oxide pairs, spin-on-glass, soldering alloys, polymers, photoresists, or wax.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy source comprises a selective photo-electrical-chemical (PEC) etch of the release material;

a selective etch chemistry comprising KOH or any of its species;

a selective etch to selectively remove the release material while leaving an anchor region in tact to support the die before the bonding of the portion of the plurality of dies to the carrier substrate, and the anchor region separates after the bonding;

or a selective photo-electrical-chemical (PEC) etch to selectively remove the release material while leaving a metal anchor region in tact to support the die before the bonding of the portion of the plurality of dies to the carrier substrate, and the anchor region separates after the bonding.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier substrate is selected from a silicon wafer, a gallium arsenide wafer, an indium phosphide wafer, a silicon carbide wafer, an aluminum nitride wafer, a sapphire wafer, a diamond wafer, or a gallium nitride wafer;

wherein the bonding comprising thermal bonding, plasma activated bonding, anodic bonding, chemical bonding, or combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the dies comprises one or more components, the one or more components being selected from at least one of an electrical contact, a current spreading region, an optical cladding region, a laser ridge, a laser ridge passivation, or a pair of facets, either alone or in any combination.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer is configured above and/or below the active region to provide an optical guiding effect.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a reflective metal such as silver, aluminum, or gold is configured above and/or below the active region to provide an optical guiding effect.

12. A method for fabricating a laser diode device comprising:

providing a gallium and nitrogen containing substrate member comprising a surface region;

forming an epitaxial material overlying the surface region, the epitaxial material comprising a release material overlying the surface region, an n-type gallium and nitrogen containing material overlying the release material;

an active region overlying the n-type gallium and nitrogen containing material, a p-type gallium and nitrogen containing material overlying the active region;

a first transparent conductive oxide material overlying the epitaxial material, and an interface region overlying the first transparent conductive oxide material;

patterning the epitaxial material to form a plurality of dies, wherein each pair of adjacent dies is characterized by a first pitch between the pair of dies, each of the dies corresponding to at least one laser diode device;

bonding the interface region associated with a portion of the plurality of dies to a carrier substrate to form bonded dies;

subjecting the release material associated with the bonded dies to an energy source to initiate release of the gallium and nitrogen containing substrate member and transfer the bonded dies to the carrier substrate;

wherein each pair of adjacent transferred dies is configured with a second pitch on the carrier substrate that is different from the first pitch; and

processing at least one of transferred dies on the carrier substrate to form the laser diode device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising repeating the bonding and subjecting processes with another portion of the plurality of dies;

wherein the active region is comprised of at least one quantum well;

wherein the at least one quantum well is characterized by an internal polarization field;

wherein the release material, the n-type gallium and nitrogen containing material, the active region, and the p-type gallium and nitrogen containing region are characterized by a total thickness of less than 1.5 micron, less than 1 micron, or less than 0.5 micron.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

forming a ridge structure configured with the n-type gallium and nitrogen containing material to form an n-type ridge structure;

forming a dielectric material overlying the n-type gallium and nitrogen containing material; and

forming a second transparent conductive oxide material overlying an exposed portion of the n-type gallium and nitrogen containing material such that the active region is configured between the first transparent conductive oxide material and the second conductive oxide material to cause an optical guiding effect within the active region.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

forming an n-type contact region overlying an exposed portion of the n-type gallium and nitrogen containing material;

forming a patterned transparent oxide region overlying a portion of the n-type contact region; and

forming a metal material overlying the patterned transparent oxide region;

wherein the p-type gallium and nitrogen containing material is configured as a ridge waveguide structure to form a p-type ridge structure; and

wherein the patterned transparent oxide is comprised of indium tin oxide or zinc oxide.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

forming a ridge structure configured with the n-type gallium and nitrogen containing material to form an n-type ridge structure;

forming a dielectric material overlying the n-type gallium and nitrogen containing material; and

forming a reflective n-contact overlying the n-type gallium and nitrogen containing material such that the active region is configured between the first transparent conductive oxide material and the reflective n-contact to cause an optical guiding effect within the active region.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising forming a second transparent conductive oxide material overlying the n-type gallium and nitrogen containing material or overlying an exposed portion of an n-type gallium and nitrogen containing material such that the active region is configured between the first transparent conductive oxide material and the second transparent conductive oxide material to cause an optical guiding influence whereupon the second transparent conductive oxide material;

forming a ridge structure, using a lift off process or etching process, configured within at least the second transparent conductive oxide material to form a transparent conductive oxide ridge structure;

forming an contact region to expose a portion of the second transparent oxide material; and

forming a metal contact material on the exposed portion of the second transparent conductive oxide material.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the energy source comprises a selective etch to selectively remove the release material while leaving an anchor region in tact to support the die before the bonding of the portion of the dies to the carrier substrate, and the anchor region separates after the bonding.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the energy source comprises a selective photo-electrical-chemical (PEC) etch to selectively remove the release material while leaving a metal anchor region in tact to support the die before the bonding of the portion of the plurality of dies to the carrier substrate, and the anchor region separates after the bonding, the metal anchor region configured to provide an electrical short between an anode and the cathode to enhance a PEC etch.