Method of making a light emitting device having a patterned protective layer

• US 10,608,142 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2017
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Epistar Corporation (Ennostar, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Epistar Corporation (Ennostar, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wu, Jar-Yu, Su, Ching-Jang, Tseng, Chun-Lung, Shen, Ching-Hsing
• Primary Examiner(s): Campbell, Shaun M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chi, Suberr L
• Application Number:
  US15/703,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20180013038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0025 relating to coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/002 having heterojunctions or graded gap
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/22 Roughened surfaces, e.g. at the interface between epitaxial layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/38 with a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/42 Transparent materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/44 characterised by the coatings, e.g. passivation layer or anti-reflective coating

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a light-emitting device includes: providing a substrate; forming a light-emitting structure comprising an active layer on the substrate; forming a protective layer having a first thickness on the light-emitting structure; etching the protective layer such that the protective layer has a second thickness less than the first thickness; and patterning the protective layer.

Claims

1. A method of making a light emitting device, comprising steps of:

providing a substrate;

forming a light-emitting structure comprising an active layer on the substrate;

forming a protective layer having a first thickness on the light-emitting structure;

etching the protective layer to form a protective thin layer having a second thickness smaller than the first thickness; and

patterning the protective thin layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the protective layer is formed on a top surface and a sidewall of the light-emitting structure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a difference between the first thickness and the second thickness is larger than 300 Å

.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a laser after forming the protective layer.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising cutting the protective layer by the laser.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising forming a trench in the substrate by the laser.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of etching the protective layer comprises etching the protective layer by an acidic solution.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second thickness is between 3000-9700 Å

.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a patterned protective layer is formed by the step of patterning the protective thin layer, and the method further comprising:

forming a transparent conductive layer on the patterned protective layer and the light-emitting structure; and

forming a first electrode on the transparent conductive layer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first electrode is formed on the transparent conductive layer at a position corresponding to the patterned protective layer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the patterned protective layer comprises a shape substantially the same as the first electrode and an area larger than that of the first electrode.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the patterned protective layer comprises an inclined sidewall.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the patterned protective layer is configured to be a current barrier layer.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming the light-emitting structure comprises:

sequentially forming a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer on the substrate; and

etching the light-emitting structure to expose a part of the first semiconductor layer before forming the protective layer.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising forming a second electrode on the first semiconductor layer.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the protective layer comprises an insulating material.