Semiconductor light-emitting element and method of manufacturing the same

• US 20050145864A1
• Filed: 02/10/2005
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Akira Fujimoto, Atsuko Yamashita, Hitoshi Sugiyama, Katsumi Egashira, Kenichi Ohashi, Koji Asakawa, Shoichi Washizuka, Shunji Yoshitake, Yasuhiko Akaike
• Original Assignee: Akira Fujimoto, Atsuko Yamashita, Hitoshi Sugiyama, Katsumi Egashira, Kenichi Ohashi, Koji Asakawa, Shoichi Washizuka, Shunji Yoshitake, Yasuhiko Akaike
• Inventors: Asakawa, Koji, Fujimoto, Akira, Washizuka, Shoichi, Egashira, Katsumi, Yamashita, Atsuko, Akaike, Yasuhiko, Sugiyama, Hitoshi, Ohashi, Kenichi, Yoshitake, Shunji
• Application Number:
  US11/054,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20050145864A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/95
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/22 Roughened surfaces, e.g. at the interface between epitaxial layers

Abstract

There is disclosed a semiconductor light-emitting element comprising a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, a semiconductor laminate formed on the first surface of the substrate and containing a light-emitting layer and a current diffusion layer having a light-extracting surface. The light-emitting element is provided with a light-extracting surface which is constituted by a finely recessed/projected surface, 90% of which is constructed such that the height of the projected portion thereof having a cone-like configuration is 100 nm or more, and the width of the base of the projected portion is within the range of 10-500 nm.

Claims

1. A semiconductor light-emitting element comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface; and

a semiconductor laminate formed on said first surface of said substrate and containing a light-emitting layer;

wherein said light-emitting element is provided with a light-extracting surface which is constituted by a finely recessed/projected surface, at least 90% of which is constructed such that the height of the projected portion thereof having a cone-like configuration is 100 nm or more, and the width of the base of the projected portion is within the range of 10-500 nm.

2. The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein said light-extracting surface is constituted by said second surface of substrate.

3. The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 2, wherein said substrate is formed of a transparent substrate.

4. The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein said light-extracting surface is constituted by an outermost surface of said semiconductor laminate.

5. The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said projected portions is formed of a cone-shaped configuration having an apex angle ranging from 20 to 80 degrees.

6. The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said projected portions is provided, at the apex thereof, with a very small transparent portion constituted by a material which differs in kind from the material of said light-extracting surface.

7. The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said projected portions is provided with a flat apex.

8. The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said projected portions is provided with a flat apex, on which a very small transparent portion is disposed, said very small transparent portion being formed of a material differing in kind from the material of said light-extracting surface.

9. The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 2, wherein said substrate is provided, on said second surface, with a transparent oxide film or a transparent nitride film, and said finely recessed/projected portions are constituted by a surface of said transparent oxide film or of said transparent nitride film.

10. The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 4, wherein said semiconductor laminate comprises a current diffusion layer is disposed at the uppermost layer of said semiconductor laminate, and said finely recessed/projected portions exists on an exposed surface of said current diffusion layer.

11. The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 10, wherein said current diffusion layer is provided, on the exposed surface thereof, with a transparent oxide film or a transparent nitride film, and said finely recessed/projected portions are formed on a surface of said transparent oxide film or of said transparent nitride film.

12-23. -23. (canceled)