Radiation-emitting semiconductor element and method for producing the same

• US 20050282373A1
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OSRAM OLED GMBH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: OSRAM GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Hahn, Berthold, Eisert, Dominik, Lugauer, Hans-Jurgen, Mundbrod-Vangerow, Manfred, Harle, Volker, Bader, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 7,691,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/604
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/153 in a repetitive configuration, e.g. LED bars
• 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0093 Wafer bonding; Removal of the growth substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/02 characterised by the semiconductor bodies
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/22 Roughened surfaces, e.g. at the interface between epitaxial layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/405 Reflective materials
• 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

Abstract

This invention describes a radiation-emitting semiconductor component based on GaN, whose semiconductor body is made up of a stack of different GaN semiconductor layers (1). The semiconductor body has a first principal surface (3) and a second principal surface (4), with the radiation produced being emitted through the first principal surface (3) and with a reflector (6) being produced on the second principal surface (4).

The invention also describes a production method for a semiconductor component pursuant to the invention. An interlayer (9) is first applied to a substrate (8), and a plurality of GaN layers (1) that constitute the semiconductor body of the component are then applied to this. The substrate (8) and the interlayer (9) are then detached and a reflector (6) is produced on a principal surface of the semiconductor body.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. Method for producing a radiation-emitting semiconductor component whose semiconductor body includes a stack of different III-V nitride semiconductor layers configured to emit radiation, wherein the semiconductor body has a first principal surface and a second principal surface, with at least a portion of the radiation being emitted through the first principal surface, the method comprising:

applying a reflector on the second principal surface of the semiconductor body.

9. Method pursuant to claim 40, wherein an Si substrate is used as the substrate.

10. Method pursuant to claim 9, wherein an SiC interlayer is applied.

11. Method pursuant to claim 40, wherein the interlayer is applied by a wafer-bonding method.

12. Method pursuant to claim 40, wherein the interlayer is applied by epitaxy.

13. Method pursuant to claim 8, wherein the reflector is made by applying a layer of metal, wherein the method further comprises using the applied layer of metal to provide an electrical contact to the semiconductor body.

14. Method pursuant to claim 40 further comprising applying a mask to the interlayer before producing the stack.

15. Method pursuant to claim 8, further comprising roughening at least part of the semiconductor body.

16. Method pursuant to claim 15, wherein the semiconductor body is roughened by etching.

17. Method pursuant to claim 15, wherein the semiconductor body is roughened by a sand-blasting method.

18. Method pursuant to claim 8, further comprising applying the III-V nitride layers to a composite substrate that has a substrate body and an interlayer, with the coefficient of thermal expansion of the substrate body being similar to or greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the III-V nitride layers, with the III-V nitride layers being deposited on the interlayer.

19. Method pursuant to claim 18, wherein the thickness of the interlayer is so small that the coefficient of thermal expansion of the composite substrate is determined essentially by the substrate body.

20. Method pursuant to claim 18, wherein the substrate body comprises SiC, poly-SiC, sapphire, GaN, or AlN.

21. Method pursuant to claim 18, wherein the interlayer comprises SiC, silicon, sapphire, MgO, GaN, or AlGaN.

22. Method pursuant to claim 18, wherein the interlayer has a monocrystalline surface at least in subregions.

23. Method pursuant to claim 18, wherein the III-V nitride layers are deposited on an Si(111) surface or on an SiC surface of the interlayer that is monocrystalline at least in subregions.

24. Method pursuant to claim 18, wherein the interlayer is applied to the substrate body by a wafer-bonding method.

25. Method pursuant to claim 18, wherein a bonding layer is produced between the substrate body and the interlayer.

26. Method pursuant to claim 25, wherein the bonding layer contains silicon oxide.

27. Method pursuant to claim 18, wherein a mask layer is produced with epitaxy windows on the composite substrate before applying the III-V nitride layers, with the epitaxy surface of the composite substrate remaining uncovered within the epitaxy windows.

28. Method pursuant to claim 18, wherein the III-V nitride layers are structured into individual semiconductor layer stacks after being applied to the composite substrate.

29. Method pursuant to claim 28, wherein the method further comprises:

application of a carrier to the semiconductor layer stack,

detachment of the composite substrate.

30. Method pursuant to claim 28, wherein the method further comprises:

application of an interlayer on the semiconductor layer stack,

detachment of the composite substrate,

application of a carrier to the side of the semiconductor layer stack from which the composite substrate has been detached,

detachment of the interlayer.

31. Method pursuant to claim 28, wherein the reflector is produced on the semiconductor layer stack.

32. Method pursuant to claim 31, wherein the reflector is produced by applying a metallic layer.

33. Method pursuant to claim 32, wherein the metallic layer comprises silver, aluminum or a silver or aluminum alloy.

34. Method pursuant to claim 31, further comprising using the reflector layer serves as a contact surface for an electrical connection to the semiconductor layer stack.

35. Method pursuant to claim 31, wherein the reflector is produced by dielectric vapor deposition.

36. Method pursuant to claim 31, wherein the reflector layer is produced by applying a transparent first layer to the semiconductor layer stack and applying a reflecting second layer to the transparent first layer.

37. Method pursuant to claim 28, wherein a surface of the semiconductor layer stack is roughened at least regionally.

38. Method pursuant to claim 37, wherein the surface of the semiconductor layer stack is roughened by etching.

39. Method pursuant to claim 37, wherein the surface of the semiconductor layer stack is roughened by a sand-blasting method.

40. Method pursuant to claim 8, further comprising:

applying an interlayer on a substrate;

applying a plurality of different III-V nitride semiconductor layers on the interlayer to form the stack; and

detaching the substrate including the interlayer from the stack.