Method of fabricating vertical structure compound semiconductor devices

• US 20060148115A1
• Filed: 03/02/2006
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Supergate Technology USA, Inc. (Supergate Technology Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Supergate Technology USA, Inc. (Supergate Technology Inc.)
• Inventors: Yoo, Myung Cheol
• Granted Patent: US 7,977,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/46
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0093 Wafer bonding; Removal of the growth substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0095 Post-treatment of devices, e.g. annealing, recrystallisation or short-circuit elimination
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/405 Reflective materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/42 Transparent materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/956 Making multiple wavelength emissive device

Abstract

A method of fabricating a vertical structure opto-electronic device includes fabricating a plurality of vertical structure opto-electronic devices on a crystal substrate, and then removing the substrate using a laser lift-off process. The method then fabricates a metal support structure in place of the substrate. In one aspect, the step of fabricating a metal support structure in place of the substrate includes the step of plating the metal support structure using at least one of electroplating and electro-less plating. In one aspect, the vertical structure is a GaN-based vertical structure, the crystal substrate includes sapphire and the metal support structure includes copper. Advantages of the invention include fabricating vertical structure LEDs suitable for mass production with high reliability and high yield.

Claims

1-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A method of fabricating a vertical structure opto-electronic device, comprising the step of:

fabricating a plurality of vertical structure opto-electronic devices on a crystal substrate;

removing the substrate using a laser lift-off process; and

fabricating a metal support structure in place of the substrate.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of fabricating a metal support structure in place of the substrate includes the step of plating the metal support structure using at least one of electroplating and electro-less plating.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the vertical structure is a GaN-based vertical structure, the crystal substrate includes sapphire and the metal support structure includes Cu.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the vertical structure is a GaN-based vertical structure, the crystal substrate includes sapphire and the metal support structure includes Cu.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of:

fabricating a buffer layer between the opto-electronic devices and the metal support structure.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of:

fabricating a buffer layer between the opto-electronic devices and the metal support structure.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of fabricating a metal support structure is performed on either a p-type metal contact or n-type metal contact surface.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of fabricating a metal support structure is performed on either a p-type metal contact or n-type metal contact surface.

32. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of performing ICP RIE etching and polishing on the lifted GaN wafer, wherein the etching and polishing exposes and produces an atomically flat surface of pure n-GaN, and wherein the flat surface is particularly beneficial in producing high reflectivity from a reflective structure to be subsequently deposited.

33. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of depositing a transparent conductive reflective layer using electron beam evaporation on the bottom of the structure, wherein ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) is preferably used for the n-contact is reflector.

34. A method of fabricating a vertical structure opto-electronic device, comprising the step of:

fabricating a plurality of vertical structure opto-electronic devices on a crystal substrate;

removing the substrate using a laser lift-off process; and

fabricating a metal support structure in place of the substrate, said metal support structure is formed of a material that includes Cu.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the step of fabricating a metal support structure in place of the substrate includes the step of plating the metal support structure using at least one of electroplating and electro-less plating.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the vertical structure opto-electronic device is a GaN-based vertical structure opto-electronic device, the crystal substrate includes sapphire.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the vertical structure opto-electronic device is a GaN-based vertical structure opto-electronic device, the crystal substrate includes sapphire.

38. The method of claim 34, further comprising the step of:

fabricating a buffer layer between the opto-electronic devices and the metal support structure.

39. The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of:

fabricating a buffer layer between the opto-electronic devices and the metal support structure.

40. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of performing ICP RIE etching and polishing on the lifted GaN wafer, wherein the etching and polishing exposes and produces an atomically flat surface of pure n-GaN, and wherein the flat surface is particularly beneficial in producing high reflectivity from a reflective structure to be subsequently deposited.

41. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of depositing a transparent conductive reflective layer using electron beam evaporation on the bottom of the structure, wherein ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) is preferably used for the n-contact is reflector.

42. A method of fabricating a GaN-based vertical structure opto-electronic device, comprising the step of:

fabricating a plurality of vertical structure opto-electronic devices on a sapphire substrate;

removing the substrate using a laser lift-off process; and

fabricating a metal support structure in place of the substrate.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the step of fabricating a metal support structure in place of the substrate includes the step of plating the metal support structure using at least one of electroplating and electro-less plating.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the metal support structure includes Cu.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein the metal support structure includes Cu.

46. The method of claim 42, further comprising the step of:

fabricating a buffer layer between the opto-electronic devices and the metal support structure.

47. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of:

fabricating a buffer layer between the opto-electronic devices and the metal support structure.

48. The method of claim 42, wherein the step of fabricating a metal support structure is performed on either a p-type metal contact or n-type metal contact surface.

49. The method of claim 43, wherein the step of fabricating a metal support structure is performed on either a p-type metal contact or n-type metal contact surface.

50. The method of claim 42, further comprising the step of performing ICP RIE etching and polishing on the lifted GaN wafer, wherein the etching and polishing exposes and produces an atomically flat surface of pure n-GaN, and wherein the flat surface is particularly beneficial in producing high reflectivity from a reflective structure to be subsequently deposited.

51. The method of claim 42, further comprising the step of depositing a transparent conductive reflective layer using electron beam evaporation on the bottom of the structure, wherein ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) is employed for the n-contact is reflector.