Semiconductor light emitting device, lighting module, lighting apparatus, display element, and manufacturing method for semiconductor light emitting device

• US 20070102693A1
• Filed: 12/17/2004
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Satco Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagai, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 7,755,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/13
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/00 Light sources using semiconductor devices as light-generating elements, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] or lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0753 the devices being arranged next to each other
• 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 33/50 Wavelength conversion elements

Abstract

In an LED array chip (2), LEDs (6) are connected together in series by a bπ dging wire (30) The LEDs (6) each have a semiconductor multilayer structure (8-18) including a light emitting layer (14) Here, the semiconductor multilayer structure (8-18) is epitaxially grown on a front surface of an SiC substrate (4) A phosphor film (48) covers the LEDs (6) Two power supply terminals (36 and 38), which are electrically independent from each other, are formed on a back surface of the SiC substrate (4) The power supply terminal (36) is connected to a cathode electrode (32) of an LED (6a) at a lower potential end by a bπ dging wire (40) and a plated-through hole (42) The power supply terminal (38) is connected to an anode electrode (34) of an LED (6d) at a higher potential end by a bridging wire (44) and a plated-through hole (46)

Claims

1. A semiconductor light emitting device comprising:

a substrate;

a semiconductor multilayer structure formed on a first main surface of the substrate, the semiconductor multilayer structure including a light emitting layer;

a first electrode and a second electrode formed on the semiconductor multilayer structure, power being supplied to the semiconductor multilayer structure through the first electrode and the second electrode so as to cause the light emitting layer to emit light;

a phosphor film covering at least a main surface of the semiconductor multilayer structure which faces away from the first main surface of the substrate;

a first terminal and a second terminal formed on a second main surface of the substrate;

a first conductive member electrically connecting the first electrode to the first terminal; and

a second conductive member electrically connecting the second electrode to the second terminal.

2. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1, wherein

at least part of each of the first conductive member and the second conductive member is a plated-through hole provided in the substrate.

3. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 2, wherein

the semiconductor multilayer structure is divided into a plurality of portions by a division groove that is deep enough to reach the substrate, and

each of the plurality of portions is constituted as an independent light emitting element.

4. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 3, wherein

the light emitting element has a diode structure, and includes an anode electrode and a cathode electrode,

a plurality of light emitting elements are connected in series in such a manner that a cathode electrode of a light emitting element is connected to an anode electrode of a different light emitting element using a wire formed by a thin metal film, and

an anode electrode of a light emitting element at a higher potential end of an array of the plurality of light emitting elements is constituted as the first electrode, and a cathode electrode of a light emitting element at a lower potential end of the array is constituted as the second electrode.

5. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1, wherein

at least part of each of the first conductive member and the second conductive member is a conductive film formed on a side surface of the substrate.

6. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 5, wherein

the semiconductor multilayer structure is divided into a plurality of portions by a division groove that is deep enough to reach the substrate, and

each of the plurality of portions is constituted as an independent light emitting element.

7. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 6, wherein

the light emitting element has a diode structure, and includes an anode electrode and a cathode electrode,

a plurality of light emitting elements are connected in series in such a manner that a cathode electrode of a light emitting element is connected to an anode electrode of a different light emitting element using a wire formed by a thin metal film, and

an anode electrode of a light emitting element at a higher potential end of an array of the plurality of light emitting elements is constituted as the first electrode, and a cathode electrode of a light emitting element at a lower potential end of the array is constituted as the second electrode.

8. A lighting module comprising:

a mounting substrate; and

a semiconductor light emitting device defined in claim 1, wherein

the semiconductor light emitting device is mounted on the mounting substrate in such a manner that a first terminal and a second terminal are faced to the mounting substrate.

9. The lighting module of claim 8 further comprising:

a reflective mirror surrounding a semiconductor multilayer structure of the semiconductor light emitting device so as to reflect light emitted from a side surface of the semiconductor multilayer structure in a direction substantially perpendicular to a first main surface of a substrate.

10. The lighting module of claim 9, wherein

the mounting substrate has a depression which increases in diameter from a bottom to an open end,

the reflective mirror is a reflective film provided on a wall of the depression, and

the semiconductor light emitting device is mounted on the bottom of the depression.

11. A lighting apparatus including a lighting module defined in claim 8 as a light source.

12. A display element including a semiconductor light emitting device defined in claim 1 as a light source.

13. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor light emitting device, comprising steps of:

forming a semiconductor multilayer structure including a light emitting layer on one of main surfaces of a substrate;

dividing the semiconductor multilayer structure into a plurality of portions each of which corresponds to the semiconductor light emitting device;

forming a phosphor film on and around each of the plurality of portions of the semiconductor multilayer structure; and

dividing the substrate for each of the plurality of portions.