Vertical gallium-nitride based light emitting diode

• US 20070114552A1
• Filed: 10/16/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Lee, Su, Choi, Seok, Jang, Tae
• Granted Patent: US 7,372,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/98
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0093 Wafer bonding; Removal of the growth substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/385 the electrode extending at least partially onto a side surface of the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/46 Reflective coating, e.g. dielectric Bragg reflector

Abstract

A vertical GaN-based LED includes: an n-electrode; a light-emitting structure in which an n-type GaN layer, an active layer, and a p-type GaN layer are sequentially formed under the n-electrode; a p-electrode formed under the light-emitting structure; a passivation layer formed to cover the side and bottom surfaces of the light-emitting structure and expose a predetermined portion of the p-electrode, the passivation layer being formed of a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR); a plating seed layer formed under the passivation layer and the p-electrode; and a support layer formed under the plating seed layer.

Claims

1. A vertical gallium-nitride (GaN)-based light emitting diode (LED) comprising:

an n-electrode;

a light-emitting structure in which an n-type GaN layer, an active layer, and a p-type GaN layer are sequentially formed under the n-electrode;

a p-electrode formed under the light-emitting structure;

a passivation layer formed to cover the side and bottom surfaces of the light-emitting structure and expose a predetermined portion of the p-electrode, the passivation layer being formed of a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR);

a plating seed layer formed under the passivation layer and the p-electrode; and

a support layer formed under the plating seed layer.

2. The vertical GaN-based LED according to claim 1,

wherein the DBR includes at least one semiconductor pattern in which a low refractive-index layer and a high refractive-index layer are sequentially formed.

3. The vertical GaN-based LED according to claim 2,

wherein the low refractive-index layer has a relatively lower refractive index than that of the high refractive-index layer.

4. The vertical GaN-based LED according to claim 2,

wherein the thicknesses of the low refractive-index and the high refractive-index layer, respectively, are λ

/4 of reference wavelength.

5. The vertical GaN-based LED according to claim 1,

wherein the plating seed layer is a bi-layer in which an adhesive layer and a reflective layer are sequentially formed.

6. The vertical GaN-based LED according to claim 5,

wherein the adhesive layer is formed of metal selected from the group consisting of Cr, Ni, Ti, and alloy thereof.

7. The vertical GaN-based LED according to claim 5,

wherein the reflective layer is formed of metal selected from the group consisting of Ag, Al, Pt, and alloy thereof.