Radiation emitting semi-conductor element

• US 20070181894A1
• Filed: 07/30/2004
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OSRAM OLED GMBH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Windisch, Reiner, Pietzonka, Ines, Stein, Wilhelm, Wirth, Ralph
• Granted Patent: US 7,692,204 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/98
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/02 characterised by the semiconductor bodies
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/40 Materials therefor

Abstract

A radiation-emitting semiconductor component with a semiconductor body, including a first principal surface (5), a second principal surface (9) and a semiconductor layer sequence (4) with an electromagnetic radiation generating active zone (7), in which the semiconductor layer sequence (4) is disposed between the first and the second principal surfaces (5, 9), a first current spreading layer (3) is disposed on the first principal surface (5) and electrically conductively connected to the semiconductor layer sequence (4), and a second current spreading layer (10) is disposed on the second principal surface (9) and electrically conductively connected to the semiconductor layer sequence (4).

Claims

1. A radiation-emitting semiconductor component comprising:

a semiconductor body that includes a first principal surface, a second principal surface and a semiconductor layer sequence with an electromagnetic radiation generating active zone, said semiconductor layer sequence being disposed between the first and the second principal surfaces, wherein the radiation-emitting semiconductor component further comprises;

a first current spreading layer disposed on said first principal surface and electrically conductively connected to said semiconductor layer sequence; and

a second current spreading layer is disposed on said second principal surface and electrically conductively connected to said semiconductor layer sequence.

2. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 1,

wherein at least one of said two principal surfaces comprising said current spreading layers has a microstructure.

3. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 1, wherein at least one of said current spreading layers contains a material that is transparent to the generated radiation.

4. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 2, wherein both current spreading layers contain a material that is transparent to the generated radiation.

5. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 3, wherein-said radiation-transparent material contains an oxide.

6. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 5, wherein said oxide is a metal oxide.

7. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 3, wherein said radiation-transparent material contains ITO and/or InO.

8. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 3, wherein said radiation-transparent material contains ZnO.

9. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 3, wherein said radiation-transparent material contains SnO.

10. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 1, wherein at least one of said current spreading layers contains Al, Ga, In, Ce, Sb and/or F.

11. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 1, wherein disposed on at least one of said current spreading layers is a mirror layer.

12. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 11, wherein said mirror layer is disposed on the side of said current spreading layer facing away from said semiconductor layer sequence.

13. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 11, wherein said mirror layer is electrically conductive.

14. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 11, wherein said mirror layer contains a metal.

15. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 11, wherein said mirror layer contains Au, Ag, Al and/or Pt.

16. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 11, wherein said principal surface has a microstructure on the side of said semiconductor layer sequence facing away from said mirror layer.

17. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 1, wherein said semiconductor layer sequence contains at least one n- and/or p-conductive layer.

18. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 17, wherein the thickness of said n-conductive and/or said p-conductive layer is in the range of a monolayer to 1000 nm.

19. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 17 wherein the current spreading layer on the side comprising the p-conductive layer of the semiconductor layer sequence contains ZnO and preferably Al.

20. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 17, wherein the current spreading layer on the side comprising the n-conductive layer of the semiconductor layer sequence contains SnO.

21. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 1, wherein said radiation-emitting semiconductor component is affixed to a carrier.

22. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 21, wherein said carrier contains GaAs.

23. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 21, wherein said radiation-emitting semiconductor component is affixed to said carrier by means of a solder metallization.

24. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 11, wherein a solder metallization is disposed on said mirror layer to affix said radiation-emitting semiconductor component to a carrier.

25. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 1, wherein disposed on a current spreading layer is a contact surface for electrical contacting.

26. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 25, wherein said contact surface is disposed on the side of said semiconductor layer sequence opposite to said carrier.

27. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 25, said contact surface has on the side facing said semiconductor layer sequence a layer that reflects the generated radiation.

28. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 1, wherein at least one of said current spreading layers comprises a recess.

29. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 28, wherein disposed in said recess is an electrically conductive contact surface.

30. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 29, wherein the electrical contacting of said radiation-emitting semiconductor component takes place via said contact surface.

31. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 30, wherein disposed on the side of said current spreading layer facing said semiconductor layer sequence and provided with said recess and said contact surface is a jacket layer or a jacket layer sequence.

32. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 31, wherein said jacket layer or jacket layer sequence is poorly electrically conductive with respect to said contact surface, such that the current partially flows into said current spreading layer.

33. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 1, said semiconductor layer sequence contains a III/V semiconductor, preferably In_xGa_yAl_l-x-yP, where 0≦

x≦

1, 0≦

y≦

1 and x+y≦

1, In_xGa_yAl_l-x-yN, where 0≦

x≦

1, 0≦

y≦

1 and x+y ≦

1, or In_xGa_yAl_l-x-yAs, where 0≦

x≦

1, 0≦

y≦

1 and x+y≦

1.

34. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 1, wherein said first current spreading layer contains ZnO and on the side nearest said semiconductor body adjoins a p-conductive AlGaAs-containing layer.

42. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 18, wherein the thickness of said n-conductive and/or said p-conductive layer is less than 400 nm.

43. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 42, wherein the thickness of said n-conductive and/or said p-conductive layer is between 150 nm and 400 nm.

44. The radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 17, wherein the current spreading layer on the side comprising the n-conductive layer of the semiconductor layer sequence contains SnO and Sb.

35. A method for producing a radiation-emitting semiconductor component with a semiconductor body, including a first principal surface, a second principal surface and a semiconductor layer sequence with an electromagnetic radiation generating active zone, said semiconductor layer sequence being disposed between the first and the second principal surfaces, the method comprising:

growing said semiconductor layer sequence on a substrate;

applying a radiation-transparent current spreading layer to said first principal surface;

removing said substrate;

applying a radiation-transparent current spreading layer to said second principal surface.

36. The method for producing a radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 35, wherein a mirror layer is applied to said current spreading layer on said first principal surface and said semiconductor body is preferably affixed on the side with said mirror layer to a carrier.

37. The method for producing a radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 35, wherein the growth of said semiconductor layer sequence is effected epitaxially.

38. The method for producing a radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 35, wherein said current spreading layers are applied by sputtering.

39. The method for producing a radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 36, wherein said mirror layer is applied by sputtering or vapor deposition.

40. The method for producing a radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 35, wherein before the application of said current spreading layers, a microstructure is applied or built into or onto at least one of said principal surfaces.

41. The method for producing a radiation-emitting semiconductor component as in claim 35 wherein ajacket layer sequence is applied between at least one current spreading layer and the adjacently disposed principal surface and comprises a recess in which said electrical contact surface is constructed.