THREE-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURE, LIGHT EMITTING ELEMENT INCLUDING THE STRUCTURE, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE STRUCTURE

• US 20080024053A1
• Filed: 03/19/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakanishi, Tsutomu, Fujimoto, Akira
• Application Number:
  US11/687,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20080024053A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 313/503
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1225 comprising photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/856 comprising reflective means
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/858 comprising refractive means, e.g. lenses

Abstract

It is made possible to provide a three-dimensional structure having a band-gap function as a three-dimensional photonic crystal. A three-dimensional structure includes: a plurality of basic elements provided at regular intervals on a substrate, each of the basic elements including a stack structure. The stack structure includes first members made of a dielectric material and second members made of the same dielectric material as the first members. The first and second members are alternately stacked, the second members each having a smaller diameter than each of the first members.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional structure, comprising:

a plurality of basic elements provided at regular intervals on a substrate, each of the basic elements including a stack structure, the stack structure comprising first members made of a dielectric material and second members made of the same dielectric material as the first members, the first and second members being alternately stacked, the second members each having a smaller diameter than each of the first members.

2. The three-dimensional structure according to claim 1, wherein:

a diameter of the each of the first members of the basic elements is in the range of 50 nm to 1000 nm;

a distance between each two adjacent basic elements is in the range of 100 nm to 2000 nm; and

a sum of the thickness of one of the first members and the thickness of one of the second members stacked on the one of the first members is uniform and is in the range of 25 nm to 200 nm.

3. The three-dimensional structure according to claim 1, wherein the basic elements are arranged in the form of a tetragonal lattice or a triangular lattice on the substrate.

4. A light emitting element comprising:

a first electrode and a second electrode;

an organic EL film that is provided between the first electrode and the second electrode; and

a three-dimensional structure according to claim 1, the three-dimensional structure being provided on a face of one of the first and second electrodes, the face being on the opposite side from an emission direction of the organic EL film.

5. The light emitting element according to claim 4, wherein:

a diameter of the each of the first members of the basic elements is in the range of 50 nm to 1000 nm;

a distance between each two adjacent basic elements is in the range of 100 nm to 2000 nm; and

a sum of the thickness of one of the first members and the thickness of one of the second members stacked on the one of the first members is uniform and is in the range of 25 nm to 200 nm.

6. The light emitting element according to claim 4, wherein the basic elements are arranged in the form of a tetragonal lattice or a triangular lattice on the substrate.

7. A light emitting element comprising:

a transparent substrate;

a light emitting diode that is provided on the transparent substrate; and

a three-dimensional structure according to claim 1, the three-dimensional structure being provided on a surface of the transparent substrate, the surface being on the opposite side from the surface on which the light emitting diode is provided.

8. The light emitting element according to claim 7, wherein the transparent substrate is a sapphire substrate.

9. The light emitting element according to claim 7, wherein a fluorescent layer is provided between the transparent substrate and the three-dimensional structure.

10. The light emitting element according to claim 7, wherein:

a diameter of the each of the first members of the basic elements is in the range of 50 nm to 1000 nm;

a distance between each two adjacent basic elements is in the range of 100 nm to 2000 nm; and

a sum of the thickness of one of the first members and the thickness of one of the second members stacked on the one of the first members is uniform and is in the range of 25 nm to 200 nm.

11. The light emitting element according to claim 7, wherein the basic elements are arranged in the form of a tetragonal lattice or a triangular lattice on the substrate.

12. A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional structure, comprising:

forming a stack structure in which first layers containing a metal and second layers containing the metal are alternately stacked in a cyclic fashion on a substrate, the second layers having a different etching rate from the first layers;

forming a two-dimensional regularly-arranged structure on the substrate by patterning the stack structure, the two-dimensional regularly-arranged structure being formed with stacked films consisting of the first layers and the second layers;

forming a regularly-arranged structure in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate by etching the first layers and the second layers of the two-dimensional regularly-arranged structure; and

turning the first layers and the second layers into the same dielectric materials by oxidizing the etched first and second layers.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the combination (M, A, B) of the metal M, a material A of the first layers and a material B of the second layers is one of (Al, Al, AlF₃), (Ti, Ti, TiO₂), (Ti, TiO, TiO₂), (Mg, Mg, MgF₂), and (La, La₂O₃, LaF₃).

14. A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional structure, comprising:

forming a stack structure in which first layers containing Si and second layers containing Si are alternately stacked in a cyclic fashion on a substrate, the second layers having a different etching rate from the first layers;

forming a two-dimensional regularly-arranged structure on the substrate by patterning the stack structure, the two-dimensional regularly-arranged structure being formed with stacked films consisting of the first layers and the second layers;

forming a regularly-arranged structure in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate by etching the first layers and the second layers of the two-dimensional regularly-arranged structure; and

turning the first layers and the second layers into the same dielectric materials by oxidizing the etched first and second layers.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the combination (A, B) of a material A of the first layers and a material B of the second layers is one of (Si, SiO₂), (SiO, SiO₂), and (Si, SiO).