Nitride semiconductor light-emitting element and method of manufacturing the same

• US 20080061315A1
• Filed: 08/28/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Fukuyama Laser Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hata, Toshio
• Granted Patent: US 8,835,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/99
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0093 Wafer bonding; Removal of the growth substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/22 Roughened surfaces, e.g. at the interface between epitaxial layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/42 Transparent materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0213 Sapphire, quartz or diamond based substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0217 Removal of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/32341 blue laser based on GaN or GaP

Abstract

There is provided a nitride semiconductor light-emitting element including a transparent conductor, a first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer, a light-emitting layer, and a second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer, the first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer, the light-emitting layer, and the second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer being successively stacked on the transparent conductor. There is also provided a nitride semiconductor light-emitting element including a first transparent conductor, a metal layer, a second transparent conductor, a first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer, a light-emitting layer, and a second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer, the metal layer, the second transparent conductor, the first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer, the light-emitting layer, and the second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer being successively stacked on the first transparent conductor. There is also provided a method of manufacturing each of these nitride semiconductor light-emitting elements.

Claims

1. A nitride semiconductor light-emitting element comprising:

a transparent conductor, a first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer;

a light-emitting layer; and

a second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer, the first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer, the light-emitting layer, and the second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer being successively stacked on said transparent conductor.

2. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein said transparent conductor contains indium tin oxide, zinc oxide, tin oxide, cadmium oxide, cadmium indium oxide, cadmium tin oxide, zinc tin oxide, indium zinc oxide, magnesium indium oxide, calcium gallium oxide, titanium nitride, zirconium nitride, hafnium nitride, or lanthanum boride.

3. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein said first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer contains at least magnesium, and said second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer contains at least silicon.

16. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein said first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer, said light-emitting layer, and said second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer are located on said transparent conductor inside a region surrounded by an exposed surface obtained by exposing a part of a surface of said transparent conductor.

17. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, a part of a surface of said transparent conductor is exposed so as to surround the periphery of said first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer, said light-emitting layer, and said second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer.

20. A method of manufacturing the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element recited in claim 1, comprising the steps of:

stacking the second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer, the light-emitting layer, and the first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer containing magnesium on a substrate in this order;

forming the transparent conductor on said first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer; and

heating said transparent conductor to a temperature of not less than 500°

C. for not less than 10 minutes.

21. The method of manufacturing the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 20, wherein said transparent conductor contains indium tin oxide, zinc oxide, tin oxide, cadmium oxide, cadmium indium oxide, cadmium tin oxide, zinc tin oxide, indium zinc oxide, magnesium indium oxide, calcium gallium oxide, titanium nitride, zirconium nitride, hafnium nitride, or lanthanum boride.

22. The method of manufacturing the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 20, wherein said substrate contains at least one-selected from the group consisting of sapphire, gallium arsenide, gallium phosphide, silicon, and germanium.

23. The method of manufacturing the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 20, comprising the step of removing said substrate.

24. The method of manufacturing the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 20, comprising the step of exposing a part of a surface of said transparent conductor by removing said second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer, said light-emitting layer, and said first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer.

4. A nitride semiconductor light-emitting element comprising:

a first transparent conductor;

a metal layer;

a second transparent conductor;

a first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer;

a light-emitting layer; and

a second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer, the metal layer, the second transparent conductor, the first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer, the light-emitting layer, and the second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer being successively stacked on said first transparent conductor.

5. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 4, wherein a surface of said second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer has irregularities.

6. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 4, wherein a thickness of said second transparent conductor is smaller than a thickness of said first transparent conductor.

7. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 4, wherein at least one of said first transparent conductor and said second transparent conductor contains indium tin oxide, zinc oxide, tin oxide, cadmium oxide, cadmium indium oxide, cadmium tin oxide, zinc tin oxide, indium zinc oxide, magnesium indium oxide, calcium gallium-oxide, titanium nitride, zirconium nitride, hafnium nitride, or lanthanum boride.

8. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 4, wherein a surface of said second transparent conductor on said metal layer-side has irregularities.

9. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 4, wherein a surface of said second transparent conductor on said metal layer-side has a dimple.

10. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 4, wherein said metal layer includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a metal adhesive layer, a metal barrier layer, and a metal reflective layer.

11. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 10, wherein said metal adhesive layer contains chromium or a chromium alloy.

12. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 10, wherein said metal barrier layer contains nickel, titanium, a nickel-titanium alloy, or platinum.

13. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 10, wherein said metal reflective layer contains at least one selected from the group consisting of silver, platinum, aluminum, rhodium, a silver-neodymium alloy, a silver-neodymium-copper alloy, a silver-palladium alloy, a silver-palladium-copper alloy, a silver-bismuth alloy, and a silver-neodymium-gold alloy.

14. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 4, wherein a surface of the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element on said first transparent conductor-side is made to serve as a mounting surface.

15. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 4, wherein said first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer contains at least magnesium, and said second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer contains at least silicon.

18. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 4, wherein said first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer, said light-emitting layer, and said second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer are located on said second transparent conductor inside a region surrounded by an exposed surface obtained by exposing a part of a surface of said second transparent conductor.

19. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 4, a part of a surface of said transparent conductor is exposed so as to surround the periphery of said first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer, said light-emitting layer, and said second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer.

25. A method of manufacturing the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element recited in claim 4, comprising the steps of:

stacking the second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer, the light-emitting layer, and the first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer containing magnesium on a substrate in this order;

forming the second transparent conductor on said first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer;

heating said second transparent conductor to a temperature of not less than 500°

C. for not less than 10 minutes;

forming the metal layer after said heating; and

forming the first transparent conductor.

26. The method of manufacturing the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 25, wherein at least one of said first transparent conductor and said second transparent conductor contains indium tin oxide, zinc oxide, tin oxide, cadmium oxide, cadmium indium oxide, cadmium tin oxide, zinc tin oxide, indium zinc oxide, magnesium indium oxide, calcium gallium oxide, titanium nitride, zirconium nitride, hafnium nitride, or lanthanum boride.

27. The method of manufacturing the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 25, wherein said substrate contains at least one selected from the group consisting of sapphire, gallium arsenide, gallium phosphide, silicon, and germanium.

28. The method of manufacturing the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 25, comprising the step of removing said substrate.

29. The method of manufacturing the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 25, comprising the step of exposing a part of a surface of said second transparent conductor by removing said second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer, said light-emitting layer, and said first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer.

30. A method of manufacturing the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element recited in claim 8, comprising the steps of:

stacking the second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer, the light-emitting layer, and the first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer containing magnesium on a substrate in this order;

forming the second transparent conductor on said first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer;

heating said second transparent conductor to a temperature of not less than 500°

C. for not less than 10 minutes;

forming the irregularities at the surface of said second transparent conductor after said heating;

forming the metal layer, and forming the first transparent conductor.

31. The method of manufacturing the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 30, wherein at least one of said first transparent conductor and said second transparent conductor contains indium tin oxide, zinc oxide, tin oxide, cadmium oxide, cadmium indium oxide, cadmium tin oxide, zinc tin oxide, indium zinc oxide, magnesium indium oxide, calcium gallium oxide, titanium nitride, zirconium nitride, hafnium nitride, or lanthanum boride.

32. The method of manufacturing the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 30, wherein said substrate contains at least one selected from the group consisting of sapphire, gallium arsenide, gallium phosphide, silicon, and germanium.

33. The method of manufacturing the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 30, comprising the step of removing said substrate.

34. The method of manufacturing the nitride semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 30, comprising the step of exposing a part of the surface of said second transparent conductor by removing said second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer, said light-emitting layer, and said first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer.