SEMICONDUCTOR LIGHT-EMITTING DEVICE
First Claim
1. A compound semiconductor light-emitting-element comprising, on a substrate transparent to an emission wavelength, a compound semiconductor thin-film crystal layer having a first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer containing a first-conductivity-type cladding layer, an active layer structure and a second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer containing a second-conductivity-type cladding layer;
- a second-conductivity-type-side electrode; and
a first-conductivity-type-side electrode, in which a main light-extraction direction is the side of the substrate,wherein;
the first-conductivity-type-side electrode and the second-conductivity-type-side electrode are not spatially overlapped and are formed on the opposite side to the main light-extraction direction;
the light-emitting-element comprises a light-uniforming layer, for improving uniformity of a light outgoing from a light-extraction-face, between the substrate and the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, and optionally a buffer layer between the substrate and the light-uniforming layer;
at the edge of the light-emitting-element, sidewalls of at least the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, the active layer structure and the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer form a setback-sidewall-surface which recedes from the edge of the substrate on a sidewall surface of the thin-film crystal layer; and
the light-emitting-element comprises an insulating layer at least covering the setback-sidewall-surface of the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, the active layer structure and the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer;
the insulating layer (a) being in contact with a part of the first-conductivity-type-side electrode at the side of the main light-extraction direction and covering a part of the second-conductivity-type-side electrode on the side opposite to the main light-extraction direction and (b) at least, covering the setback-sidewall-surface at a position distant from the light-emitting-element edge.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An etching process includes forming a metal-fluoride layer at least as a part of an etching mask formed over a semiconductor layer at a temperature of 150° C. or higher; patterning the metal-fluoride layer; and etching the semiconductor layer using the patterned metal-fluoride layer as a mask. Using this etching method, even an etching-resistant semiconductor layer such as a Group III-V nitride semiconductor can be easily etched by a relatively simpler process.
38 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A compound semiconductor light-emitting-element comprising, on a substrate transparent to an emission wavelength, a compound semiconductor thin-film crystal layer having a first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer containing a first-conductivity-type cladding layer, an active layer structure and a second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer containing a second-conductivity-type cladding layer;
- a second-conductivity-type-side electrode; and
a first-conductivity-type-side electrode, in which a main light-extraction direction is the side of the substrate,wherein; the first-conductivity-type-side electrode and the second-conductivity-type-side electrode are not spatially overlapped and are formed on the opposite side to the main light-extraction direction; the light-emitting-element comprises a light-uniforming layer, for improving uniformity of a light outgoing from a light-extraction-face, between the substrate and the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, and optionally a buffer layer between the substrate and the light-uniforming layer; at the edge of the light-emitting-element, sidewalls of at least the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, the active layer structure and the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer form a setback-sidewall-surface which recedes from the edge of the substrate on a sidewall surface of the thin-film crystal layer; and the light-emitting-element comprises an insulating layer at least covering the setback-sidewall-surface of the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, the active layer structure and the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer;
the insulating layer (a) being in contact with a part of the first-conductivity-type-side electrode at the side of the main light-extraction direction and covering a part of the second-conductivity-type-side electrode on the side opposite to the main light-extraction direction and (b) at least, covering the setback-sidewall-surface at a position distant from the light-emitting-element edge. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 18, 20, 21)
- a second-conductivity-type-side electrode; and
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10-17. -17. (canceled)
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19. (canceled)
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22-27. -27. (canceled)
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28. A compound semiconductor light-emitting-element comprising a compound semiconductor thin-film crystal layer having a buffer layer, a first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer containing a first-conductivity-type cladding layer, an active layer structure and a second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer containing a second-conductivity-type cladding layer in this order;
- a second-conductivity-type-side electrode; and
a first-conductivity-type-side electrode, in which a main light-extraction direction is a buffer layer side in relation to the active layer structure,wherein; the first-conductivity-type-side electrode and the second-conductivity-type-side electrode are not spatially overlapped and are formed on the opposite side to the main light-extraction direction; the light-emitting-element comprises a light-uniforming layer, for improving uniformity of a light outgoing from a light-extraction-face, between the buffer layer and the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer; at the edge of the light-emitting-element, sidewalls of at least the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, the active layer structure and the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer form a setback-sidewall-surface, which has receded when forming a light-emitting-element separation-trench in a manufacturing process, on a sidewall surfaces of the thin-film crystal layers; the light-emitting-element comprises an insulating layer at least covering the setback-sidewall-surface of the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, the active layer structure and the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer;
the insulating layer (a) being in contact with a part of the first-conductivity-type-side electrode at the side of the main light-extraction direction and covering a part of the second-conductivity-type-side electrode on the side opposite to the main light-extraction direction and (b) in relation to the setback-sidewall-surface of the thin-film crystal layer,(i) if a part of the light-uniforming layer, or the whole part of the light-uniforming layer and a part of the buffer layer forms a setback-sidewall-surface in combination and forms an edge-step-face with the non-setback-sidewall-surface which has not receded in the light-uniforming layer or the buffer layer, at least, the insulating layer being formed from a position distant from the light-emitting-element edge, or (ii) if the light-uniforming layer and the buffer layer form a setback-sidewall-surface in combination and an edge-step-face is not present, the insulating layer being not formed at least on the part of the buffer layer at the side of main light-extraction direction but covering the setback-sidewall-surface from the intermediate portion of the buffer layer or the light-uniforming layer; and the light-emitting-element further comprises a support supporting the light-emitting-element, to which the first-conductivity-type-side electrode and the second-conductivity-type-side electrode are connected. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
- a second-conductivity-type-side electrode; and
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32. A process for manufacturing a light-emitting-element, comprising
step (a): - depositing a buffer layer and a light-uniforming layer on a substrate in this order;
step (b);
depositing a thin-film crystal layer having at least a first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer containing a first-conductivity-type cladding layer, an active layer structure and a second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer containing a second-conductivity-type cladding layer, in this order from the side of the substrate;step (c);
forming a second-conductivity-type-side electrode on the surface of the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer;first etching step (d);
etching a part of the region where the second-conductivity-type-side electrode is not formed, to expose a part of the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer;second etching step (e);
for forming a light-emitting-element separation-trench separating adjacent light-emitting-elements, etching a part of the region where the second-conductivity-type-side electrode is not formed, from its surface, to such a depth (i) that at least a part of the light-uniforming layer is removed, (ii) that at least a part of the buffer layer is removed, or (iii) that the etching reaches at least the substrate, whereby forming the light-emitting-element separation-trench;step (f);
forming an insulating layer on the whole surface including the second-conductivity-type-side electrode, the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer exposed by the first etching step and the inside of the light-emitting-element separation-trench;step (g);
removing the insulating layer in a region including at least the trench center of the trench bottom surface in the light-emitting-element separation-trench,step (h);
removing a part of the insulating layer formed on the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer to form an opening to be a first current injection region,step (i);
removing a part of the insulating layer formed on the surface of the second-conductivity-type-side electrode to expose a part of the second-conductivity-type-side electrode, andstep (j);
forming a first-conductivity-type-side electrode in contact with the first current injection region opened in step (h).
- depositing a buffer layer and a light-uniforming layer on a substrate in this order;
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33-34. -34. (canceled)
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35. A compound semiconductor light-emitting-element comprising, on a substrate transparent to an emission wavelength, a compound semiconductor thin-film crystal layer having a buffer layer, a first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer containing a first-conductivity-type cladding layer, an active layer structure and a second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer containing a second-conductivity-type cladding layer;
- a second-conductivity-type-side electrode; and
a first-conductivity-type-side electrode, in which a main light-extraction direction is the side of the substrate,wherein; the first-conductivity-type-side electrode and the second-conductivity-type-side electrode are not spatially overlapped and are formed on the opposite side to the main light-extraction direction; at the edge of the light-emitting-element, sidewalls of at least the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, the active layer structure and the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer form a setback-sidewall-surface which recedes from the edge of the substrate on a sidewall surface of the thin-film crystal layers; and the light-emitting-element comprises an insulating layer at least covering the setback-sidewall-surface of the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, the active layer structure and the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer;
the insulating layer (a) being in contact with a part of the first-conductivity-type-side electrode at the side of the main light-extraction direction and covering a part of the second-conductivity-type-side electrode on the side opposite to the main light-extraction direction and (b) at least, covering the setback-sidewall-surface at a position distant from the light-emitting-element edge. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
- a second-conductivity-type-side electrode; and
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38. A compound semiconductor light-emitting-element comprising a compound semiconductor thin-film crystal layer having a buffer layer, a first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer containing a first-conductivity-type cladding layer, an active layer structure and a second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer containing a second-conductivity-type cladding layer in this order;
- a second-conductivity-type-side electrode; and
a first-conductivity-type-side electrode, in which a main light-extraction direction is a buffer layer side in relation to the active layer structure,wherein; the first-conductivity-type-side electrode and the second-conductivity-type-side electrode are not spatially overlapped and are formed on the opposite side to the main light-extraction direction; the light-emitting-element comprises a support supporting the light-emitting-element, to which the first-conductivity-type-side electrode and the second-conductivity-type-side electrode are connected; at the edge of the light-emitting-element, sidewalls of at least the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, the active layer structure and the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer form a setback-sidewall-surface, which has receded when forming a light-emitting-element separation-trench in a manufacturing process, on a sidewall surfaces of the thin-film crystal layers; the light-emitting-element comprises an insulating layer at least covering the setback-sidewall-surface of the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, the active layer structure and the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer;
the insulating layer (a) being in contact with a part of the first-conductivity-type-side electrode at the side of the main light-extraction direction and covering a part of the second-conductivity-type-side electrode on the side opposite to the main light-extraction direction and (b) in relation to the setback-sidewall-surface of the thin-film crystal layer,(i) if a part of the buffer layer form a setback-sidewall-surface in combination and forms an edge-step-face with the non-setback-sidewall-surface which has not receded in the buffer layer, at least, the insulating layer being formed from a position distant from the light-emitting-element edge, or (ii) if the buffer layer form a setback-sidewall-surface in combination and an edge-step-face is not formed, the insulating layer being not formed at least on the part of the buffer layer at the side of main light-extraction direction but covering the setback-sidewall-surface from the intermediate portion of the buffer layer or the light-uniforming layer, - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
- a second-conductivity-type-side electrode; and
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42. A process for manufacturing a light-emitting-element, comprising
step (a): - depositing a buffer layer on a substrate;
step (b);
depositing a thin-film crystal layer having at least a first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer containing a first-conductivity-type cladding layer, an active layer structure and a second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer containing a second-conductivity-type cladding layer, in this order from the side of the substrate;step (c);
forming a second-conductivity-type-side electrode on the surface of the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer;first etching step (d);
etching a part of the region where the second-conductivity-type-side electrode is not formed, to expose a part of the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer;second etching step (e);
for forming a light-emitting-element separation-trench separating adjacent light-emitting-elements, etching a part of the region where the second-conductivity-type-side electrode is not formed, from its surface, to such a depth (i) that at least a part of the buffer layer is removed or (ii) that the etching reaches at least the substrate, whereby forming the light-emitting-element separation-trench;step (f);
forming an insulating layer on the whole surface including the second-conductivity-type-side electrode, a first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer exposed by the first etching step and the inside of the light-emitting-element separation-trench;step (g);
removing the insulating layer in a region including at least the trench center of the trench bottom surface in the light-emitting-element separation-trench,step (h);
removing a part of the insulating layer formed on the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer to form an opening to be a first current injection region,step (i);
removing a part of the insulating layer formed on the surface of the second-conductivity-type-side electrode to expose a part of the second-conductivity-type-side electrode, andstep (j);
forming a first-conductivity-type-side electrode in contact with the first current injection region opened in step (h).
- depositing a buffer layer on a substrate;
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43-44. -44. (canceled)
Specification