Light-emitting element, semiconductor light-emitting device, and manufacturing methods therefor

• US 6,333,522 B1
• Filed: 09/29/1998
• Issued: 12/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Tomio, Koya, Kenichi, Sanada, Kenichi, Fukuda, Yasuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Jr., Jerome
• Application Number:
  US09/155,420
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: 257/81, 257/91, 257/98, 257/99
• US Class Current: 257/99
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0401 Bonding areas specifically adapted for bump connectors, e.g. under bump metallisation [UBM]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/06102 the bonding areas being at different heights
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13144 Gold [Au] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32245 the item being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45144 Gold (Au) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48257 connecting the wire to a die pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49107 on the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73204 the bump connector being embedded into the layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/167 comprising optoelectronic devices, e.g. LED, photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01004 Beryllium [Be]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01012 Magnesium [Mg]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01013 Aluminum [Al]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01014 Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01019 : Potassium [K]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01028 : Nickel [Ni]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01039 : Yttrium [Y]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01057 : Lanthanum [La]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01078 : Platinum [Pt]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 : Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10253 : Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12032 : Schottky diode
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12041 : LED
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 : Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 : being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 : Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 : containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/38 : with a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/40 : Materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/62 : Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the semiconductor body, e.g. lead-frames, wire-bonds or solder balls

Abstract

A GaN-based LED element 1 having a double heterostructure, which includes a GaN layer and the like and is formed on a sapphire substrate, is mounted face-down on a Si diode element 2 formed in a silicon substrate. Electrical connections are provided via Au microbumps 11 and 12 between a p-side electrode 5 of the GaN-based LED element 1 and an n-side electrode 8 of the Si diode element 2 and between an n-side electrode 6 of the GaN-based LED element 1 and a p-side electrode 7 of the Si diode element 2. The Si diode element 2 functions to protect the LED element 1 from an electrostatic destruction. The Si diode element 2 has a backside electrode 9 connected to a leadframe 13a. The p-side electrode 7 of the Si diode element 2 has a bonding pad portion 10 connected to a leadframe 13b via an Au wire 17.

Claims

1. A light-emitting device comprising:

a light-emitting element including a transparent substrate and a p-type semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer which are formed on said transparent substrate; and

an electrostatic protection element having only two regions of first and second regions electrically connected to said n-type and p-type semiconductor layers of said light emitting element, respectively, said electrostatic protection element allowing current to flow between said first region and said second region when a voltage with an absolute value exceeding a specified value equal to or lower than a destruction voltage of said light-emitting element is applied between said p-type and n-type semiconductor layers of said light-emitting element,

wherein said light-emitting element includes a p-side electrode and an n-side electrode connected with said p-type and n-type semiconductor layers, respectively,

said electrostatic protection element is formed of a plate-like material which includes said first and second regions such that portions of said first and second regions are exposed along one face of said plate-like material, and said electrostatic protection element is a diode in which current flows in a forward direction from said first region to said second region, said electrostatic protection element having first and second electrodes connected to said first and second regions, respectively, on one surface thereof,

microbumps provide electrical connections between the p-side electrode of said light-emitting element and the second electrode of said electrostatic protection element and between the n-side electrode of said light-emitting element and the first electrode of said electrostatic protection element, and

said light-emitting element is placed opposite said electrostatic protection element such that the respective electrical connections between said n-type semiconductor layer and said first region and between said p-type semiconductor layer and second region are established by electrically connecting said n-side and p-side electrodes to said first and second regions, respectively, said light-emitting element is mechanically connected onto said electrostatic protection element with an adhesive, and at least one of said first and second electrodes of said electrostatic protection element is divided into a region connected to said p-side or n-side electrode of said light-emitting element via said microbump and a bonding pad region connected to an external member via a wire.

3. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein said diode is a lateral diode in which the first and second regions are p-type and n-type semiconductor regions each formed in a portion of a semiconductor region close to one surface thereof.

6. The light-emitting device of any one of claims 1, 2, 3 or 5, wherein a third electrode is formed on a face of said electrostatic protection element opposite to the face thereof on which said first and second electrodes are formed and

said third electrode has the same polarity as the one of said first and second electrodes not having said bonding pad region.

2. A light-emitting device comprising:

a light-emitting element including a transparent substrate and a p-type semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer which are formed on said transparent substrate; and

an electrostatic protection element having only two regions of first and second regions electrically connected to said n-type and p-type semiconductor layers of said light emitting element, respectively, said electrostatic protection element allowing current to flow between said first region and said second region when a voltage with an absolute value exceeding a specified value equal to or lower than a destruction voltage of said light-emitting element is applied between said p-type and n-type semiconductor layers of said light-emitting element,

wherein said light-emitting element includes a p-side electrode and an n-side electrode connected with said p-type and n-type semiconductor layers, respectively,

said electrostatic protection element is formed of a plate-like material which includes said first and second regions such that portions of said first and second regions are exposed along one face of said plate-like material, and said electrostatic protection element is a diode in which current flows in a forward direction from said first region to said second region, said electrostatic protection element having first and second electrodes connected to said first and second regions, respectively, on one surface thereof,

microbumps provide electrical connections between the p-side electrode of said light-emitting element and the second electrode of said electrostatic protection element and between the n-side electrode of said light-emitting element and the first electrode of said electrostatic protection element, and

said light-emitting element is placed opposite said electrostatic protection element such that the respective electrical connections between said n-type semiconductor layer and said first region and between said p-type semiconductor layer and second region are established by electrically connecting said n-side and p-side electrodes to said first and second regions, respectively, either of said first and second electrodes of said electrostatic protection element includes two bonding pad portions which are connected to said light-emitting element and an external element, respectively, and are separated by a recess formed therebetween.

5. The light-emitting device of claim 2, wherein said diode is a lateral diode in which the first and second regions are p-type and n-type semiconductor regions each formed in a portion of a semiconductor region close to one surface thereof.

4. A light-emitting device comprising:

a light-emitting element including a transparent substrate and a p-type semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer which are formed on said transparent substrate; and

an electrostatic protection element having only two regions of first and second regions electrically connected to said n-type and p-type semiconductor layers of said light emitting element, respectively, said electrostatic protection element allowing current to flow between said first region and said second region when a voltage with an absolute value exceeding a specified value equal to or lower than a destruction voltage of said light-emitting element is applied between said p-type and n-type semiconductor layers of said light-emitting element,

wherein said light-emitting element includes a p-side electrode and an n-side electrode connected with said p-type and n-type semiconductor layers, respectively,

said electrostatic protection element is formed of a plate-like material which includes said first and second regions such that portions of said first and second regions are exposed along one face of said plate-like material, and said electrostatic protection element is a diode in which current flows in a forward direction from said first region to said second region, said electrostatic protection element having first and second electrodes connected to said first and second regions, respectively, on one surface thereof,

microbumps provide electrical connections between the p-side electrode of said light-emitting element and the second electrode of said electrostatic protection element and between the n-side electrode of said light-emitting element and the first electrode of said electrostatic protection element, and

said light-emitting element is placed opposite said electrostatic protection element such that the respective electrical connections between said n-type semiconductor layer and said first region and between said p-type semiconductor layer and second region are established by electrically connecting said n-side and p-side electrodes to said first and second regions, respectively, wherein said microbumps provides mechanical connections between the p-side electrode of said light-emitting element and the second electrode of said electrostatic protection element and between the n-side electrode of said light-emitting element and the first electrode of said electrostatic protection element and

at least one of said first and second electrodes of said electrostatic protection element has a region connected to said p-side or n-side electrode of said light-emitting element via said microbump and a bonding pad region connected to an external member via a wire.