Semiconductor light-emitting device and method for manufacturing the same

• US 6,376,864 B1
• Filed: 06/21/2000
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lexington Luminance LLC
• Original Assignee: Tien Yang Wang
• Inventors: Wang, Tien Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): Wille, Douglas A
• Application Number:
  US09/598,098
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 257/98, 438/39, 372/44, 372/43, 372/48
• US Class Current: 257/98
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/10 with a light reflecting structure, e.g. semiconductor Bragg reflector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/20 with a particular shape, e.g. curved or truncated substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/24 of the light emitting region, e.g. non-planar junction

Abstract

Semiconductor light-emitting devices and methods for their manufacture using an efficient reflector to minimize optical loss due to the substrate absorption. The reflector comprises a plurality of discrete quarter-wave stacks deposited on a patterned substrate, allowing for current injection around the discrete reflector stacks. The reflector is further characterized by a high refractive-index ratio suitable for broadband high-reflectance applications of the light-emitting device.

Claims

1. A semiconductor light-emitting device comprising:

a textured substrate of semiconductor material;

a first electrode disposed on a first surface of said textured substrate;

a first reflector stack portion disposed on a second surface of said textured substrate;

a second reflector stack portion disposed on said second surface of said textured substrate, said second reflector portion being disposed at an elevation laterally and vertically offset from said first reflector stack portion so as to be isolated therefrom and to thereby define a current injection path therebetween;

an active layer bound by an upper and a lower confining layer disposed on a surface containing said first and second reflector stack portions;

a window layer disposed on a surface of said upper confining layer;

a contact layer disposed on a surface of said window layer; and

a second electrode disposed on a surface of said contact layer.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein each said reflector stack portion is a Bragg reflector comprising a plurality of quarter-wave low- and high-index layers at an emission wavelength of the LED.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said quarter-wave layer contains alloys such as AlGaAs and AlGaInP having an aluminum content between 0 and 1.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein each said reflector stack portion comprises a plurality of quarter-wave low- and high-index layers at an emission wavelength of the LED.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said quarter-wave layer contains alloys such as AlGaAs and AlGaInP having an aluminum content between 0 and 1.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein each said reflector stack portion has n pairs of quarter-wave low- and high-index layers with n between 1 and 25.

7. The device of claim 4, wherein each said reflector stack portion has n pairs of quarter-wave low- and high-index layers with n between 1 and 25.

8. The device of claim 2, wherein each said reflector stack portion has a refractive-index ratio n_H/n_L greater than 1.

9. The device of claim 4, wherein each said reflector stack portion has a refractive-index ratio n_H/n_L greater than 1.

10. The device of claim 2, wherein each said reflector stack portion has a broadband, high reflectivity at an emission wavelength of the LED.

11. The device of claim 4, wherein each said reflector stack portion has a broadband, high reflectivity at an emission wavelength of the LED.

12. The device of claim 2, wherein said low-index layer is AlOx.

13. The device of claim 4, wherein said low-index layer is AlOx.

14. The device of claim 4, wherein said low- (L) and high- (H) index layers constitute a [L−

H]n−

L quarter-wave stack at an emission wavelength of the LED.