Light-emitting diode

• US 6,518,601 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OSRAM OLED GMBH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Wirth, Ralph
• Primary Examiner(s): Elms, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENZ, DOUGLAS M
• Application Number:
  US09/726,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20020056848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 257/98, 257/88, 257/94, 257/95, 257/96, 257/97, 257/99, 372/45, 372/48
• US Class Current: 257/98
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/14 with a carrier transport control structure, e.g. highly-doped semiconductor layer or current-blocking structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/20 with a particular shape, e.g. curved or truncated substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen

Abstract

A light-emitting diode (1) comprises a window layer (4) above an active layer (3), the window layer having edge webs (6) profiled in a sawtooth-shaped manner. Edge lines (11) with which the current is injected into the active layer (3) proceed above the edge webs (6). The light-emitting diode (1) is distinguished by an especially high output efficiency.

Claims

1. A light-emitting diode comprising:

an active layer that emits photons;

a window layer that is transparent for said emitted photons and on which contacts for feeding current into said active layer are formed, said contacts being formed by interconnect lines, said window layer further comprising lateral surfaces proceeding along said interconnect lines, said lateral surfaces being profiled with projections extending transversely relative to said interconnect lines.

2. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein said projections come to a point.

3. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein said projections comprise a triangular base area.

4. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein said projections form a sawtooth-shaped profile on said lateral surfaces.

5. The light-emitting diode according to claim 2, wherein an apex angle of said projections coming to a point is less than 10°

in said point.

6. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein an angle between a normal of sidewalls of said projections relative to a normal of said active layer lies between 45°

and 88°

.

7. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein said lateral surfaces extend across said active layer.

8. The light-emitting diode according to claim 7, wherein said projections are prism-shaped.

9. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of height to width of a constriction of a profiled edge web of said window layer is greater than 0.1 and less than 10.

10. The light-emitting diode according to claim 1 wherein said interconnect lines are fashioned as interconnects running all around and along the edge of said light-emitting diode.

11. The light-emitting diode according to claim 10, wherein said all around interconnects are connected to a central contact location by connecting tracks insulated from said window layer.

12. The light-emitting diode according to claim 10 wherein said all around interconnects are provided on edge webs.

13. A light-emitting diode according to claim 1, wherein:

said interconnect lines are co-planar with a top surface of said light-emitting diode;

said projections comprise a base portion and a top portion that is opposite said base portion; and

said base portion and said top portion of said projections are co-planar with said interconnect lines.