Display system and method of producing the same

• US 6,825,499 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2002
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Doi, Masato, Nakajima, Hideharu
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLE, DOUGLAS A
• Application Number:
  US10/071,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20020104999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 257/95, 257/88, 313/500, 148/33, 39/250.1, 438/58, 372/44
• US Class Current: 257/95
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/156 two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/16 with a particular crystal structure or orientation, e.g. polycrystalline, amorphous or porous
• 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

Disclosed are a display system and a method of producing the same. In the present invention, a hexagonal pyramid shaped GaN semiconductor light-emitting device selectively crystal-grown is fixed on an upper surface of a substrate by embedding it in an insulation layer formed of an epoxy resin. Then the insulation layer is selectively dry etched in an oxygen plasma atmosphere to expose an upper end portion of the GaN semiconductor light-emitting device. A conductor film is formed on the entire surface, and a required portion of the conductor film is left as a lead-out electrode while the unrequired portion is removed by lithography.

Claims

1. A display system comprising;

a plurality of semiconductor light-emitting devices embedded in an insulation of said semiconductor light-emitting devices having a lower end surface disposed on a substrate, an exposed upper end portion and a light-emitting region proveded between said lower end surface and siad upper ind portion, wherein a planar surface of the insulation layer is coplanar with the exposed upper end portion; and

a conductor film proveded on an upper surface of said insulation layer and in contact with an upper end portion electrode on said exposed upper end portions of said semicondutor light-emitting devices;

where said light-emitting region is at a slant angle relative to said lower end surface.

2. A display system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said insulation layer is composed of a high polymeric compound capable of forming a coating film containing one of a polyimide resin, an epoxy resin or a synthetic rubber.

3. A display system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the insulation layer is composed of a glass capable of forming a coating film.

4. A display system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said insulation layer is composed of silicon oxide or silicon nitride formed by a chemical vapor deposition method or a sputtering method.

5. A display system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said insulation layer is formed by thinning said insulation layer by an etching method under an oxygen plasma atmosphere, a chemical mechanical polishing method or a combination of both a dry etching method under an oxygen plasma atmosphere and a chemical mechanical polishing method.

6. A display system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each said semiconductor light-emitting device has a primary light-emitting direction in the direction from said light-emitting region toward a lower end surface on said substrate surface, and said light-emitting region includes at least one reflective surface for directing light in said primary light-emitting direction.

7. A display system as set forth in claim 6, wherein each said semiconductor light-emitting device is formed in a pyramid shape or a truncated pyramid shape, and having at least one slant surface as said reflective surface.

8. A display system as set forth in claim 6, wherein each said semiconductor light-emitting device is composed of a hexagonal crystal of a gallium nitride semiconductor, and comprises at least an active layer parallel to (1,−

1,0,1) plane.

9. A display system as set forth in claim 8, wherein each said semiconductor light-emitting device is composed of a gallium nitride semiconductor selectively crystal-grown in a hexagonal pyramid shape or a truncated hexagonal pyramid shape with (0,0,0,1) plane as said lower end surface and with (1,−

1,0,1) plane and an equivalent surface as said slant surface, on a substrate surface of growth, and comprises an active layer parallel to (1,−

1,0,1) plane and an equivalent surface.

10. A display system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said display system is an image display system or an illumination system comprising said semiconductor light-emitting devices which emit monochromic light or a combination of a plurality of kinds of said semiconductor light-emitting devices which emit different-colored lights.

11. A display system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each said semiconductor light-emitting device comprises a first conduction type semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second conduction type semiconductor layer sequentially laminated, said upper end portion electrode is formed at said second conduction type semiconductor layer, and said upper end portion electrode and said conductor film are formed of the same kind of metal.

12. A display system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each said semiconductor light-emitting device comprises a first conduction type semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second conduction type semiconductor layer sequentially laminated, said insulation layer is thinned, and said conductor film is formed on a surface formed by said second conduction type semiconductor layer exposed by said thinning said insulation layer, whereby said upper end portion electrode and said conductor film are formed as one body with each other.

13. A display system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each said semiconductor light-emitting device comprises a first conduction type semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second conduction type semiconductor layer sequentially laminated, said upper end portion electrode is formed on said second conduction type semiconductor layer with a contact metal layer of a predetermined thickness therebetween, and said upper end portion electrode and said conductor film are formed of the same kind of metal.

14. A display system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each said semiconductor light-emitting device comprises a first conduction type semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second conduction type semiconductor layer sequentially laminated, a contact metal layer of a predetermined thickness is formed on said second conduction type semiconductor layer, said insulation layer is thinned, and said conductor film is formed on a surface formed by said contact metal layer exposed by said thinning said insulation layer, whereby said upper end portion electrode and said conductor film are formed as one body with each other.

15. A display system comprising:

at least one semiconductor light-emitting devices embedded in an insulation layer, each of said at least one semiconductor light-emitting devices having

a lower end surface located in said insulation layer and disposed on a substrate,

an exposed upper end portion, wherein a planar surface of the insulation layer is coplanar with the exposed upper end portion;

a light-emitting region provided between said lower end surface and said upper end portion; and

a conductor film provided on an upper surface of said insulation layer, said conductor film further being in contact with an upper end portion electrode on said exposed upper end portions of said semiconductor light-emitting devices;

wherein said light-emitting region is at a slant angle relative to said lower end surface.