Solid state lighting device with reduced form factor including LED with directional emission and package with microoptics

• US 6,998,281 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Krishnamurthy, Vikram Bidare, Taskar, Nikhil Ramesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Whitehead, Jr., Carl
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dolan, Jennifer M.
• Application Number:
  US10/401,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20030209714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 438/26, 438/29, 438/35, 438/46, 438/114, 438/27, 438/32, 438/69, 438/71, 257/98
• US Class Current: 438/29
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48235 connecting the wire to a via metallisation of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0753 the devices being arranged next to each other
• 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 2924/01012 Magnesium [Mg]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12041 LED
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0091 Scattering means in or on the semiconductor body or semiconductor body package H01L33/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/105 with a resonant cavity structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/405 Reflective materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/46 Reflective coating, e.g. dielectric Bragg reflector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/54 having a particular shape

Abstract

A light emitting device containing an array of directional emission LEDs is provided. The directional emission LEDs of the array may be substrate emitting, lateral current injection, resonant cavity LEDs mounted in a flip-chip configuration. Each LED may emit a different color of light, such that the output of the array appears white to an observer. The LED array package may contain microoptical elements, such as a diffraction grating or microprisms, integrated into the light emitting surface of the package. The microoptical elements are used to mix the light beams emitted by individual LEDs in the array.

Claims

1. A method of making a packaged light emitting diode, comprising:

forming a first conductivity type semiconductor contact layer on a transparent substrate;

forming a semiconductor active layer over a first surface of the first conductivity type semiconductor contact layer;

forming a second conductivity type semiconductor contact layer over the active layer;

patterning the first conductivity type semiconductor layer, the second conductivity type semiconductor contact layer and the active layer;

forming a first metal containing electrode contacting the first conductivity type semiconductor contact layer;

forming a second metal containing electrode contacting the second conductivity type semiconductor contact layer to yield a light emitting diode; and

forming a packaged light emitting diode containing at least one integrated microoptical element above the light emitting diode, wherein forming the packaged light emitting diode comprises;

mounting the light emitting diode in a flip chip configuration on a package, wherein the first electrode electrically contacts a first lead on the package, the second electrode electrically contacts a second lead on the package and the substrate is positioned toward a light emitting surface of the package;

forming a transparent encapsulating material layer over the transparent substrate, through which light from the light emitting diode passes;

forming a flexible sheet over the encapsulating material layer; and

etching the at least one microoptical element on the flexible sheet, through which light from the light emitting diode passes after passage through the encapsulating material layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the microoptical element comprises a diffraction grating or a plurality of prisms.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the light emitting surface of the encapsulating material is substantially flat and does not contain a dome lens.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the substrate comprises a material which is transparent to the radiation emitted by the active layer;

the first conductivity type semiconductor contact layer comprises an n-type III–

V semiconductor contact layer containing Ga and N;

the active layer comprises at least one III–

V semiconductor quantum well containing In, Ga and N;

the second conductivity type semiconductor contact layer comprises a p-type III–

V semiconductor contact layer containing Ga and N;

the first electrode contacts the first surface of the n-type contact layer.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a desired tuned peak radiation output wavelength, λ

0, of the light emitting diode;

selecting a band gap of the GaInN quantum well active layer such that the light emitting diode emits radiation substantially in one direction through the transparent substrate at a peak wavelength of λ

0;

forming a Bragg reflector above the n-type contact layer, the Bragg reflector comprising a plurality of alternating first and second layers, each having a thickness of λ

0/4n, where n is an integer, such that the Bragg reflector reflectivity is less than the reflectivity of the second electrode; and

forming a resonant cavity comprising the p-type contact layer, the active layer, and an n-type confinement layer, and having a thickness of t=[λ

O*(2*N*π

−

φ

OUTPUT−

φ

BACK)]/(4*π

*n) or a thickness of t=Nλ

0/2n, where N is an integer, λ

0 is the resonant cavity light emitting diode tuned peak radiation output wavelength in air, n is the effective refractive index of the cavity, and φ

OUTPUT and φ

BACK are the phase changes during reflection at the first Bragg reflector and second electrode.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining the desired tuned peak radiation output wavelength, λ

0, of the light emitting diode;

selecting a band gap of the GaInN quantum well active layer such that the light emitting diode emits radiation substantially in one direction through the transparent substrate at a peak wavelength of λ

1<

λ

0;

forming a Bragg reflector above the n-type contact layer, the Bragg reflector comprising a plurality of alternating first and second layers, each having a thickness of λ

0/4n, where n is an integer, such that the Bragg reflector reflectivity is less than the reflectivity of the second electrode; and

forming a resonant cavity comprising the p-type contact layer, the active layer and an n-type confinement layer, and having a thickness of t=[λ

O*(2*N*π

−

φ

OUTPUT−

φ

BACK)]/(4*π

*n) or a thickness of t=Nλ

0/2n, where N is an integer, λ

0 is the resonant cavity light emitting diode tuned peak radiation output wavelength in air, n is the effective refractive index of the cavity, and φ

OUTPUT and φ

BACK are the phase changes during reflection at the first Bragg reflector and second electrode.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the step of patterning comprises patterning the p-type contact layer, the active layer and a top portion of the n-type contact layer in the same patterning step to expose a contact portion of the first surface of the n-type contact layer; and

the step of forming the first electrode comprises forming at least one metal layer over the contact portion of the first surface of the n-type contact layer and over the p-type contact layer and patterning the at least one metal layer to form the first electrode on the contact portion.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising forming a reflective layer over the at least one sidewall and the contact portion of the first surface of the n-type contact layer and over the p-type contact layer and patterning the reflective layer to form a reflective electrode on the at least one sidewall of the n-type contact layer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of forming the first electrode and the step of forming the second electrode comprises forming an aluminum layer over the first and the second conductivity type contact layers and patterning the aluminum layer to form the first and the second electrodes.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the step of patterning occurs after the step of forming the second metal containing electrode; and

the step of patterning comprises;

forming a first mask over the p-type contact layer;

etching the p-type contact layer, the active layer and a top portion of the n-type contact layer to expose a contact portion of the first surface of the n-type contact layer;

forming a second mask over the patterned p-type contact layer and the active layer and over the contact portion of the first surface of the n-type contact layer; and

reactive ion etching the n-type contact layer to form the n-type contact layer with a circular or oval cross section containing one beveled sidewall, where a second surface of the n-type contact layer is wider than the first surface of the n-type contact layer.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of patterning comprises:

forming a first mask over the p-type contact layer;

reactive ion etching the p-type contact layer, the active layer and the n-type contact layer to form a mesa with a circular or oval cross section containing one beveled sidewall, where a second surface of the n-type contact layer is wider than the first surface of the n-type contact layer;

forming a second mask over the patterned p-type contact layer; and

etching the p-type contact layer and the active layer to expose a contact portion of the first surface of the n-type contact layer.

12. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

forming a passivation layer;

sawing, scribe-breaking or laser cutting the transparent substrate to form a plurality of light emitting diode chips emitting different color of light; and

packaging the plurality of light emitting diode chips in an array.

13. A method of packaging a light emitting diode (LED), comprising:

mounting the LED on a package in a flip chip configuration, wherein;

a first electrode of the LED electrically contacts a first lead of the package;

a second electrode of the LED electrically contacts a second lead of the package;

a transparent substrate of the LED is positioned toward a light emitting surface;

forming a transparent encapsulating material layer over the transparent substrate, through which light from the light emitting diode passes;

forming a flexible sheet over the encapsulating material layer; and

etching the at least one microoptical element on the flexible sheet, through which light from the light emitting diode passes after passage through the encapsulating material layer.