Semiconductor component which emits radiation, and method for producing the same

• US 7,205,578 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2001
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OSRAM GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: OSRAM GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Linder, Norbert, Strauss, Uwe, Eisert, Dominik, Zehnder, Ulrich, Harle, Volker, Baur, Johannes, Mundbrod-Vangerow, Manfred, Sedlmeier, Reinhard, Nirschl, Ernst, Ulrich, Jacob, Kuhn, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Nadav; Ori
• Application Number:
  US10/203,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20030127654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,252 Days
• Field of Search: 257/78, 257/91, 257 94-100, 257/103
• US Class Current: 257/98
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/32139 using masks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0093 Wafer bonding; Removal of the growth substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/20 with a particular shape, e.g. curved or truncated substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/382 the electrode extending partially in or entirely through the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/40 Materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/42 Transparent materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/46 Reflective coating, e.g. dielectric Bragg reflector

Abstract

This invention describes a radiation-emitting semiconductor component with the a multilayered structure (4) that contains a radiation-emitting active layer (5), and a window (1) transparent to radiation that has a first principal face (2) and a second principal face (3) opposite the first principal face (2), and whose first principal face (2) adjoins the multilayered structure (4).

At least one recess (8) is made in the window (1), which preferably has the form of an indentation of the second principal face or as an edge excavation. At least one lateral surface of the window (1) or of the recess (8) is provided at least partially with a contact surface (11). Alternatively or cumulatively, at least one contact surface of the component has a plurality of openings (14).

Claims

1. Radiation-emitting semiconductor component with a multilayered structure that contains a radiation-emitting active layer, and a window transparent to radiation that has a first principal face and a second principal face opposite the first principal face, and whose first principal face adjoins the multilayered structure, with the window having at least one recess to form radiation-output surfaces running at an acute angle to the first principal face, wherein at least one of the window and the recess has a lateral face adjoining the second principal face that is provided, at least in part, with a contact layer having a first contact surface reflective to radiation emitted by the radiation-emitting active layer.

2. Radiation-emitting semiconductor component pursuant to claim 1,

characterized by the fact that the first contact surface also at least partially covers the second principal face of the window.

3. Radiation-emitting semiconductor component pursuant to claim 1, characterized by the fact that a second contact surface is produced on the multilayered structure.

4. Radiation-emitting semiconductor component pursuant to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the recess is made in the form of an indentation in the second principal face.

5. Radiation-emitting semiconductor component pursuant to claim 4, characterized by the fact that the indentation has a triangular, trapezoidal, or semicircular cross section.

6. Radiation-emitting semiconductor component pursuant to claim 4, characterized by the fact that the indentation is made in the form of a trough with triangular, trapezoidal, or semicircular cross section.

7. Radiation-emitting semiconductor component pursuant to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the recess is made near the edge so that the window is tapered down toward the second principal face.

8. Radiation-emitting semiconductor component pursuant to claim 1, wherein the contact layer comprises platinum, palladium, silver, gold, nickel, or an alloy of these metals.

9. Radiation-emitting semiconductor component pursuant to claim 1, wherein the contact layer comprises a thickness between 5 nm and 200 nm, preferably between 10 nm and 100 nm.

10. Radiation-emitting semiconductor component pursuant to the claim 1, characterized by the fact that the window is manufactured from the epitaxy substrate used for the epitaxial growth of the multilayered structure.

11. Radiation-emitting semiconductor component pursuant to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the refractive index of the material of the window is greater than the refractive index of the material of the multilayered structure, especially of the active layer.

12. Radiation-emitting semiconductor component pursuant to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the window contains sapphire, quartz glass, diamond, ITO, tin oxide, zinc oxide, indium oxide, silicon carbide, or gallium phosphide.

13. Radiation-emitting semiconductor component pursuant to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the multilayered sequence is made from nitride-based semiconductor materials.

14. Radiation-emitting semiconductor component pursuant to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the multilayered structure is made on gallium nitride-based semiconductor materials and preferably contains at least one of the compounds Al_1-xGa_xN, 0≦

x≦

1, In_1-xGa_xN, 0≦

x≦

1, In_1-xAl_xN, 0≦

x≦

1, and Al_1-x-yIn_xGa_yN, 0≦

x≦

1, 0≦

y≦

1.

15. Radiation-emitting semiconductor component pursuant to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the window consists of silicon carbide or is based on silicon carbide, and the multilayered sequence is made from nitride-based semiconductor materials.

16. The component of claim 1, wherein the contact layer defines a current path through the window to the multilayered structure.

17. The component of claim 1, wherein the radiation output surfaces are configured to output radiation from the radiation-emitting output component.

18. The component of claim 17, wherein the contact layer defines a current path through the window to the multilayered structure.

19. Radiation-emitting semiconductor component with a multilayered structure that contains a radiation-emitting active layer, and a window transparent to radiation that has a first principal face and a second principal face opposite the first principal face, and whose first principal face adjoins the multilayered structure, with the window having at least one recess to form radiation-output surfaces running at an angle to the first principal face wherein at least one of the window and the recess has a lateral face adjoining the second principal face that is provided, at least in part, with a contact layer having a first contact surface characterized by the fact that the recess has at least one lateral surface that contains a first lateral surface section inclined with respect to the first principal face of the window, which is continued into a second lateral surface section perpendicular to the first principal face of the window.

20. Semiconductor component pursuant to claim 19, characterized by the fact that all of the lateral surfaces of the recess have a first lateral surface section and a second lateral surface section.

21. Semiconductor component pursuant to claim 19, characterized by the fact that the first lateral surface section is a planar inclined surface that makes an angle with the normal to the multilayered structure that is between 20°

and 30°

inclusive.

22. Semiconductor component pursuant to claim 19, characterized by the fact that at least the first lateral wall section is roughened.

23. Radiation-emitting semiconductor component with a multilayered structure that contains a radiation-emitting active layer, and a window transparent to radiation that has a first principal face and a second principal face opposite the first principal face, and whose first principal face adjoins the multilayered structure, with the window having at least one recess to form radiation-output surfaces running at an acute angle to the first principal face, wherein at least one of the window and the recess has a lateral face adjoining the second principal face that is provided, at least in part, with a first contact layer defining a first contact surface, the component having a second contact layer defining a second contact surface closer to the radiation-emitting active layer than the first contact surface and transparent to radiation emitted by the radiation-emitting active layer.

24. The component of claim 23, wherein the first contact layer defines a current path through the window to the multilayered structure.

25. The component of claim 23, wherein the radiation output surfaces are configured to output radiation from the radiation-emitting output component.

26. The component of claim 25, wherein the first contact layer defines a current path through the window to the multilayered structure.

27. The component of claim 23, wherein the second contact layer is formed on the multilayered structure.

28. A radiation-emitting semiconductor component comprising:

a multilayered structure that contains a radiation-emitting active layer;

a window transparent to radiation emitted by the radiation-emitting active layer, the window comprising a top face adjoining the multilayered structure and a bottom face opposite the top face, the window further comprises a side face defining an acute angle with the top face, wherein at least a portion of the side face forms a radiation output surface for the radiation-emitting semiconductor component; and

a contact layer formed on the window to define a current path through the window between the multilayered structure and the contact layer, wherein the contact layer is further formed on at least another portion of the side face and is reflective to the radiation emitted by the active layer.

29. The component of claim 28, wherein the contact layer is formed on at least a portion of the bottom face of the window.