Nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device

• US 7,348,601 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Fukuyama Laser Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hata, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Zandra V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chhaya, Swapneel
• Application Number:
  US11/216,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20060043405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 257/E33.025, 257/E33.033, 257/E33.034, 257/E33.045, 257/E33.046, 257/E33.054, 257/E33.064, 257/E33.099, 257/E33.105, 257/E27.049, 257/E29.22, 257/E29.344, 257/E29.341, 257/E29.34, 257/E29.336, 257/E21.006, 257/46, 257/480, 257/624, 257/656
• US Class Current: 257/94
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48463 the connecting portion on the bonding area of the semiconductor or solid-state body being a ball bond
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0093 Wafer bonding; Removal of the growth substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0095 Post-treatment of devices, e.g. annealing, recrystallisation or short-circuit elimination
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/40 Materials therefor

Abstract

A nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device has a first ohmic electrode, a first bonding metal layer, a second bonding metal layer and a second ohmic electrode provided in this order on a conductive substrate, and also has a nitride-based compound semiconductor layer provided on the second ohmic electrode. A surface of the second ohmic electrode is exposed.

Claims

1. A nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device, having a first ohmic electrode, a first bonding metal layer, a second bonding metal layer and a second ohmic electrode provided in this order on a conductive substrate, and also having a nitride-based compound semiconductor layer provided on the second ohmic electrode, wherein a part of a main surface of said second ohmic electrode is exposed.

2. The nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein said nitride-based compound semiconductor layer includes at least a P-type layer, a light emitting layer and an N-type layer.

3. The nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 2, wherein a plane of said first bonding metal layer perpendicular to its thickness direction has an area that is greater than an area of a plane of said light emitting layer perpendicular to its thickness direction.

4. The nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein said conductive substrate is a semiconductor of at least one kind selected from the group consisting of Si, GaAs, GaP, Ge and InP.

5. The nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein said nitride-based compound semiconductor layer is formed using a support substrate, the support substrate being an insulative substrate of sapphire, spinel or lithium niobate, or a conductive substrate of silicon carbide, silicon, zinc oxide or gallium arsenide.

6. The nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein said part of a main surface of said second ohmic electrode is exposed by etching.

7. The nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein said part of a main surface of said second ohmic electrode has a width of not less than 1 μ

m and not more than 100 μ

m.

8. The nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein a groove is formed from the exposed part of a main surface of said second ohmic electrode, and the nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device is fabricated by performing dividing along the groove.

9. A nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device, having a first ohmic electrode, a first bonding metal layer, a second bonding metal layer and a second ohmic electrode provided in this order on a conductive substrate, and also having a nitride-based compound semiconductor layer provided on the second ohmic electrode, wherein the nitride-based compound semiconductor layer includes at least a P-type layer, a light emitting layer and an N-type layer, in this order, and a part of a main surface of said P-type layer is exposed.

10. The nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 9, wherein said conductive substrate is a semiconductor of at least one kind selected from the group consisting of Si, GaAs, GaP, Ge and InP.

11. The nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 9, wherein said nitride-based compound semiconductor layer is formed using a support substrate, the support substrate being an insulative substrate of sapphire, spinel or lithium niobate, or a conductive substrate of silicon carbide, silicon, zinc oxide or gallium arsenide.

12. The nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 9, wherein a plane of said first bonding metal layer perpendicular to its thickness direction has an area that is greater than an area of a plane of said light emitting layer perpendicular to its thickness direction.

13. The nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 9, wherein said part of a main surface of said P-type layer is exposed by etching.

14. The nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 9, wherein said part of a main surface of said P-type layer has a width of not less than 1 μ

m and not more than 100 μ

m.

15. The nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 9, wherein a groove is formed from the exposed part of a main surface of said P-type layer, and the nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device is fabricated by performing dividing along the groove.

16. The nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 15, wherein said groove is formed down to a middle of said conductive substrate.

17. The nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 15, wherein said groove has a width of not less than 1 μ

m and not more than 50 μ

m.

18. The nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 15, wherein a scribe line is introduced from a back side of said conductive substrate opposite to the groove formed down to the middle of said conductive substrate.

19. The nitride-based compound semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 18, fabricated by performing dividing along the groove formed down to the middle of said conductive substrate and the scribe line introduced from the back side of said conductive substrate.