Nitride semiconductor light-emitting device and method for fabrication thereof

• US 7,652,299 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Showa Denko KK (Resonac Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Urashima, Yasuhito, Kusunoki, Katsuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Phung; Anh
• Assistant Examiner(s): LULIS, MICHAEL P
• Application Number:
  US11/352,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20060192247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 257/98, 257/E33.025, 257/E33.028, 257/E33.033, 257/E33.034, 257/94, 257/95, 257/E33.068, 438/29
• US Class Current: 257/95
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/20 with a particular shape, e.g. curved or truncated substrate

Abstract

A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device includes a substrate and a nitride semiconductor layer including a light-emitting layer stacked on the substrate, wherein a normal line relative to a lateral face of the nitride semiconductor layer is not perpendicular to a normal line relative to a principal plane of the substrate. A method for the production of a nitride semiconductor light-emitting device that includes a substrate and a nitride semiconductor layer including a light-emitting layer stacked on the substrate includes the steps of covering a first surface of the nitride semiconductor layer with a mask provided with a prescribed pattern, removing the nitride semiconductor layer in regions to be divided into component devices till the substrate, subjecting the nitride semiconductor layer to wet-etching treatment and dividing the nitride semiconductor layer into the component devices.

Claims

1. A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device comprising a substrate and a nitride semiconductor layer including a light-emitting layer stacked on the substrate, wherein a first normal line relative to at least a lateral face of the nitride semiconductor layer between the substrate and the light-emitting layer and a second normal line relative to a lower surface of the nitride semiconductor layer intersect to form an angle θ

larger than 90 degrees, wherein the lateral face of the nitride semiconductor layer is an external surface of the nitride semiconductor light-emitting device, the lateral face of the nitride semiconductor layer and a lateral side of the substrate form a discontinuous face, a principal plane of the substrate abuts the lower surface of the nitride semiconductor layer, the principal plane of the substrate and the lateral face of the nitride semiconductor layer form an acute angle, the substrate is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of sapphire and silicon carbide, and the lateral face of the nitride semiconductor layer excludes a lateral face of the light-emitting layer such that the lateral faces do not share a common normal line, the lateral faces being located on a same lateral side of the nitride semiconductor light-emitting device.

2. A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the angle θ

is 95 degrees or more and 170 degrees or less.

3. A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the angle θ

is 100 degrees or more and 160 degrees or less.

4. A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the nitride semiconductor layer has a thickness in a range of 1 to 20 μ

m.

5. A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the nitride semiconductor layer has a surface having a (0001) face as a principal face.

6. A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the second normal line is normal relative to the principal plane of the substrate.

7. A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the lateral face of the nitride semiconductor layer is tilted toward an outside relative to the principal plane of the substrate.

8. A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the nitride semiconductor layer has a first lateral face and a second lateral face, and each of the first lateral face and the second lateral face have a normal line which intersects a normal line relative the surface of the nitride semiconductor layer to form an angle θ

larger than 90 degrees.

9. A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 8, wherein the first lateral face and the second lateral face of the nitride semiconductor layer are tilted toward an outside relative to the principal plane of the substrate.

10. A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting layer is disposed on a surface of the nitride semiconductor layer opposite to the surface of the nitride semiconductor layer which abuts the principal plane of the substrate.

19. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of removing the nitride semiconductor layer is performed by means of a dicer.

11. A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device comprising a substrate and a nitride semiconductor layer including a light-emitting layer stacked on the substrate, wherein a first normal line relative to at least a lateral face of the nitride semiconductor layer between the substrate and the light-emitting layer and a second normal line relative to a lower surface of the nitride semiconductor layer intersect to form an angle θ

larger than 90 degrees, wherein the lateral face of the nitride semiconductor layer is an external surface of the nitride semiconductor light-emitting device, the lateral face of the nitride semiconductor layer and a lateral side of the substrate form a discontinuous face, a principal plane of the substrate abuts the lower surface of the nitride semiconductor layer, the substrate is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of sapphire and silicon carbide, and the lateral face of the nitride semiconductor layer excludes a lateral face of the light-emitting layer such that the lateral faces do not share a common normal line, the lateral faces being located on a same lateral side of the nitride semiconductor light-emitting device, and the nitride semiconductor layer has an additional lateral face adjoining the lateral face of the light-emitting layer and the lateral face of the nitride semiconductor, the additional lateral face being perpendicular to the principal plane of the substrate, and the additional lateral face, the lateral face of the light-emitting layer and the lateral face of the nitride semiconductor layer are located on the same lateral side of the nitride semiconductor light-emitting device.

12. A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 11, wherein the additional lateral face of the nitride semiconductor layer is between the lateral face of the light-emitting layer and the lateral face of the nitride semiconductor.

13. A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 11, wherein the lateral face of the light-emitting layer is perpendicular to the principal plane of the substrate and the lateral face of the light-emitting layer forms a continuous face with the additional lateral face of the nitride semiconductor layer.

14. A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 13, wherein the additional lateral face of the nitride semiconductor layer is between the lateral face of the light-emitting layer and the lateral face of the nitride semiconductor.

15. A method for the production of a nitride semiconductor light-emitting device comprising a substrate and a nitride semiconductor layer including a light-emitting layer stacked on the substrate, wherein a first normal line relative to at least a lateral face of the nitride semiconductor layer between the substrate and the light-emitting layer and a second normal line relative to a lower surface of the nitride semiconductor layer intersect to form an angle θ

larger than 90 degrees, wherein the lateral face of the nitride semiconductor layer is an external surface of the nitride semiconductor light-emitting device, the lateral face of the nitride semiconductor layer and a lateral side of the substrate form a discontinuous face, a principal plane of the substrate abuts the lower surface of the nitride semiconductor layer, the principal plane of the substrate and the lateral face of the nitride semiconductor layer form an acute angle, the substrate is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of sapphire and silicon carbide, and the lateral face of the nitride semiconductor layer excludes a lateral face of the light-emitting layer such that the lateral faces do not share a common normal line, the lateral faces being located on a same lateral side of the nitride semiconductor light-emitting device, said method comprising the steps of covering a first surface of the nitride semiconductor layer with a mask provided with a prescribed pattern, removing the nitride semiconductor layer in regions to be divided into component devices, subjecting the nitride semiconductor layer to wet-etching treatment and dividing the nitride semiconductor layer into the component devices.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the mask is a photoresist.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein the step of removing the nitride semiconductor layer is performed by means of a laser.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein the step of removing the nitride semiconductor layer is performed by means of dry etching.

20. A method according to claim 15, wherein the wet etching treatment is performed by use of orthophosphoric acid.