Light emitting diode employing an array of nanorods and method of fabricating the same

• US 7,816,700 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2006
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seoul Viosys Co., Ltd. (Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Seoul Optodevice Company Limited (Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Hwa Mok
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Tan N
• Application Number:
  US12/063,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20080210956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,597 Days
• Field of Search: 257/79, 257/94, 257/98, 257/432
• US Class Current: 257/98
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/08 with a plurality of light emitting regions, e.g. laterally discontinuous light emitting layer or photoluminescent region integrated within the semiconductor body H01L27/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/20 with a particular shape, e.g. curved or truncated substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/38 with a particular shape

Abstract

Disclosed are a light emitting diode employing an array of nanorods and a method of fabricating the same. The light emitting diode comprises an array of semiconductor nanorods positioned on a substrate. An upper electrode layer is deposited on the array of the nanorods such that an empty space remains between adjacent ones of the nanorods. Since the space between adjacent ones of the nanorods is not filled with an insulating material, the light extraction efficiency of a light emitting diode can be improved and a method of fabricating the light emitting diode can be simplified.

Claims

1. A light emitting diode, comprising:

an array of semiconductor nanorods positioned on a substrate; and

an upper electrode layer deposited on the array such that an empty space remains between adjacent ones of the nanorods,

wherein the upper electrode layer is continuously positioned on the array of semiconductor nanorods and the empty space, and

wherein the upper electrode layer comprises a transparent electrode material.

2. The light emitting diode as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the nanorods comprises a first semiconductor nanorod of a first conductive type, a second semiconductor nanorod of a second conductive type, and an active layer interposed between the first and second semiconductor nanorods.

3. The light emitting diode as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light emitting diode further comprises an upper electrode pad formed on the upper electrode layer.

4. The light emitting diode as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a lower electrode layer of the first conductive type interposed between the substrate and the array, and a lower electrode pad, wherein the nanorods are grown on the lower electrode layer, the lower electrode layer has an extension portion extending from a side of the array of the nanorods, and the lower electrode pad is formed on the extension portion.

5. The light emitting diode as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a lower electrode pad formed on a bottom surface of the substrate, wherein the substrate is a conductive substrate.

6. The light emitting diode as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nanorods are formed at an interval of 200 nm or less on the average.