Semiconductor light-emitting device, illuminator and method of manufacturing semiconductor light-emitting device

• US 7,880,177 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2007
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Epistar Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kunoh, Yasumitsu, Takeuchi, Kunio
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thao X
• Assistant Examiner(s): WARRIOR, TANIKA D
• Application Number:
  US12/090,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20090173952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 257/79, 257/E33.055, 438/26
• US Class Current: 257/79
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48465 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area being a wedge bond, i.e. ball-to-wedge, regular stitch
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• 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 2924/01019 Potassium [K]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01046 Palladium [Pd]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01322 Eutectic Alloys, i.e. obtained by a liquid transforming into two solid phases
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0075 relating to heat extraction or cooling elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0093 Wafer bonding; Removal of the growth substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/385 the electrode extending at least partially onto a side surface of the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/46 Reflective coating, e.g. dielectric Bragg reflector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/62 Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the semiconductor body, e.g. lead-frames, wire-bonds or solder balls
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/641 characterized by the materials

Abstract

A semiconductor light-emitting device having high reliability is obtained while suppressing separation between a support substrate and a semiconductor element layer. This semiconductor light-emitting device includes a support substrate (1), a first bonding layer (2a) formed on the support substrate (1), a second bonding layer (2b) formed on the first bonding layer (2a), a third bonding layer (2c) formed on the second bonding layer (2b), and a semiconductor element layer (3) formed on the third bonding layer (2c). The melting point of the second bonding layer (2b) is lower than the melting points of the first bonding layer (2a) and the third bonding layer (2c).

Claims

1. A semiconductor light-emitting device comprising:

a support substrate (1);

a first eutectic alloy layer (2a) formed on said support substrate;

a second eutectic alloy layer (2b) formed on said first eutectic alloy layer;

a third eutectic alloy layer (2c) formed on said second eutectic alloy layer; and

a semiconductor element layer (3) including an emission layer (3d) formed on said third eutectic alloy layer, wherein

the melting point of said second eutectic alloy layer is lower than the melting points of said first eutectic alloy layer and said third eutectic alloy layer, and

said third eutectic alloy layer is formed on the side surface of said semiconductor element layer through an insulating layer (4).

2. The semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein

the thermal expansion coefficient of said second eutectic alloy layer is larger than the thermal expansion coefficients of said first eutectic alloy layer and said third eutectic alloy layer.

3. The semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein

said first eutectic alloy layer, said second eutectic alloy layer and said third eutectic alloy layer contain at least any of an Au—

Sn alloy, an Au—

Ge alloy and an Au—

Si alloy respectively.

4. The semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 3, wherein

said first eutectic alloy layer, said second eutectic alloy layer and said third eutectic alloy layer consist of the Au—

Sn alloy, and

the content of Sn in said second eutectic alloy layer is larger than the contents of Sn in said first eutectic alloy layer and said third eutectic alloy layer.

5. The semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 3, wherein said first eutectic alloy layer and said third eutectic alloy layer consist of the Au—

Ge alloy, and said second eutectic alloy layer consists of the Au—

Sn alloy.

6. An illuminator comprising a semiconductor light-emitting device including:

a support substrate (1);

a first eutectic alloy layer (2a) formed on said support substrate;

a second eutectic alloy layer (2b) formed on said first eutectic alloy layer;

a third eutectic alloy layer (2c) formed on said second eutectic alloy layer; and

a semiconductor element layer (3) including an emission layer (3d) formed on said third eutectic alloy layer, wherein

the melting point of said second eutectic alloy layer is lower than the melting points of said first eutectic alloy layer and said third eutectic alloy layer, and

said third eutectic alloy layer is formed on the side surface of said semiconductor element layer through an insulating layer (4).

7. The illuminator according to claim 6, wherein

the thermal expansion coefficient of said second eutectic alloy layer is larger than the thermal expansion coefficients of said first eutectic alloy layer and said third eutectic alloy layer.

8. The illuminator according to claim 6, wherein

said first eutectic alloy layer, said second eutectic alloy layer and said third eutectic alloy layer contain at least any of an Au—

Sn alloy, an Au—

Ge alloy and an Au—

Si alloy respectively.

9. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor light-emitting device, comprising steps of:

forming a semiconductor element layer (3) including an emission layer (3d);

arranging, between a support substrate (1) and said semiconductor element layer, a first eutectic alloy layer (2a), a second eutectic alloy layer (2b) and a third eutectic alloy layer (2c) in this order from the side of said support substrate; and

bonding said semiconductor element layer and said support substrate to each other through said first eutectic alloy layer, said second eutectic alloy layer and said third eutectic alloy layer by heating the same, wherein

the melting point of said second eutectic alloy layer is lower than the melting points of said first eutectic alloy layer and said third eutectic alloy layer, and

a heating temperature in the step of bonding said semiconductor element layer and said support substrate to each other is at least the melting point of said second eutectic alloy layer and less than the melting points of said first eutectic alloy layer and said third eutectic alloy layer, and

the step of arranging said first eutectic alloy layer, said second eutectic alloy layer and said third eutectic alloy layer includes a step of forming said third eutectic alloy layer on the side surface of said semiconductor element layer through an insulating layer.

10. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 9, wherein

the step of arranging said first eutectic alloy layer, said second eutectic alloy layer and said third eutectic alloy layer includes steps of:

forming said third eutectic alloy layer, said second eutectic alloy layer and said first eutectic alloy layer in this order on said semiconductor element layer, and

arranging said support substrate on said first eutectic alloy layer.

11. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 9, wherein

the step of arranging said first eutectic alloy layer, said second eutectic alloy layer and said third eutectic alloy layer includes steps of:

forming said third eutectic alloy layer, said second eutectic alloy layer and a part of said first eutectic alloy layer in this order on said semiconductor element layer,

forming another part of said first eutectic alloy layer on said support substrate, and

arranging the part of said first eutectic alloy layer formed on said support substrate on the part of said first eutectic alloy layer formed on said semiconductor element layer.

12. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 9, wherein

the step of forming said semiconductor element layer includes a step of forming said semiconductor element layer on a growth substrate (8),

the method further comprising a step of removing said growth substrate from said semiconductor element layer.

13. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 9, wherein

the thermal expansion coefficient of said second eutectic alloy layer is larger than the thermal expansion coefficients of said first eutectic alloy layer and said third eutectic alloy layer.

14. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 9, wherein

said first eutectic alloy layer, said second eutectic alloy layer and said third eutectic alloy layer contain at least any of an Au—

Sn alloy, an Au—

Ge alloy and an Au—

Si alloy respectively.

15. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 14, wherein

said first eutectic alloy layer, said second eutectic alloy layer and said third eutectic alloy layer consist of the Au—

Sn alloy, and

the content of Sn in said second eutectic alloy layer is larger than the contents of Sn in said first eutectic alloy layer and said third eutectic alloy layer.

16. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 14, wherein

said first eutectic alloy layer and said third eutectic alloy layer consist of the Au—

Ge alloy, and

said second eutectic alloy layer consists of the Au—

Sn alloy.