Semiconductor light-emitting device with improved light extraction efficiency

• US 8,071,994 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2009
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung LED Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Sun Woon, Kim, Hyun Kyung, Kim, Je Won, Choi, In Seok, Lee, Kyu Han, Oh, Jeong Tak
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Allan R
• Application Number:
  US12/624,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20100065877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 257/13, 257/79, 257/98, 257/E33.074, 438/29
• US Class Current: 257/98
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/22 Roughened surfaces, e.g. at the interface between epitaxial layers

Abstract

The present invention provides a semiconductor light-emitting device. The light-emitting device comprises a first conductive clad layer, an active layer, and a second conductive clad layer sequentially formed on a substrate. In the light-emitting device, the substrate has one or more side patterns formed on an upper surface thereof while being joined to one or more edges of the upper surface. The side patterns consist of protrusions or depressions so as to scatter or diffract light to an upper portion or a lower portion of the light-emitting device.

Claims

1. A semiconductor light-emitting device, comprising:

a substrate used in growing a semiconductor crystal;

a first conductive clad layer, an active layer, and a second conductive clad layer sequentially grown on an upper surface of the substrate, covering an entire area between opposing side surfaces of the substrate,

wherein the substrate has side patterns formed along all edges of the upper surface of the substrate and a plurality of internal patterns, and the side patterns and the internal patterns are differently shaped.

2. The light-emitting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the side patterns comprise discontinuously formed protrusions.

3. The light-emitting device as set forth in claim 2, wherein each of the internal patterns is a discontinuously formed convex or concave pattern formed on the upper surface of the substrate.

4. The light-emitting device as set forth in claim 3, wherein the protrusions have an upper surface having the same crystal plane as that of the upper surface of the substrate.

5. The light-emitting device as set forth in claim 3, wherein the side patterns are bigger than the internal patterns.

6. The light-emitting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the side patterns comprise continuously formed protrusions or depressions.

7. The light-emitting device as set forth in claim 6, wherein each of the internal patterns is a discontinuously formed convex or concave pattern formed on the upper surface of the substrate.

8. The light-emitting device as set forth in claim 7, wherein the side patterns comprise protrusions each having a surface slanted inwardly on the upper surface of the substrate.

9. The light-emitting device as set forth in claim 8, wherein the protrusions have an upper surface comprising the same crystal plane as that of the upper surface of the substrate.

10. The light-emitting device as set forth in claim 6, wherein the side patterns comprise the depressions having a surface slanted outwardly on the upper surface of the substrate.

11. The light-emitting device as set forth in claim 10, wherein the depressions have an upper surface having the same crystal plane as that of the upper surface of the substrate.