Semiconductor light emitting device

• US 8,168,996 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2007
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nichia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nichia Corporation
• Inventors: Inoue, Yoshiki, Sano, Masahiko
• Primary Examiner(s): SAYADIAN, HRAYR
• Application Number:
  US11/785,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20070241348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,842 Days
• Field of Search: 257/99, 257/E33.62, 257/E33.65, 257/E33.062, 257/E33.065
• US Class Current: 257/99
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• 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 25/167 comprising optoelectronic devices, e.g. LED, photodiodes
• 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 2924/01322 Eutectic Alloys, i.e. obtained by a liquid transforming into two solid phases
• 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 33/32 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/38 with a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/40 Materials therefor

Abstract

An excellent light emitting element capable of improving problems caused by a material having high light-reflectivity and susceptible to electromigration, especially Al used for the electrode. FIG. 2A depicts semiconductor light emitting element having a first and second electrodes 20 and 30 disposed at a same surface side respectively on a first and second conductive type semiconductor layer 11 and 13. In the electrode disposing surface, the first electrode 20 comprises a first base part 23 and a first extended part 24 extending from the first base part, and a plurality of separated external connecting parts 31 of the second electrode 30 arranged side by side in extending direction of the first extended part.

Claims

1. A semiconductor light emitting device comprising:

a first electrode and a second electrode respectively provided on a first conductive type semiconductor layer and a second conductive type semiconductor layer on a same surface side,

the first conductive type semiconductor layer having a different conductive type from the second conductive type semiconductor layer, and

an insulating film disposed on the second electrode, and openings in the insulating film which are separated from each other exposing regions which are external connecting parts of the second electrode spaced from each other,

wherein in the same surface side;

the first electrode comprises a plurality of first electrodes which are not connected to each other in said surface side on the first conductive type semiconductor layer, said plurality of first electrodes being arranged to form two separate one-dimensional first electrode arrays which are parallel to each other and spaced from each other, each first electrode array comprising a plurality of separated first electrodes, and

a plurality of the external connecting parts of the second electrode are arranged to form a second electrode array substantially parallel to the first electrode arrays, and

the second electrode array is provided in between the two first electrode arrays but not overlapping with the two first electrode arrays in the one-dimensional direction of the first electrode arrays.

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

first electrodes in the two first electrode arrays are arranged facing each other and each first electrode comprises a first base part and a first extended part extending from the first base part in a direction perpendicular to the one-dimensional direction of the first electrode arrays, and

some of the external connecting parts of the second electrode are arranged side by side and are provided between the first base parts and/or the first extended parts of the first electrodes.

3. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 2, wherein at least a part of the external connecting parts arranged side by side and a part of the first extended part overlap in the one-dimensional direction of the first electrode arrays.

4. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 3, wherein the first electrode comprises a first layer of an Al alloy at a contacting side with the first conductive type semiconductor layer and a second layer on the first layer, the Al alloy contains Cu or Si and Cu.

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

in the one-dimensional direction of the first electrode arrays, groups of individual external connecting parts of the second electrode are alternately located in the region separating the individual first electrodes forming the first electrode arrays, and

a distance between adjacent groups of said groups of individual external connecting parts is larger than a distance between external connecting parts that belong to one group of said adjacent groups.

6. A semiconductor light emitting device comprising:

a first electrode and a second electrode respectively provided on a first conductive type semiconductor layer and a second conductive type semiconductor layer on a same surface side,

the first conductive type semiconductor layer having a different conductive type from the second conductive type semiconductor layer, and

an insulating film disposed on the second electrode, and openings in the insulating film which are separated from each other exposing regions which are external connecting parts of the second electrode spaced from each other,

wherein in the same surface side;

the first electrode comprises a plurality of first electrodes which are not connected to each other in said surface side on the first conductive type semiconductor layer, said plurality of first electrodes being arranged to form two separate one-dimensional first electrode arrays which are parallel to each other and spaced from each other, each first electrode array comprising a plurality of separated first electrodes,

each of the plurality of separated first electrodes comprising

a first base part and

a first extended part extending from the first base part in a direction in which two first electrodes from each of the two first electrode arrays face each other,

a plurality of the external connecting parts of the second electrode are arranged to form a second electrode array substantially parallel to the first electrode arrays, and the second electrode array is provided in between the two first electrode arrays but not overlapping with the two first electrode arrays in the one-dimensional direction of the first electrode arrays,

multiple external connecting parts of the second electrode are arranged in a line, the multiple external connecting parts including two external connecting parts which are end parts and an intermediate external connecting part provided between the two end parts,

the intermediate external connecting part is provided in a region between the end portions of the first extended parts of the two first electrodes facing each other from each of the two first electrode arrays, and

a part of at least one of the end parts and a part of one first extended part overlap in the one-dimensional direction of the first electrode arrays.

7. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 6,

wherein an external connecting part which does not overlap with said one first extended part in the one-dimensional direction of the first electrode arrays, is arranged so as to be separated from an extended end of said one first extended part along a direction which is perpendicular to the one-dimensional direction of the first electrode arrays.

8. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 6, wherein the first electrode comprises a first layer of an Al alloy at a contacting side with the first conductive type semiconductor layer and a second layer on the first layer, the Al alloy contains Cu or Si and Cu.

9. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 6, wherein the first base part of the first electrode is an external connecting part and is wider than the first extended part.

10. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 9, wherein, in the one-dimensional direction of the first electrode arrays,

individual external connecting parts of the second electrode which are arranged in a line are alternately located in the region separating the individual first electrodes forming the first electrode arrays.

11. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 9, wherein the first electrode comprises a first layer of an Al alloy at a contacting side with the first conductive type semiconductor layer and a second layer on the first layer, the Al alloy contains Cu or Si and Cu.

12. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 6, wherein, in a first electrode located in one of the two first electrode arrays, the first extended part extends from the first base part toward another first base part of another first electrode located in the other of the two first electrode arrays, and the first base part is an external connecting part of the first electrode wider than the first extended part.

13. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 6, wherein the second electrode at least comprises a first layer at the second conductive type semiconductor layer side and a second layer on the first layer, and the first layer has a higher reflectivity to light from the light emitting device than that of the second layer, and

the external connecting parts of the second electrode are provided on the second layer of the second electrode.