Semiconductor light emitting device, light emitting module, lighting apparatus, display element and manufacturing method of semiconductor light emitting device

• US 8,207,548 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Satco Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagai, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, HOANG QUAN TRAN
• Application Number:
  US12/615,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20100078657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 257/98
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/00 Light sources using semiconductor devices as light-generating elements, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] or lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/568 Temporary substrate used as encapsulation process aid H01L21/4832 and H01L21/566 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73267 Layer and HDI connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/82005 being a temporary or sacrificial substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/92244 the second connecting process involving a build-up interconnect
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/18 High density interconnect [HDI] connectors; Manufacturing methods related thereto interconnection structure between a plurality of semiconductor chips H01L23/5389
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/24 of an individual high density interconnect connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/82 by forming build-up interconnects at chip-level, e.g. for high density interconnects [HDI] interconnection structure between a plurality of semiconductor chips H01L23/5389
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/156 two-dimensional arrays
• 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 2924/12041 LED
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12042 LASER
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15787 Ceramics, e.g. crystalline carbides, nitrides or oxides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0016 relating to electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0083 Periodic patterns for optical field-shaping in or on the semiconductor body or semiconductor body package, e.g. photonic bandgap structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/10 with a light reflecting structure, e.g. semiconductor Bragg reflector
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/382 : the electrode extending partially in or entirely through the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/387 : with a plurality of electrode regions in direct contact with the semiconductor body and being electrically interconnected by another electrode layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/50 : Wavelength conversion elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/505 : characterised by the shape, e.g. plate or foil
• 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

Abstract

An LED array chip (2), which is one type of a semiconductor light emitting device, includes an array of LEDs (6), a base substrate (4) supporting the array of the LEDs (6), and a phosphor film (48). The array of LEDs (6) is formed by dividing a multilayer epitaxial structure including a light emitting layer into a plurality of portions. The phosphor film (48) covers an upper surface of the array of the LEDs (6) and a part of every side surface of the array of LEDs (6). Here, the part extends from the upper surface to the light emitting layer.

Claims

1. A semiconductor light emitting device comprising:

a base substrate;

a multilayer epitaxial structure that (i) includes a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer and a light emitting layer that is formed between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, (ii) has a shape of a cylinder with a substantially circular or N-sided polygonal cross-section, where N is an integer equal to or larger than five, (iii) is formed on the base substrate in such a manner that the first conductive layer is positioned closer to the base substrate than the second conductive layer is, and (iv) is divided into a plurality of portions which are a plurality of independent light emitting elements, the plurality of portions being formed by (a) equiangularly spaced division grooves radially extending from a center of the cylinder and dividing the cylinder into sector forms and (b) division grooves dividing the sector forms in a circumferential direction of the cylinder, the light emitting layer included in each independent light emitting element having a substantially same area; and

a phosphor film that covers a main surface of the multiplayer epitaxial structure which faces away from the base substrate, and every side surface of the multilayer epitaxial structure from a layer including the main surface to include at least the light emitting layer.

2. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the phosphor film is applied at a substantially same thickness.

3. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the multilayer epitaxial structure further includes a light reflective layer which is formed between the first conductive layer and the base substrate.

4. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 1, wherein

in each of the plurality of independent light emitting elements,

a first electrode is formed on a part of a main surface of the first conductive layer, the part being created by partially removing the second conductive layer and the light emitting layer, and a second electrode is formed on a main surface of the second conductive layer, and

the plurality of independent light emitting elements are connected with each other in series in such a manner that a first electrode of one independent light emitting element is connected to a second electrode of another independent light emitting element using a wiring formed by a thin metal film.

5. A semiconductor light emitting device comprising:

a base substrate;

a multilayer epitaxial structure that (i) includes a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer and a light emitting layer that is formed between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, (ii) has a shape of a circular cylinder, (iii) is formed on the base substrate in such a manner that the first conductive layer is positioned closer to the base substrate than the second conductive layer is, and (iv) is divided into a plurality of portions by equiangularly spaced division grooves radially extending from a center of the cylinder and X number of circumferential division grooves positioned in a circumferential direction of the cylinder, the plurality of portions being a plurality of independent light emitting elements, a ratio of a radius of the cylinder to a radius of a Y^th circumferential division groove counted from the center of the cylinder being √

{square root over ((X+1))} √

{square root over (Y)}; and

a phosphor film that covers a main surface of the multiplayer epitaxial structure which faces away from the base substrate, and every side surface of the multilayer epitaxial structure from a layer including the main surface to include at least the light emitting layer.

6. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 5, wherein the phosphor film is applied at a substantially same thickness.

7. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 5, wherein the multilayer epitaxial structure further includes a light reflective layer which is formed between the first conductive layer and the base substrate.

8. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 5, wherein

in each of the plurality of independent light emitting elements,

a first electrode is formed on a part of a main surface of the first conductive layer, the part being created by partially removing the second conductive layer and the light emitting layer, and a second electrode is formed on a main surface of the second conductive layer, and

the plurality of independent light emitting elements are connected with each other in series in such a manner that a first electrode of one independent light emitting element is connected to a second electrode of another independent light emitting element using a wiring formed by a thin metal film.

9. A semiconductor light emitting device comprising:

base substrate;

a multilayer epitaxial structure that (i) includes a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer and a light emitting layer that is formed between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, (ii) has a shape of a circular cylinder, (iii) is formed on the base substrate in such a manner that the first conductive layer is positioned closer to the base substrate than the second conductive layer is, and (iv) is divided into a plurality of portions by equiangularly spaced division grooves radially extending from a center of the cylinder and a 1^st and a 2^nd circumferential division groove positioned in a circumferential direction of the cylinder, the plurality of portions being a plurality of independent light emitting elements, a radius of the cylinder, a radius of the 1^st circumferential division groove, and a radius of the 2^nd circumferential division groove being at a ratio of √

{square root over (3)};

√

{square root over (2;

1)}; and

a phosphor film that covers a main surface of the multiplayer epitaxial structure which faces away from the base substrate, and every side surface of the multilayer epitaxial structure from a layer including the main surface to include at least the light emitting layer.

10. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 9, wherein the phosphor film is applied at a substantially same thickness.

11. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 9, wherein the multilayer epitaxial structure further includes a light reflective layer which is formed between the first conductive layer and the base substrate.

12. The semiconductor light emitting device of claim 9, wherein

in each of the plurality of independent light emitting elements,

a first electrode is formed on a part of a main surface of the first conductive layer, the part being created by partially removing the second conductive layer and the light emitting layer, and a second electrode is formed on a main surface of the second conductive layer, and

the plurality of independent light emitting elements are connected with each other in series in such a manner that a first electrode of one independent light emitting element is connected to a second electrode of another independent light emitting element using a wiring formed by a thin metal film.