Nitride semiconductor layers on substrate having ridge portions with inflow prevention walls near engraved regions

• US 8,288,794 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2010
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kamikawa, Takeshi, Yamada, Eiji, Araki, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Gurley, Lynne
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARENA, ANDREW OWENS
• Application Number:
  US12/813,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20100244046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 257/620, 257/622, 257/94, 257/103, 257/617, 257/623, 257/627, 257/628, 257/E29.004, 257/E29.089, 257/E29.09, 257/E29.105, 257/E33.006, 257/E33.02, 257/E33.023, 257/E33.024, 257/E33.025, 257/E33.026, 257/E33.028, 257/E33.031, 257/E33.033, 438/33, 438/42, 438/44, 438/68, 438/113, 438/114, 438/460, 438/462, 438/465
• US Class Current: 257/103
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/20 with a particular shape, e.g. curved or truncated substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/24 of the light emitting region, e.g. non-planar junction
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2304/12 Pendeo epitaxial lateral overgrowth [ELOG], e.g. for growing GaN based blue laser diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0202 Cleaving
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0207 Substrates having a special shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2201 in a specific crystallographic orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2231 with inner confining structure only between the active layer and the upper electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/32341 blue laser based on GaN or GaP

Abstract

On a processed substrate having an engraved region as a depressed portion formed thereon, a nitride semiconductor thin film is laid. The sectional area occupied by the nitride semiconductor thin film filling the depressed portion is 0.8 times the sectional area of the depressed portion or less.

Claims

1. A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device comprising:

a processed substrate comprising a nitride semiconductor, said substrate having a depressed portion, which is an engraved region, and a ridge portion, which is a non-engraved region;

a nitride semiconductor layer portion formed on a surface of both the depressed portion and the ridge portion and composed of a plurality of nitride semiconductor layers; and

inflow prevention walls formed on the ridge portion so that an inflow prevention wall is disposed at each end of the ridge portion near the depressed portion,

wherein the height of the nitride semiconductor layer portion is greater at the end of the ridge portion near the depressed portion than elsewhere in the ridge portion,

the nitride semiconductor layer portion forms a continuous film over the inflow prevention walls, the depressed portion, and the ridge portion, and

the inflow prevention wall comprises SiO₂, Al₂O₃, TiO₂, ZrO, or W.

2. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the nitride semiconductor layer portion has a light emission layer formed of InGaN.

3. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the depressed portion is not completely filled.

4. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1, further comprising an electrode pad formed on the nitride semiconductor layer portion and serving as where wire bonding is performed for external electrical connection, wherein no part of the electrode pad is formed over the depressed portion.

5. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 4, wherein the electrode pad is formed 30 μ

m or more apart from an edge of the depressed portion.

6. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein one device structure is formed in the ridge portion located between two adjacent ones of said depressed portion.

7. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of device structures are formed in the ridge portion located between two adjacent ones of said depressed portion.

8. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the device is split into an individual chip by scribing on a top surface of part of the nitride semiconductor layer portion formed over the depressed portion or on a bottom surface of part of the processed substrate directly under the depressed portion.

9. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the depressed portion has a depth of 1 μ

m or more but 20 μ

m or less.

10. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the depressed portion has an opening width of 1 μ

m or more.

11. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the ridge portion between adjacent ones of said depressed portion has a width of 140 μ

m or more but 4 mm or less.

12. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the inflow prevention wall has a thickness of 50 nm or more but 3 μ

m or less in a direction normal thereto, which is a direction perpendicular to a surface of the ridge portion.

13. The nitride semiconductor light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the inflow prevention wall has a width of 1 μ

m or more but 25 μ

m or less in a direction perpendicular to a length direction thereof.