Light emitting diode

• US 8,759,857 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2012
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Inventors: Zhu, Zhen-Dong, Li, Qun-Qing, Zhang, Li-Hui, Chen, Mo, Fan, Shou-Shan
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodela, Eduardo A
• Application Number:
  US13/479,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20130140594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 257/79, 257/98, 257/99, 257/E33.005, 257/E33.006, 257/E33.067, 257/E33.068, 257/E33.074
• US Class Current: 257/98
• 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 33/382 the electrode extending partially in or entirely through the semiconductor body

Abstract

A light emitting diode including a substrate, a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer is provided. A surface of the substrate away from the active layer is configured as the light emitting surface. The first semiconductor layer includes a first surface and a second surface, and the first surface is connected to the substrate. The active layer and the second semiconductor layer are stacked on the second surface in that order. A first electrode electrically is connected with the first semiconductor layer. A second electrode is electrically connected with and covers a surface of the second semiconductor layer. A number of three-dimensional nano-structures are located on the surface of the first surface of the first semiconductor layer and the light emitting surface, and a cross section of each of the three-dimensional nano-structure is M-shaped.

Claims

1. A light emitting diode, comprising:

a substrate having an epitaxial growth surface and a light emitting surface opposite the epitaxial growth surface;

a first semiconductor layer having a first surface contacting the substrate and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first surface;

an active layer stacked on the second surface of the first semiconductor layer;

a second semiconductor layer stacked on the active layer;

a first electrode electrically connected with the first semiconductor layer;

a second electrode electrically connected with and covering the surface of the second semiconductor layer away from the active layer; and

a plurality of three-dimensional nano-structures located on the second surface of the first semiconductor layer and on the light emitting surface, wherein each of the plurality of three-dimensional nano-structures has a first peak and a second peak aligned side by side, a first groove is defined between the first peak and the second peak, a second groove is defined between each two adjacent three-dimensional nano-structures of the plurality of three-dimensional nano-structures, and a depth of the first groove is less than a depth of the second groove.

2. The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of three-dimensional nano-structures is a bar-shaped protruding structure extending along a straight line, a curve line, or a polygonal line.

3. The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein a cross-section of each of the three-dimensional nano-structure is M-shaped.

4. The three-dimensional nano-structure array of claim 1, wherein the first peak comprises a first surface and a second surface intersecting each other to form a first include angle, the second peak comprises a third surface and a fourth surface intersecting each other to form a second include angle, and both the first include angle and the second include angle range from about 30 degrees to about 90 degrees.

5. The light emitting diode of claim 4, wherein a cross-section of the first peak has a shape of a trapezoid or a triangle, and a cross-section of the second peak has a shape of a trapezoid or a triangle.

6. The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein a surface of the active layer is engaged with the plurality of three-dimensional nano-structures located on the first semiconductor layer.

7. The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein the depth of the first groove ranges from about 30 nanometers to about 120 nanometers, and the depth of the second groove ranges from about 100 nanometers to about 200 nanometers.

8. The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of three-dimensional nano-structures is aligned side by side and extends to form a plurality of concentric circles or concentric rectangles.

9. The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of the three-dimensional nano-structures is periodically aligned, and a period of the plurality of the three-dimensional nano-structures ranges from about 100 nanometers to about 500 nanometers.

10. The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein a distance between each two adjacent three-dimensional nano-structures ranges from about 0 nanometers to about 200 nanometers.

11. The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein a width of the plurality of three-dimensional nano-structures ranges from about 100 nanometers to about 300 nanometers.

12. The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein a surface of the first semiconductor layer away from the substrate comprises a first region and a second region, the second semiconductor layer and the active layer are located on the first region, the second region is exposed from the second semiconductor layer and the active layer, and the first electrode is located on the second region.

13. The light emitting diode of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of three-dimensional nano-structures located on the surface of the active layer away from the first semiconductor layer.

14. The light emitting diode of claim 13, wherein the alignment and distribution of the three-dimensional nano-structures located on the active layer is the same as the alignment and distribution of the three-dimensional nano-structures located on the first semiconductor layer.

15. The light emitting diode of claim 1, further comprising a reflector located on a surface of the substrate away from the first semiconductor layer.

16. A light emitting diode, comprising:

a substrate having an epitaxial growth surface and a light emitting surface opposite the epitaxial growth surface;

a first semiconductor layer having a first surface contacting the substrate and a second surface opposite to the first surface;

an active layer stacked on the second surface of the first semiconductor layer;

a second semiconductor layer stacked on the active layer;

a first electrode electrically connected with the first semiconductor layer;

a second electrode electrically connected with and covering a surface of the second semiconductor layer away from the active layer; and

a plurality of three-dimensional nano-structures located on the second surface of the first semiconductor layer and a surface of the second semiconductor layer away from the active layer, wherein each of the plurality of three-dimensional nano-structures has a first peak and a second peak aligned side by side, a first groove is defined between the first peak and the second peak, a second groove is defined between each two adjacent three-dimensional nano-structures of the plurality of three-dimensional nano-structures, and a depth of the first groove is less than a depth of the second groove.

17. The light emitting diode of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of three-dimensional nano-structures located on a surface of the active layer away from the first semiconductor layer.

18. The light emitting diode of claim 16, wherein the first surface of the first semiconductor layer is engaged with the plurality of three-dimensional nano-structures located on the substrate.

19. A light emitting diode, comprising:

a substrate having an epitaxial growth surface and a light emitting surface opposite the epitaxial growth surface;

a first semiconductor contacting the substrate;

an active layer stacked on the substrate;

a second semiconductor layer stacked on the active layer;

a first electrode electrically connected with the first semiconductor layer;

a second electrode electrically connected with and covering the second semiconductor layer; and

a plurality of three-dimensional nano-structures located on at least one surface of the active layer, and on at least one of the light emitting surface and a surface of the second semiconductor layer away from the active layer, wherein a cross section of each of the plurality of three-dimensional nano-structure is M-shaped.

20. The light emitting diode of claim 19, wherein the plurality of three-dimensional nano-structures on at least one surface of the active layer extends substantially along a first direction, the plurality of three-dimensional nano-structures on at least one of the light emitting surface and a surface of the second semiconductor layer away from the active layer extends substantially along a second direction, and the first direction is substantially parallel with the second direction.