Semiconductor light emitting device having roughness layer

• US 8,987,768 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2014
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Suzhou Lekin Semiconductor Company Limited
• Original Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jeong, Hwan Hee
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickey, Thomas L
• Application Number:
  US14/249,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20140217418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 349 Days
• Field of Search: 257/98, 257/E33.006, 257/E33.062, 257/E33.063
• US Class Current: 257/98
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/04 with a quantum effect structure or superlattice, e.g. tunnel junction
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/22 Roughened surfaces, e.g. at the interface between epitaxial layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen

Abstract

A semiconductor light emitting device is provided, including a substrate, a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second conductive semiconductor layer that includes a top surface and a bottom surface. The device includes a first roughness layer having a random horn shape and formed with irregular intervals, a second roughness layer, and at least one of a first AlGaN based semiconductor layer and a second AlGaN based semiconductor layer. The second conductive semiconductor layer includes a plurality of apexes on the top surface, where the distance between at least two apexes is of about 0.3 μm to about 1.0 μm. The second roughness layer includes a lower surface having a shape corresponding to the top surface of the second conductive semiconductor layer. The second roughness layer includes an upper surface having a shape corresponding to a top surface of the first roughness layer.

Claims

1. A semiconductor light emitting device, comprising:

a substrate;

a first conductive semiconductor layer on the substrate;

an active layer on the first conductive semiconductor layer;

a second conductive semiconductor layer on the active layer, the second conductive semiconductor layer including a top surface and a bottom surface opposing to the top surface, the bottom surface being adjacent to the active layer;

a first roughness layer disposed on the second conductive semiconductor layer and including Al material, the first roughness layer including a random horn shape and formed with irregular intervals;

a second roughness layer including Ti material on the first roughness layer; and

at least one of a first AlGaN based semiconductor layer disposed on the active layer and a second AlGaN based semiconductor layer disposed under the active layer,

wherein the first conductive semiconductor layer includes a first GaN layer and the second conductive semiconductor layer includes a second GaN layer,

wherein the second conductive semiconductor layer includes a plurality of apexes on the top surface, the distance between at least two apexes of the plurality of apexes is of about 0.3 μ

m to about 1.0 μ

m,

wherein the second roughness layer includes a lower surface having a shape corresponding to the top surface of the second conductive semiconductor layer, and

wherein the second roughness layer includes an upper surface having a shape corresponding to a top surface of the first roughness layer.

2. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1, further comprising an electrode on the second conductive semiconductor layer, wherein the electrode has a bottom surface with a shape corresponding to the top surface of the second conductive semiconductor layer.

3. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the second roughness layer is disposed directly on the first roughness layer.

4. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the first roughness layer includes an upper surface having a shape corresponding to the top surface of the second conductive semiconductor layer.

5. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the first roughness layer is a semiconductor layer.

6. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the first roughness layer is formed of a same semiconductor material as that of the second conductive semiconductor layer.

7. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the first roughness layer has a thickness of about 1000 Å

to about 2000 Å

.

8. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein a distance between one apex of the plurality of apexes and a valley that is positioned close thereto is in the range of about 0.5 μ

m to about 1.2 μ

m.

9. A semiconductor light emitting device, comprising:

a first conductive semiconductor layer;

an active layer on the first conductive semiconductor layer;

a second conductive semiconductor layer on the active layer;

a first roughness layer on the second conductive semiconductor layer and including Al material, the first roughness layer including a random horn shape and formed with irregular intervals; and

a second roughness layer on the first roughness layer and including Ti material, wherein a top surface of the second conductive semiconductor layer includes a roughness,

wherein the first roughness layer includes a lower surface having a shape corresponding to the top surface of the second conductive semiconductor layer,

wherein the second roughness layer includes an upper surface having a shape corresponding to a top surface of the first roughness layer, and

wherein the second roughness layer includes a lower surface having a shape corresponding to the top surface of the second conductive semiconductor layer.

10. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 9, wherein the first conductive semiconductor layer includes a first GaN layer and the second conductive semiconductor layer includes a second GaN layer.

11. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 9, wherein the second conductive semiconductor layer includes a plurality of apexes on the top surface, the distance between at least two apexes of the plurality of apexes is of about 0.3 μ

m to about 1.0 μ

m.

12. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 9, wherein a distance between one apex of the plurality of apexes and a valley that is positioned close thereto is in the range of about 0.5 μ

m to about 1.2 μ

m.

13. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 9, further comprising an electrode on the first roughness layer, wherein the electrode has a bottom surface with a shape corresponding to the top surface of the second conductive semiconductor layer.

14. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 9, wherein the second roughness layer is disposed directly on the first roughness layer.

15. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 9, wherein the first roughness layer includes an upper surface having a shape corresponding to the top surface of the second conductive semiconductor layer.

16. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 9, wherein the first roughness layer has a thickness of about 1000 Å

to about 2000 Å

.

17. The semiconductor light emitting device according to claim 9, further comprising an AlGaN based semiconductor layer disposed on the active layer.

18. A light emitting device, comprising:

a substrate;

a first conductive semiconductor layer on the substrate;

an active layer on the first conductive semiconductor layer;

a conductive clad layer on the active layer, the conductive clad layer comprising an AlGaN-based layer;

a second conductive semiconductor layer on the conductive clad layer, the second conductive semiconductor layer including a top surface and a bottom surface being close to the second conductive semiconductor layer, the top surface including a roughness having a random horn shape;

a first roughness layer on the roughness of the top surface of the second conductive semiconductor layer, the first roughness layer having a roughness with a random horn shape and being formed of the same material as the second conductive semiconductor layer or different material including Al;

a second roughness layer on the first roughness layer, the second roughness layer having a roughness with a random horn shape, the second roughness layer comprising a material including Ti; and

an electrode on the first roughness layer, the electrode having a bottom surface having a roughness with a random horn shape,

wherein the roughness of the top surface of the second conductive semiconductor layer includes a plurality of apexes, the distance between at least two apexes of the plurality of apexes is in the range of about 0.3 μ

m to about 1.0 μ

m,

wherein a distance between one apex of the plurality of apexes and a valley that is positioned close thereto is in the range of about 0.5 μ

m to about 1.2 μ

m,

wherein the roughness of the first roughness layer has the same shape corresponding to the roughness of the second conductive semiconductor layer, and

wherein the roughness of the second roughness layer has the same shape corresponding to the roughness of the first roughness layer.

19. The light emitting device according to claim 18, wherein the second roughness layer is disposed directly on the first roughness layer.

20. The light emitting device according to claim 18, wherein the first roughness layer has a thickness of about 1000 Å

to about 2000 Å

.