Semiconductor light emitting element

• US 9,093,356 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2011
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nichia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nichia Corporation
• Inventors: Deguchi, Kouichiroh, Yamada, Takao, Ubahara, Nobuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Diallo, Mamadou
• Assistant Examiner(s): SYLVIA, CHRISTINA A
• Application Number:
  US13/336,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20120161183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 257/13, 257/94, 257/98, 257/103, 257/E21.001, 257/E33.061, 257/E33.064, 257/E33.056, 257/E33.072, 257/88, 438/27
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48463 the connecting portion on the bonding area of the semiconductor or solid-state body being a ball bond
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/156 two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0093 Wafer bonding; Removal of the growth substrate
• 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 33/38 with a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/405 Reflective materials

Abstract

A semiconductor light emitting element comprises a semiconductor laminate including a p-type semiconductor layer, an active layer and an n-type semiconductor layer which are sequentially laminated; and a conductive support substrate joined to the p-type semiconductor layer side of the semiconductor laminate. The semiconductor laminate is divided into at least two semiconductor regions by a trench penetrating the p-type semiconductor layer, the active layer and the n-type semiconductor layer.

Claims

1. A semiconductor light emitting element comprising:

a semiconductor laminate including a p-type semiconductor layer, an active layer and an n-type semiconductor layer which are sequentially laminated; and

a conductive support substrate joined to the p-type semiconductor layer side of the semiconductor laminate,

wherein the semiconductor laminate is divided into at least two semiconductor regions by a trench penetrating the p-type semiconductor layer, the active layer and the n-type semiconductor layer,

wherein the semiconductor light emitting element further comprises a continuous junction layer located between the conductive support substrate and the at least two semiconductor regions, at least a portion of the continuous junction layer being in direct contact with the semiconductor laminate of each semiconductor region, and

wherein the semiconductor light emitting element further comprises a reflection layer at a bottom of the trench.

2. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the reflection layer is disposed between the support substrate and the semiconductor laminate.

3. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1, further comprising an insulating protective layer between the support substrate and the semiconductor laminate.

4. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 3, wherein the protective layer is also disposed at the bottom of the trench.

5. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 3, wherein the protective layer is formed of a dielectric multilayered film.

6. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 3, wherein said at least a portion of the continuous junction layer is in direct contact with each semiconductor region via respective through holes located in the insulating protective layer.

7. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 6, wherein the insulating protective layer is configured to reflect light emitted by the at least two semiconductor regions.

8. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1, wherein

an insulating protective layer and the reflection layer are sequentially disposed in that order from the support substrate side between the support substrate and the semiconductor laminate, and

wherein the protective layer is also disposed at the bottom of the trench.

9. The semiconductor light element according to claim 8, wherein the protective layer is formed of a dielectric multilayered film.

10. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the trench has a width of 3 to 25 μ

m.

11. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1, wherein:

a top view shape of the semiconductor light emitting element is rectangular, and

a ratio of a length of a side of the rectangular semiconductor light emitting element to a width of a trench extending in direction perpendicular to the side is 100;

25 to 100;

0.28.

12. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1, further comprising:

an n-side pad for wire bonding disposed over each n-type semiconductor layer of the semiconductor regions,

wherein each of the n-side pads is disposed adjacent to a side of each of the corresponding semiconductor regions.

13. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 12, wherein

the semiconductor regions are disposed such that at least one side of each of the semiconductor regions is disposed at an outer periphery of the semiconductor light emitting element, and

each of the n-side pads is disposed adjacent to the at least one side of each of the semiconductor regions that is disposed at the outer periphery of the semiconductor light emitting element.

14. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of a thickness of the p-type semiconductor layer to a thickness of the n-type semiconductor layer is 1:

50 to 1;

3.

15. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the n-type semiconductor layer is roughened.

16. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1,

wherein a top view shape of the semiconductor light emitting element is rectangular,

wherein a ratio of a length of a side of the rectangular semiconductor light emitting element to a width of a trench extending in direction perpendicular to the side is 100:

25 to 100;

0.28, and

wherein a ratio of a thickness of the p-type semiconductor layer to a thickness of the n-type semiconductor layer is 1;

50 to 1;

3.

17. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 16, further comprising:

an n-side pad for wire bonding disposed over each n-type semiconductor layer of the semiconductor regions,

wherein each of the n-side pads is disposed adjacent to a side of each of the corresponding semiconductor regions,

wherein the semiconductor regions are disposed such that at least one side of each of the semiconductor regions is disposed at an outer periphery of the semiconductor light emitting element, and

wherein each of the n-side pads is disposed adjacent to the at least one side of each of the semiconductor regions that is disposed at the outer periphery of the semiconductor light emitting element.

18. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1, further comprising an insulating protective layer disposed at the bottom of the trench, the insulating protective layer being formed of a dielectric multilayered film.

19. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1, further comprising a reflection layer disposed at the bottom of the trench, the reflection layer being formed of a metal film.

20. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1, wherein each semiconductor region consists of the divided semiconductor laminate.