LED element, and production method therefor

• US 9,246,059 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2013
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Miyoshi, Kohei, Tsukihara, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Parekh, Nitin
• Application Number:
  US14/428,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20150263233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 257/76, 257/78, 257/103, 257/615, 257/E25.032
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0016 relating to electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0033 relating to semiconductor body packages
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0066 relating to arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0075 comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0093 Wafer bonding; Removal of the growth substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/38 with a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/42 Transparent materials
• 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

Provided is an LED element which achieves high light extraction efficiency even at low operating voltages and which can be produced using a simple process. The LED element has a first semiconductor layer made of a p-type nitride semiconductor, a light-emitting layer made of a nitride semiconductor formed on the upper layer of the first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer made of an n-type nitride semiconductor formed on the upper layer of the light-emitting layer, and a transparent electrode formed on the whole surface of the second semiconductor layer. The second semiconductor layer in at least a region that is in contact with the transparent electrode is made of Al_nGa_1-nN (0<n<1) and has an n-type impurity concentration larger than 1×10¹⁹/cm³.

Claims

1. An LED element comprising:

a support substrate made of a conductor or a semiconductor;

a conductive layer formed on an upper layer of the support substrate;

an insulating layer formed so that a bottom surface thereof is in contact with a portion of an upper surface of the conductive layer;

a first semiconductor layer made of a p-type nitride semiconductor formed so that a bottom surface thereof is in contact with a portion of the upper surface of the conductive layer and a portion of an upper surface of the insulating layer;

a light-emitting layer made of a nitride semiconductor formed on an upper layer of the first semiconductor layer;

a second semiconductor layer made of an n-type nitride semiconductor formed on the upper layer of the light-emitting layer;

a transparent electrode formed on an entire upper surface of the second semiconductor layer; and

a power supply terminal formed so that a bottom surface thereof is in contact with a portion of an upper surface of the transparent electrode, wherein

the second semiconductor layer in at least a region that is in contact with the transparent electrode is made of Al_nGa_1-nN (0<

n<

1) and has an n-type impurity concentration larger than 1×

10¹⁹/cm³.