Semiconductor light emitting element and light emitting device

• US 9,252,333 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Honglin, Shinohara, Hironao, Yokoyama, Eisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Arroyo, Teresa M
• Application Number:
  US14/062,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20140117402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 257/79, 257/81, 257/99, 257/431, 257/432, 257/433, 257/459
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/00 Semiconductor devices having potential barriers specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof H10K50/00 takes precedence; devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor components formed in or on a common substrate and including semiconductor components having potential barriers, specially adapted for light emission H01L27/15; semiconductor lasers H01S5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/20 with a particular shape, e.g. curved or truncated substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/36 characterised by the electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/38 with a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/382 the electrode extending partially in or entirely through the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/385 the electrode extending at least partially onto a side surface of the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/44 characterised by the coatings, e.g. passivation layer or anti-reflective coating

Abstract

A semiconductor light emitting element (1) includes; an n-type semiconductor layer (120), a light emitting layer (130), a p-type semiconductor layer (140), a p-side power supply portion (150), and an n-side power supply portion (160) that includes an n-side power supply electrode (162), an n-side auxiliary electrode (163) and n-side connective electrodes (164). The n-side power supply electrode (162) and auxiliary electrode (163) are provided in the inner side beyond the p-type semiconductor layer (140) viewed from the light emitting layer (130). On the p-type semiconductor layer (140), a power supply insulating layer (170) transparent to light from the light emitting layer (130) is provided, and portions at lower side of the n-side power supply electrode (162) and auxiliary electrode (163) are set to have a thickness with which the light is easily reflected, and other portions are set to have a thickness with which the light is easily transmitted.

Claims

1. A semiconductor light emitting element comprising:

a first semiconductor layer that is composed of a compound semiconductor with a first conductive type;

a light emitting layer that is provided on the first semiconductor layer to be in contact with the first semiconductor layer, is composed of a compound semiconductor, and emits light with current flow;

a second semiconductor layer that is provided on the light emitting layer to be in contact with the light emitting layer and composed of a compound semiconductor with a second conductive type different from the first conductive type;

a first power supply electrode that is provided at a rear side of the second semiconductor layer in the view from the light emitting layer, is composed of metal, and electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer;

a second power supply electrode that is provided at the rear side of the second semiconductor layer in the view from the light emitting layer, is composed of metal, and electrically connected to the second semiconductor layer; and

a transparent insulating layer that is provided at the rear side of the second semiconductor layer in the view from the light emitting layer, is composed of materials having permeability to the light of a wavelength emitted from the light emitting layer, and electrically insulates the first power supply electrode and the second power supply electrode;

wherein,

the transparent insulating layer comprises;

a first transparent insulating portion that is set to have a first thickness with which the light emitted from the light emitting layer is transmitted, and is provided on portions provided at the rear side of the second semiconductor layer in the view from the light emitting layer and provided not to correspond to the first power supply electrode and the second power supply electrode; and

a second transparent insulating portion that is set to have a second thickness with which the light emitted from the light emitting layer is reflected, and is provided on portions between the second semiconductor layer and the first power supply electrode and on portions between the second semiconductor layer and the second power supply electrode.

2. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1, further comprising a first connective electrode that is electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer through a hole penetrating the transparent insulating layer, the second semiconductor layer and the light emitting layer;

and a first auxiliary electrode that is provided at the rear side of the second semiconductor layer in the view from the light emitting layer and electrically connects the first connective electrode and the first power supply electrode.

3. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 2, wherein, the first auxiliary electrode is composed of metal, and the second transparent insulating portion is provided between the second semiconductor layer and the first auxiliary electrode.

4. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 2, wherein,

the first connective electrode and the first auxiliary electrode are composed of transparent conductive materials having electronic conductivity and permeability to the light emitted from the light emitting layer.

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

the compound semiconductor is composed of a group III nitride semiconductor, and

the first semiconductor layer is laminated on a substrate directly or through another layer.

6. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 2, wherein,

the compound semiconductor is composed of a group III nitride semiconductor, and

the first semiconductor layer is laminated on a substrate directly or through another layer.

7. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 3, wherein,

the compound semiconductor is composed of a group III nitride semiconductor, and

the first semiconductor layer is laminated on a substrate directly or through another layer.

8. The semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 4, wherein,

the compound semiconductor is composed of a group III nitride semiconductor, and

the first semiconductor layer is laminated on a substrate directly or through another layer.

9. A light emitting device comprising:

a base portion in which a first wiring and a second wiring are formed; and

a semiconductor light emitting element that is connected to the base portion by face up mounting, wherein

the semiconductor light emitting element comprises;

a first semiconductor layer that is composed of a compound semiconductor with a first conductive type;

a light emitting layer that is provided on the first semiconductor layer to be in contact with the first semiconductor layer, is composed of a compound semiconductor, and emits light with current flow;

a second semiconductor layer that is provided on the light emitting layer to be in contact with the light emitting layer and composed of a compound semiconductor with a second conductive type different from the first conductive type;

a first power supply electrode that is provided at a rear side of the second semiconductor layer in the view from the light emitting layer, is composed of metal, electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer, and electrically connected to the first wiring provided on the base portion;

a second power supply electrode that is provided at the rear side of the second semiconductor layer in the view from the light emitting layer, is composed of metal, electrically connected to the second semiconductor layer, and electrically connected to the second wiring provided on the base portion; and

a transparent insulating layer that is provided at the rear side of the second semiconductor layer in the view from the light emitting layer, is composed of materials having permeability to the light of a wavelength emitted from the light emitting layer, and electrically insulates the first power supply electrode and the second power supply electrode;

wherein,

the transparent insulating layer comprises;

a first transparent insulating portion that is set to have a first thickness with which the light emitted from the light emitting layer is transmitted, and is provided on portions provided at the rear side of the second semiconductor layer in the view from the light emitting layer and provided not to correspond to the first power supply electrode and the second power supply electrode; and

a second transparent insulating portion that is set to have a second thickness with which the light emitted from the light emitting layer is reflected, and is provided on portions between the second semiconductor layer and the first power supply electrode and on portions between the second semiconductor layer and the second power supply electrode.