Vertical topology light emitting device

• US 9,478,709 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2015
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Suzhou Lekin Semiconductor Company Limited
• Original Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoo, Myung Cheol
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, BRADLEY
• Application Number:
  US14/931,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20160072017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 357 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/007 comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0093 Wafer bonding; Removal of the growth substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0095 Post-treatment of devices, e.g. annealing, recrystallisation or short-circuit elimination
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/04 with a quantum effect structure or superlattice, e.g. tunnel junction
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/12 with a stress relaxation structure, e.g. buffer layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/14 with a carrier transport control structure, e.g. highly-doped semiconductor layer or current-blocking structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/38 with a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/405 Reflective materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/42 Transparent materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/46 Reflective coating, e.g. dielectric Bragg reflector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/54 having a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/60 Reflective elements
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/641 characterized by the materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/647 the elements conducting electric current to or from the semiconductor body

Abstract

A vertical topology light emitting device comprises a metal support structure; an adhesion structure on the metal support structure, wherein the adhesion structure comprises a first adhesion layer and a second adhesion layer on the first adhesion layer; a metal layer on the adhesion structure, wherein the adhesion structure is thicker than the metal layer; a GaN-based semiconductor structure on the metal layer, wherein the GaN-based semiconductor structure has a thickness less than 5 micrometers; a multi-layered electrode structure on the GaN-based semiconductor structure; and a protective layer on a side surface and a top surface of the GaN-based semiconductor structure, wherein the protective layer is further disposed on the multi-layered electrode structure.

Claims

1. A light emitting device, comprising:

a metal support structure comprising Cu;

an adhesion structure on the metal support structure and comprising Au;

a reflective conductive contact on the adhesion structure;

a GaN-based semiconductor structure on the reflective conductive contact, the GaN-based semiconductor structure comprising a first-type GaN layer, an active layer, and a second-type GaN layer;

a top interface layer on the GaN-based semiconductor structure and comprising Ti; and

a contact pad on the top interface layer and comprising Au.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the GaN-based semiconductor structure has a first surface and a second surface, the first and the second surfaces being opposite to each other, and

wherein the second surface is closer to the metal support structure than the first surface, the first surface including a flat surface to enhance an adhesion between the first-type GaN layer and the top interface layer.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the reflective conductive contact directly contacts the GaN-based semiconductor structure.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the second-type GaN layer is on the reflective conductive contact,

wherein the first-type GaN layer is on the active layer, and

wherein the active layer is between the first-type GaN layer and the second-type GaN layer.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first-type GaN layer is an n-type GaN layer, and

wherein the second-type GaN layer is a p-type GaN layer.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the active layer comprises InGaN/GaN.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein a width of the top interface layer is smaller than a width of the active layer in a first direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the GaN-based semiconductor structure.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the contact pad is on a center of the top interface layer.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the metal support structure is thicker than each of the adhesion layer, the reflective conductive contact, the GaN-based semiconductor structure, the top interface layer, and the contact pad.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the metal support structure, the adhesion structure, the reflective conductive contact, the GaN-based semiconductor structure, the top interface layer, and the contact pad vertically overlap each other in a thickness direction of the GaN-based semiconductor structure.

11. A light emitting device, comprising:

a metal support structure;

an adhesion structure on the metal support structure and comprising Au;

a reflective conductive contact on the adhesion structure;

a GaN-based semiconductor structure comprising a p-type GaN layer on the reflective conductive contact, an active layer on the p-type GaN layer, and an n-type GaN layer on the active layer; and

an electrical contact on the GaN-based semiconductor structure,

wherein the electrical contact comprises;

an n-type interface layer on the GaN-based semiconductor structure comprising Ti; and

a contact pad on the n-type interface layer comprising Au.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein a first thickness of the metal support structure is greater than a sum of a second thickness of the adhesion layer and a third thickness of the reflective conductive contact.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein the metal support structure has a thickness of less than 100 μ

m.

14. The device according to claim 11, wherein the metal support structure comprises a material selected from the group consisting of Cu, Au, and Al.

15. The device according to claim 11, wherein the adhesion layer further comprises Cr.

16. The device according to claim 11, wherein the n-type interface layer further comprises Al.

17. The device according to claim 11, wherein the contact pad further comprises Cr.

18. The device according to claim 11, wherein the n-type interface layer has a multilayer structure.

19. The device according to claim 11, wherein the contact pad has a multilayer structure.