Light emitting device (LED) having an electrode hole extending from a nonconductive semiconductor layer to a surface of a conductive semiconductor layer

• US 9,647,173 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2012
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Suzhou Lekin Semiconductor Company Limited
• Original Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Sun Kyung, Cho, Hyun Kyong
• Primary Examiner(s): MAI, ANH D
• Application Number:
  US13/467,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20120217509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,826 Days
• Field of Search: 257 98
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0083 Periodic patterns for optical field-shaping in or on the semiconductor body or semiconductor body package, e.g. photonic bandgap structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/10 with a light reflecting structure, e.g. semiconductor Bragg reflector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/20 with a particular shape, e.g. curved or truncated substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/46 Reflective coating, e.g. dielectric Bragg reflector

Abstract

A light-emitting device comprises a first conductive type semiconductor layer; a second conductive type semiconductor layer under the first conductive type semiconductor layer; an active layer between the first conductive type semiconductor layer and the second conductive type semiconductor layer; a nonconductive semiconductor layer on the first conductive type semiconductor layer and including a light extraction structure formed in the nonconductive semiconductor layer; a recess disposed from the nonconductive semiconductor layer to an upper portion of the first conductive type semiconductor layer; a first electrode layer on the upper portion of the first conductive type semiconductor layer; a second electrode layer under the second conductive type semiconductor layer.

Claims

1. A light-emitting device comprising:

a first conductive type semiconductor layer including an n-type dopant;

a second conductive type semiconductor layer including a p-type dopant under the first conductive type semiconductor layer;

an active layer between the first conductive type semiconductor layer and the second conductive type semiconductor layer;

a nonconductive layer on a top surface of the first conductive type semiconductor layer;

a plurality of light extraction layers on a top surface of the nonconductive layer;

a recess recessed from the plurality of light extraction layers to an upper surface of the first conductive type semiconductor layer;

a first electrode layer on the upper surface of the first conductive type semiconductor layer and disposed in the recess; and

a second electrode layer under the second conductive type semiconductor layer,

wherein the plurality of light extraction layers are formed of a different material from the nonconductive layer,

wherein at least one of the plurality light extraction layers includes at least one of TiO₂, Si₃N₄ or SiO₂,

wherein the nonconductive layer is disposed between the plurality of light extraction layers and the first conductive type semiconductor layer,

wherein the light extraction layers include a plurality of first holes,

wherein the plurality of first holes has the depth smaller than a depth of the recess,

wherein the light extraction layers have a first light extraction layer contacting the nonconductive layer, and a second light extraction layer on the first extraction layer,

wherein the first light extraction layer has a different material from the second light extraction layer,

wherein a bottom surface of the second extraction layer is located at a higher position than a top surface of the first extraction layer and directly contacts the top surface of the first extraction layer,

wherein the first extraction layer is formed of a material having a first refractive index greater than a third refractive index of the nonconductive layer and a second refractive index of the second extraction layer,

wherein the second electrode layer comprises a contact layer under the second conductive type semiconductor layer, a reflection layer under the contact layer, and a conductive support layer under the reflection layer,

wherein the nonconductive layer is formed of a semiconductor,

wherein a radius of each of the first holes of a unit pattern constituting the light extraction layer ranges from 0.325a to 0.40a, in which a is about 800 nm,

wherein the recess includes a cavity shape having a depth deeper than the top surface of the nonconductive layer,

wherein a bottom surface of the first electrode layer directly contacts the upper surface of the first conductive type semiconductor layer

wherein a lateral surface of the first electrode layer is spaced from a lateral surface of the first recess by a gap which is an opened space between the first electrode layer and the nonconductive layer,

wherein a top surface of the first electrode layer is higher than a bottom surface of the nonconductive layer and below the top surface of the nonconductive layer.

2. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the conductive support layer has a width equal or less than that of the reflection layer and is physically contacted with the reflection layer.

3. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the first light extraction layer is formed of TiO₂ or Si₃N₄.

4. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein a top surface of the first extraction layer is exposed and both a top surface and a side surface of the second extraction layer are exposed.

5. A light-emitting device comprising:

a first conductive type semiconductor layer including an n-type dopant;

a second conductive type semiconductor layer including a p-type dopant under the first conductive type semiconductor layer;

an active layer between the first conductive type semiconductor layer and the second conductive type semiconductor layer;

a nonconductive layer on the first conductive type semiconductor layer;

a first recess recessed from the nonconductive layer to the first conductive type semiconductor layer;

a first electrode layer on an upper surface of the first conductive type semiconductor layer and disposed in the first recess;

a second electrode layer under the second conductive type semiconductor layer;

a conductive support layer under the second electrode layer; and

a reflection layer between the conductive support layer and the second electrode layer; and

a light extraction layer disposed on a top surface of the nonconductive layer,

wherein the nonconductive layer is disposed between the light extraction layer and the first conductive type semiconductor layer,

wherein the light extraction layer includes a first layer contacting the top surface of the nonconductive layer and a second layer on a top surface of the first layer,

wherein the first layer is disposed between the second layer and the nonconductive layer,

wherein the first layer has a first refractive index and the second layer has a second refractive index different from the first refractive index,

wherein the first layer and the second layer includes a different material from the nonconductive layer,

wherein the light extraction layer has a plurality of second recesses recessed from the second layer to a portion of the first layer,

wherein the first layer is directly contacted between the nonconductive layer and the second layer,

wherein the first layer is formed of a material having the first refractive index greater than a third refractive index of the first semiconductor layer and greater than the second refractive index of the second layer,

wherein side surfaces of the plurality of second recesses are formed in a vertical surface with respect to a bottom surface of the first layer,

wherein each of the first and second layers is formed of an insulating material,

wherein the first layer includes a bottom part between the plurality of recesses and the nonconductive layer and a protrusion part around the plurality of recesses, and

wherein the protrusion part of the first layer directly contacts the bottom surface of the second layer,

wherein the nonconductive layer is formed of a semiconductor,

wherein each of the plurality of second recesses has a shape of a hole,

wherein a radius of the hole of a unit pattern constituting the light extraction layer ranges from 0.325a to 0.40a, in which a is about 800 nm,

wherein the second recesses of the light extraction layer has a depth of a range from 450 nm to 900 nm,

wherein the first recess includes a cavity shape having a depth deeper than the top surface of the nonconductive layer,

wherein a bottom surface of the first electrode layer directly contacts the upper surface of the first conductive type semiconductor layer,

wherein a lateral surface of the first electrode layer is spaced from a lateral surface of the first recess by a gap which is an opened space between the first electrode layer and the nonconductive layer, and

wherein a top surface of the first electrode layer is higher than a bottom surface of the nonconductive layer and below the top surface of the nonconductive layer.

6. The light-emitting device according to claim 5, wherein the nonconductive layer is an undoped layer and is overlapped in a vertical direction with the protrusion part of the first layer.

7. The light-emitting device according to claim 5, wherein the first layer of the light extraction layer is formed of TiO₂ or Si₃N₄.

8. The light-emitting device according to claim 7, wherein the second layer comprises a material of SiO₂.

9. The light emitting device according to claim 5, wherein the nonconductive layer is formed of an undoped layer and the first layer is formed of a TiO₂ layer directly contacted with the undoped layer.

10. The light emitting device according to claim 5, wherein the first electrode layer includes a first line electrode parallel to a first lateral surface of the nonconductive layer and a second line electrode parallel to a second lateral surface of the nonconductive layer,

wherein the first lateral surface is adjacent to the second lateral surface of a lateral surface of the nonconductive layer, and

wherein the first line electrode is connected to the second line electrode.

11. The light emitting device according to claim 10, wherein the first and the second line electrodes are spaced from the lateral surface of the first recess by the gap.

12. The light emitting device according to claim 5, wherein the first layer has a first refractive index, the second layer has a second refractive index lower than the first refractive index, and

a top surface of the first layer is exposed and both a top surface and a side surface of the second layer are exposed.