Light emitting element

• US 10,263,158 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2016
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nichia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nichia Corporation
• Inventors: Kondo, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Pizarro, Marcos D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crite, Antonio B
• Application Number:
  US15/384,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20170186918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 257 98
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/38 with a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/40 Materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/42 Transparent materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/44 characterised by the coatings, e.g. passivation layer or anti-reflective coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/46 Reflective coating, e.g. dielectric Bragg reflector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/60 Reflective elements

Abstract

A light emitting element includes: a semiconductor stack; a light reflecting layer, in which a dielectric multilayer film is included, on an upper surface of the semiconductor stack; a light transmissive insulating layer that covers the light reflecting layer and is provided on the upper surface of the semiconductor stack around the periphery of the light reflecting layer; a light transmissive conducting layer that covers the light transmissive insulating layer and is provided on the upper surface of the semiconductor stack around the periphery of the light transmissive insulating layer; and an electrode that is provided on an upper surface of the light transmissive conducting layer so that the outer edge of the electrode coincides with an outer edge of the light reflecting layer or the outer edge of the electrode is positioned at inside of the outer edge of the light reflecting layer, as seen from an upper surface side.

Claims

1. A light emitting element comprising:

a semiconductor stack including a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer laminated over the first semiconductor layer;

a light reflecting layer including a dielectric multilayer film, the light reflecting layer being arranged on an upper surface of the second semiconductor layer of the semiconductor stack;

a light transmissive insulating layer that covers the light reflecting layer and is in direct contact with the upper surface of the second semiconductor layer of the semiconductor stack around the periphery of the light reflecting layer;

a light transmissive conducting layer that covers the light transmissive insulating layer and is in direct contact with the upper surface of the second semiconductor layer of the semiconductor stack around the periphery of the light transmissive insulating layer; and

an electrode that is provided on an upper surface of the light transmissive conducting layer so that an outer edge of the electrode coincides with an outer edge of the light reflecting layer or the outer edge of the electrode is positioned at inside of the outer edge of the light reflecting layer, as seen from an upper surface side of the light emitting element.

2. The light emitting element according to claim 1, wherein

the light transmissive conducting layer is made up of an oxide containing one or more elements selected from the group having zinc, indium, tin and magnesium.

3. The light emitting element according to claim 1, wherein

the semiconductor stack is made up of a nitride semiconductor.

4. The light emitting element according to claim 1, wherein

the light reflecting layer further includes a metal film, and

the metal film is provided on an upper surface of the dielectric multilayer film.

5. The light emitting element according to claim 4, wherein

the metal film contains aluminum or silver.

6. The light emitting element according to claim 5, wherein

the metal film is made up of an AlCu alloy or an AlNd alloy.

7. The light emitting element according to claim 1, wherein

refractive index of the light transmissive insulating layer is greater than refractive index of the light transmissive conducting layer.

8. The light emitting element according to claim 7, wherein

the light transmissive conducting layer is made up of an oxide containing one or more elements selected from the group having zinc, indium, tin and magnesium.

9. The light emitting element according to claim 7, wherein

the light transmissive insulating layer is formed of SiN or SiON.

10. The light emitting element according to claim 9, wherein

thickness of the light transmissive insulating layer is in a range of 100 nm to 200 nm.

11. The light emitting element according to claim 9, wherein

the light transmissive conducting layer is made up of an oxide containing one or more elements selected from the group having zinc, indium, tin and magnesium.

12. The light emitting element according to claim 1, wherein

refractive index of the light transmissive insulating layer is less than refractive index of the second semiconductor layer being in contact with the light transmissive insulating layer.

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

the semiconductor stack is made up of a nitride semiconductor.

14. The light emitting element according to claim 12, wherein

the light transmissive insulating layer is formed of SiN or SiON.

15. The light emitting element according to claim 14, wherein

thickness of the light transmissive insulating layer is in a range of 100 nm to 200 nm.

16. The light emitting element according to claim 12 wherein

refractive index of the light transmissive insulating layer is greater than refractive index of the light transmissive conducting layer.

17. The light emitting element according to claim 16, wherein

the light transmissive conducting layer is made up of an oxide containing one or more elements selected from the group having zinc, indium, tin and magnesium.

18. The light emitting element according to claim 16, wherein

the light transmissive insulating layer is formed of SiN or SiON.

19. The light emitting element according to claim 18, wherein

thickness of the light transmissive insulating layer is in a range of 100 nm to 200 nm.