Light emitting device processes

• US 20050059178A1
• Filed: 07/22/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Formosa Epitaxy Incorporated (Epistar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Luminus Devices Incorporated (Sanan Optoelectronics Company Limited)
• Inventors: Lim, Michael, Erchak, Alexei A., Graff, John, Duncan, Scott, Minsky, Milan, Weig, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 7,341,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/22
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49111 the connectors connecting two common bonding areas, e.g. Litz or braid wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/156 two-dimensional arrays
• 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 33/0093 Wafer bonding; Removal of the growth substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/20 with a particular shape, e.g. curved or truncated substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/315 Modulator illumination systems general applications of lighting devices F21V; general optical systems G02B; lamp houses for projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/20

Abstract

Light-emitting devices, and related components, processes, systems and methods are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a submount supporting a plurality of mesas, at least some of the mesas including a quantum well containing region;

mapping an orientation of at least some of the mesas to provide mapped orientations; and

patterning a surface of at least one of the mesas based on the mapped orientations; and

forming at least one light emitting device from at least one of the mesas.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping an orientation includes mapping a height of at least one of the mesas.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping an orientation includes mapping the taper of the mesa.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping an orientation includes mapping a surface topology of at least one of the mesas.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping an orientation includes mapping a local focal plane deviation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping an orientation includes mapping a local thickness variation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping an orientation includes mapping a total thickness variation (TTV).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein patterning at least one light emitting device includes lithographically patterning at least one light emitting device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein patterning a surface of at least one of the mesas includes patterning at least 10% of the mesas.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein patterning a surface of at least one of the mesas includes patterning at least 25% of the mesas.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein patterning a surface of at least one of the mesas includes patterning at least 50% of the mesas.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein patterning a surface of at least one of the mesas includes patterning at least 75% of the mesas.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein patterning a surface of at least one of the mesas includes patterning at least 80% of the mesas.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein patterning a surface of at least one of the mesas includes patterning at least 90% of the mesas.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping an orientation of at least some of the mesas to provide mapped orientations includes mapping a total thickness variation.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping an orientation of at least some of the mesas to provide mapped orientations includes receiving a total indicated reading from a pressure gauge.

17. A method comprising:

providing a submount supporting a plurality of mesas, at least some of the mesas including a quantum well containing region;

planarizing at least some of the plurality of mesas so that the planarized mesas have a substantially planar surface;

forming at least one light emitting device from at least one of the mesas.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein planarizing includes:

depositing a layer over the plurality of mesas;

polishing the layer to expose a top portion of the mesas and to form a planar surface among the plurality of mesas.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the layer is an insulating layer.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the submount comprises a material selected from the group consisting of germanium, silicon, silicon-carbide, copper, copper-tungsten, silver-tungsten, molybdenum, diamond, diamond-copper, nickel-cobalt, and combinations thereof.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein a particular one of the plurality of mesas is at least about 1 mm on a side.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein a particular one of the plurality of mesas is at least about 3 mm on a side.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein a particular one of the plurality of mesas is at least about 4 mm on a side.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein a particular one of the plurality of mesas is at least about 6 mm on a side.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein forming at least one light emitting device from at least one of the mesas includes forming at least one light emitting device from at least 10% of the mesas.

26. The method of claim 18 wherein forming at least one light emitting device from at least one of the mesas includes forming at least one light emitting device from at least 25% of the mesas.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein forming at least one light emitting device from at least one of the mesas includes forming at least one light emitting device from at least 50% of the mesas.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein forming at least one light emitting device from at least one of the mesas includes forming at least one light emitting device from at least 75% of the mesas.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein forming at least one light emitting device from at least one of the mesas includes forming at least one light emitting device from at least 80% of the mesas.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein forming at least one light emitting device from at least one of the mesas includes forming at least one light emitting device from at least 90% of the mesas.

31. A method comprising:

providing a submount supporting a plurality of mesas, at least some of the mesas including a quantum well containing region;

depositing a resist material on at least some of the plurality of mesas;

processing the resist to form a planar surface;

patterning a surface of at least one of the mesas; and

forming a light emitting device from the at least one of the mesas.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein depositing a resist material on at least some of the plurality of mesas includes depositing a plurality of resist layers.

33. The method of 31, wherein processing the resist includes mechanically pressing the resist.

34. The method of 33, wherein processing the resist includes heating the resist while mechanically pressing the resist.

35. A method, comprising:

providing a submount in the form of a wafer supporting a plurality of mesas, at least some of the mesas including a quantum well containing region and a resist layer wherein the resist layer is substantially planar across the surface of the wafer;

patterning a surface of at least one of the mesas; and

forming a light emitting device from the at least one of the mesas.

36. A method comprising:

providing a submount connected to a substrate via a semiconductor layer and a plurality of mesas, at least some of the mesas including a quantum well containing region; and

at least partially decomposing portions of the semiconductor layer on a mesa by mesa basis.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein providing the submount attached to the substrate includes:

providing a substrate including a semiconductor layer and a plurality of device layers;

etching the device layers to form a plurality of mesas; and

bonding the substrate to a submount.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising removing the substrate.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein at least partially decomposing the semiconductor layer includes sequentially exposing the semiconductor layer of each of the plurality of mesas to electromagnetic radiation.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein exposing the semiconductor of each of the plurality of mesas to electromagnetic radiation includes determining a beam size of the electromagnetic radiation.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein determining a beam size includes matching the beam size to a size of a particular one of the mesas.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein determining a beam size includes matching the beam shape to a shape of a particular one of the mesas. (does size include shape?)

43. The method of claim 39, further comprising, before exposing the substrate to the electromagnetic radiation, passing the electromagnetic radiation through a mask.

44. The method of claim 36, wherein the portions of the substrate are sequentially at least partially decomposed on a mesa-by-mesa basis.

45. The method of claim 36, wherein the portions of the substrate are at least partially decomposed on a mesa-by-mesa basis.

46. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

patterning a surface of at least one of the mesas; and

forming a light emitting device from the at least one of the mesas.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein patterning a surface of at least one of the mesas includes:

depositing a resist material on at least some of the plurality of mesas; and

imprinting the resist material using a mold.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the mold is a flexible mold.

49. The method of claim 46, wherein patterning a surface of at least one of the mesas includes:

forming an array of self-assembled nano-particles on the surface of at least some of the mesas.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the self-assembled nano-particles include polystyrene beads.

51. The method of claim 50, further comprising:

depositing a material onto the mesas and the nano-particles; and

removing the nano-particles and portions of the material supported by the nano-particles.

52. A method, comprising:

planarizing at least some of a plurality of mesas so that the planarized mesas have a substantially planar surface, at least some of the plurality of mesas including a quantum well region, the plurality of mesas being supported by a submount;

forming at least one light emitting device from at least one of the mesas.

53. A method comprising:

providing a submount supporting a plurality of mesas, at least some of the mesas including a quantum well containing region;

grouping a plurality of mesas to form a die;

depositing a material in the regions between the plurality of mesas in the die;

patterning a surface of at least one mesa; and

forming at least one light emitting device from a mesa in the die.

54. The method of claim 53, further comprising planarizing the plurality of mesas grouped to form the die.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein the plurality of mesas differ in cross-sectional area.

56. The method of claim 53, wherein the die device is rectangular.

57. The method claim 56, wherein the aspect ratio of the die is 16:

9

58. The method claim 56, wherein the aspect ratio of the die is 4:

3