SEMICONDUCTOR LIGHT-EMITTING ELEMENT, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SEMICONDUCTOR LIGHT-EMITTING ELEMENT AND LAMP THAT USES THE SEMICONDUCTOR LIGHT-EMITTING ELEMENT

• US 20110062485A1
• Filed: 03/05/2009
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakayama, Tokuyuki, Abe, Yoshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,222,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/99
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48257 connecting the wire to a die pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/42 Transparent materials

Abstract

Provided are a semiconductor light-emitting element that is capable of efficiently outputting blue color or ultraviolet light, and a lamp using the semiconductor light-emitting element.

The semiconductor light-emitting element is obtained by a manufacturing method that, when manufacturing the semiconductor light-emitting element that comprises a compound semiconductor layer that includes at least a p-type semiconductor layer, and a transparent electrode that is provided on the p-type semiconductor layer, includes a step of forming a film comprising an oxide of indium and gallium, or forming a film comprising an oxide of indium, gallium and tin, in an amorphous state on the p-type semiconductor layer, so as to form a transparent conductive film, followed by a step of performing an annealing process on the transparent conductive film at a temperature of 200° C. to 480° C.

Claims

1. A semiconductor light-emitting element, comprising:

a compound semiconductor layer that includes at least a p-type semiconductor layer; and

a transparent electrode that is provided on the p-type semiconductor layer;

wherein

the transparent electrode is formed from a transparent conductive film comprising an oxide of indium and gallium, and

wherein the amount of gallium contained in the transparent conductive film is at a Ga/(In+Ga) atomic ratio of between about 0.10 and about 0.35.

3. The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the transparent conductive film is amorphous.

6. The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the compound semiconductor layer has a light-emitting wavelength in at least the range of between about 350 nm to about 500 nm.

7. The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the compound semiconductor layer is a gallium nitride semiconductor layer.

8. The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the transparent conductive film has transmittance of 85% or greater in the wavelength range near 450 nm.

9. The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the transparent conductive film has transmittance of 80% or greater in the wavelength range near 400 nm.

10. The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the surface resistance of the transparent conductive film is 20Ω

/□

or less.

11. The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the transparent conductive film is 10 nm to 1000 nm.

12. The semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein a protective layer is formed on the transparent electrode.

20. A lamp that uses the semiconductor light-emitting element according to claim 1.

2. (canceled)

4. A semiconductor light-emitting element, comprising:

a compound semiconductor layer that includes at least a p-type semiconductor layer; and

a transparent electrode that is provided on the p-type semiconductor layer;

wherein the transparent electrode is made from a transparent conductive film comprising an oxide of indium, gallium and tin;

wherein the amount of gallium contained in said transparent conductive film is at a Ga/(In+Ga+Sn) atomic ratio of between about 0.02 and about 0.30, and the amount of tin contained is at a Sn/(In+Ga+Sn) atomic ratio of between about 0.01 and about 0.11; and

the transparent conductive film is crystallized.

5. (canceled)

13. A manufacturing method for a semiconductor light-emitting element that comprises a compound semiconductor layer that includes at least a p-type semiconductor layer, and a transparent electrode that is provided on the p-type semiconductor layer, comprising steps of:

forming a film comprising an oxide of indium and gallium, or forming a film comprising an oxide of indium, gallium and tin, in an amorphous state on the p-type semiconductor layer, so as to form a transparent conductive film; and

performing an annealing process on the transparent conductive film at a temperature of 200°

C. to 480°

C.

14. The manufacturing method for a semiconductor light-emitting film according to claim 13, wherein in case that the transparent conductive film is formed from the amorphous oxide of indium and gallium, micro crystals are formed in the transparent conductive film by the annealing process, and the amorphous state is maintained.

15. The manufacturing method for a semiconductor light-emitting film according to claim 13, wherein in case that the transparent conductive film is formed from the amorphous oxide of indium, gallium and tin, the transparent conductive film is crystallized by the annealing process.

16. The manufacturing method for a semiconductor light-emitting film according to claim 13, further comprising a step of patterning the transparent conductive film before performing the annealing process.

17. The manufacturing method for a semiconductor light-emitting film according to claim 13, wherein the annealing process is performed in an atmosphere that does not include oxygen.

18. The manufacturing method for a semiconductor light-emitting film according to claim 13, wherein the annealing process is performed in a vacuum atmosphere, a nitrogen atmosphere, or a gas mixture atmosphere of nitrogen and hydrogen.

19. The manufacturing method for a semiconductor light-emitting film according to claim 13, further comprising a step of layering a protective layer on the transparent conductive film electrode after the annealing process.