Method for producing a light emitting diode having transparent substrate

• US 5,403,916 A
• Filed: 02/10/1994
• Issued: 04/04/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Masanori, Takiguchi, Haruhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Breneman, R. Bruce
• Assistant Examiner(s): Paladugu, Ramamohan Rao
• Application Number:
  US08/196,013
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 437/23, 437/127, 437/129, 437/3, 437/5, 437/62, 257/72
• US Class Current: 438/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/005 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0093 Wafer bonding; Removal of the growth substrate

Abstract

A method for producing a light emitting diode includes the steps of: forming a first semiconductor multilayer on a first semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type; forming a light emitting layer on the first semiconductor multilayer; forming a second semiconductor multilayer; disposing a second substrate which is transparent to light emitted from the light emitting layer on the second semiconductor multilayer; and bonding the second substrate and the second semiconductor multilayer through direct bonding with heating a vicinity of an interface between the second substrate and the second semiconductor multilayer.

Claims

1. A method for producing a light emitting diode, the method comprising the steps of:

epitaxially growing a first semiconductor multilayer on a first semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type, the first semiconductor multilayer including at least one first semiconductor layer having the first conductivity type;

epitaxially growing a light emitting layer on the first semiconductor multilayer;

epitaxially growing a second semiconductor multilayer on the light emitting layer, the second semiconductor multilayer including at least one second semiconductor layer having a second conductivity type;

disposing a second substrate on the second semiconductor multilayer, the second substrate being transparent to light emitted from the light emitting layer; and

bonding the second substrate and the second semiconductor multilayer through direct bonding with heating the vicinity of an interface between the second substrate and the second semiconductor multilayer.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second substrate is made of a semiconductor material having the second conductivity type.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the second substrate is made of at least one selected from the group consisting of GaP, ZnSe, ZnS, and SiC.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second substrate is made of a dielectric material.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the second substrate is made of at least one selected from the group consisting of Al₂ O₃, glass, TiO₂, MgO, and a compound thereof.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the bonding step is conducted by applying a pressure from the side of at least one of the first seminconductor substrate and the second substrate.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the disposing step is conducted in such a way that a crystal axis of the second substrate and a crystal axis of the second semiconductor multilayer are aligned with each other.

8. A method according to claim 2, wherein the second semiconductor multilayer includes a plurality of second semiconductor layers, and wherein one of the plurality of second semiconductor layers that is in contact with the second substrate has the same composition as that of the second substrate.

9. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of providing grooves in at least one of a face of the second semiconductor multilayer and a face of the second substrate that is in contact with the second semiconductor layer, the grooves reaching at least one edge of at least one of the faces.

10. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of removing at least a portion of the first semiconductor substrate after bonding the second semiconductor multilayer and the second substrate.

11. A method according to claim 10 further comprising the step of

forming an etching stopper layer between the first semiconductor substrate and the first semiconductor multilayer, the etching stopper layer having the first conductivity type and having a composition different from a composition of the first semiconductor multilayer, and wherein the step of removing at least the portion of the first semiconductor substrate is performed until the etching stopper layer is exposed.

12. A method according to claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

forming an electrode on a portion of a face of the first semiconductor substrate exposed after removing at least the portion of the first semiconductor substrate; and

forming a reflective film on the exposed face of the first semiconductor substrate except where the electrode is formed.

13. A method according to claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

forming an electrode on a portion of a face of the first semiconductor substrate exposed after removing at least the portion of the first semiconductor substrate;

removing at least a portion of the first semiconductor substrate, the first semiconductor multilayer, and the light emitting layer to expose a portion of a face of the second semiconductor multilayer; and

forming an electrode on the portion of the exposed face of the second semiconductor multilayer.

14. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of forming a dopant layer having the second conductivity type on at least one of a face of the second semiconductor multilayer and a face of the second substrate before the bonding step.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the heating is conducted by radiating light through the second substrate, the light having a wavelength absorbable by the second semiconductor multilayer.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein the heating is conducted by radiating light through the second substrate, the light having a wavelength absorbable by the dopant layer.

17. A method for producing a light emitting device, the method of comprising the steps of:

epitaxially growing a semiconductor multilayer on a first substrate, the semiconductor multilayer including a light emitting layer, first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, and a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type, the light emitting layer being interposed between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer;

disposing a second substrate which is transparent to light emitted from the light emitting layer on the semiconductor multilayer;

bonding the second substrate and the semiconductor multilayer through direct bonding with heating a vicinity of an interface between the second substrate and the semiconductor multilayer; and

removing at least part of the first substrate; and

forming a pair of electrodes electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, respectively.