Patterned light emitting devices

• US 7,733,007 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2008
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Luminus Devices Incorporated (Sanan Optoelectronics Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Luminus Devices Incorporated (Sanan Optoelectronics Company Limited)
• Inventors: Erchak, Alexei A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Joseph L
• Application Number:
  US12/173,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20090014742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 313/498, 313/499, 313504-506, 257/95, 257/79, 257/94, 257/98, 257/99, 257/100, 257/103, 445 23- 25
• US Class Current: 313/498
• 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

Abstract

Light-emitting devices, and related components, systems and methods are disclosed. A light-emitting device can include a multi-layer stack of materials that includes a light-generating region and a first layer supported by the light-generating region. During use of the light-emitting device, light generated by the light-generating region can emerge from the light-emitting device via a surface of the first layer. The surface of the first layer can have a dielectric function that varies spatially as a pattern and at least about 45% of a total amount of light generated by the light-generating region can emerge from the light-emitting device emerges via the surface of the light-emitting device.

Claims

1. A light-emitting device, comprising:

a multi-layer stack of materials including a light-generating region and a first layer supported by the light-generating region so that, during use of the light-emitting device, light generated by the light-generating region can emerge from the light-emitting device via a surface of the first layer,

wherein the light-emitting device has an edge which is at least about one millimeter long, and the light-emitting device is designed so that a quantum efficiency of the light-emitting device is substantially independent of the length of the edge of the length of the edge.

2. A light-emitting device, comprising:

a multi-layer stack of materials including a light-generating region and a first layer supported by the light-generating region so that, during use of the light-emitting device, light generated by the light-generating region can emerge from the light-emitting device via a surface of the first layer,

wherein the light-emitting device has an edge which is at least about one millimeter long, and the light-emitting device is designed so that a wall plug efficiency of the light-emitting device is substantially independent of the length of the edge of the length of the edge.

3. A light-emitting device, comprising:

a multi-layer stack of materials including a light-generating region and a first layer supported by the light-generating region so that, during use of the light-emitting device, light generated by the light-generating region can emerge from the light-emitting device via a surface of the first layer,

wherein the light-emitting device has an edge which is at least about one millimeter long, and the light-emitting device is designed so that an extraction efficiency of the light-emitting device is substantially independent of the length of the edge of the length of the edge.

4. The light-emitting device of claim 3, wherein the length of the edge is at least about two millimeters.

5. The light-emitting device of claim 3, wherein the length of the edge is at least about three millimeters.

6. The light-emitting device of claim 3, wherein the light-emitting device includes at least one additional edge having a length of at least about one millimeter.

7. The light-emitting device of claim 3, wherein at least about 90% of the total amount of light generated by the light-generating region that emerges from the light-emitting device emerges from the light-emitting device via the surface of the first layer.

8. The light-emitting device of claim 3, wherein the multi-layer stack of materials comprises a multi-layer stack of semiconductor materials.

9. The light-emitting device of claim 8, wherein the first layer comprises a layer of n-doped semiconductor material, and the multi-layer stack further includes a layer of p-doped semiconductor material.

10. The light-emitting device of claim 9, wherein the light-generating region is between the layer of n-doped semiconductor material and the layer of p-doped semiconductor material.

11. The light-emitting device of claim 3, further comprising a support that supports the multi-layer stack of materials.

12. The light-emitting device of claim 11, further comprising a layer of reflective material that is capable of reflecting at least about 50% of light generated by the light-generating region that impinges on the layer of reflective material, the layer of reflective material being between the support and the multi-layer stack of materials.

13. The light-emitting device of claim 12, wherein the first layer comprises a layer of an n-doped material, the multi-layer stack of materials further includes a layer of p-doped material, and a distance between the layer of p-doped semiconductor material and the layer of reflective material is less than a distance between the layer of n-doped semiconductor material and the layer of reflective material.

14. The light-emitting device of claim 3, further including a current-spreading layer between the first layer and the light-generating region.

15. The light-emitting device of claim 3, wherein the multi-layer stack of materials comprise semiconductor materials.

16. The light-emitting device of claim 3, further comprising electrical contacts configured to inject current into the light-emitting device.

17. The light-emitting device of claim 16, wherein the electrical contacts are configured to vertically inject electrical current into the light-emitting device.

18. The light-emitting device of claim 3, wherein the light-emitting device comprises a light emitting diode.

19. The light-emitting device of claim 3, wherein the light-emitting device is in the form of a packaged light-emitting device.

20. The light-emitting device of claim 3, wherein a surface of the first layer includes topological features that enhance light extraction.