Light emitting devices

• US 7,994,521 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2008
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• 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: Lidorikis, Elefterios, Erchak, Alexei A., Luo, Chiyan
• Primary Examiner(s): Pert; Evan
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILSON, SCOTT R
• Application Number:
  US12/248,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20090121243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 257/87
• 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 33/10 with a light reflecting structure, e.g. semiconductor Bragg reflector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/20 with a particular shape, e.g. curved or truncated substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/32 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/11 Comprising a photonic bandgap structure

Abstract

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

Claims

1. A light emitting diode comprising:

a first semiconductor layer doped with a first dopant, coupled to a first electrode layer;

an active layer overlying said first semiconductor layer, capable of emitting light;

a second semiconductor layer doped with a second dopant overlying said active layer, said first and second dopants being of opposite type;

a second electrode layer on said second semiconductor layer; and

a periodically-arranged plurality of holes formed in the second semiconductor layer and extending towards the first semiconductor layer, wherein;

the nearest neighbor distance between holes is approximately equal to the wavelength of emitted light;

a depth of at least one of the plurality of holes is such that the thickness of said second semiconductor layer at a bottom of said at least one of the plurality of holes is 40 nm;

a portion of the second electrode layer is disposed in a region of the second semiconductor layer in which a portion of the plurality of holes are formed;

when forward biased, light is emitted from at least a portion of the active layer disposed beneath a portion of the second electrode; and

at least one of said first semiconductor layer, said active layer, and said second semiconductor layer composes a group III element and nitrogen.

2. The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein said first dopant is n-type and said second dopant is p-type.

3. The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein said first semiconductor layer overlies said first electrode layer.

4. The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein said first electrode layer partially overlies said first semiconductor layer;

and said first semiconductor layer overlies a substrate with a reflective surface.

5. The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein said first electrode layer partially overlies said first semiconductor layer;

said second electrode layer is reflective; and

said first semiconductor layer overlies a transparent substrate.

6. The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein said first semiconductor layer, said active layer, and said second semiconductor layer comprise a group III element and a group V element.

7. The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein said first semiconductor layer, said active layer, and said second semiconductor layer comprise GaN.

8. The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein said periodically-arranged plurality of holes is periodic in at least one direction parallel to a plane of said second semiconductor layer.

9. The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein said periodic arrangement comprises a planar lattice of holes.

10. The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein the periodically-arranged plurality of holes form a photonic crystal having a photonic crystal band structure comprising one or more bands with edges;

and an energy of said emitted light lies close to an edge of a band of the photonic crystal band structure.

11. The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein an intensity of light emitted in a direction normal to a plane of said second semiconductor layer is greater than an intensity of light emitted in a direction different from the normal of the plane of said second semiconductor layer.

12. The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein said light emitting diode is disposed in a package, the package comprising:

a support frame;

a heat sink disposed within said support frame for extracting heat from said light emitting diode, wherein said light emitting diode is disposed over said heat sink;

a plurality of leads, electrically coupled to said light emitting diode; and

a transparent housing overlying the light emitting diode.