Method for fabricating light emitting diode

• US 8,021,902 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2009
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Inventors: Fan, Shou-Shan, Li, Qun-Qing, Jiang, Kai-Li
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, JACK S J
• Application Number:
  US12/584,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20100221852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 438/20, 438/22, 438/99, 438/237, 257/E21.158, 977/742
• US Class Current: 438/22
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/40 Materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/742 Carbon nanotubes, CNTs

Abstract

A method of fabricating a light emitting diode includes the following steps. A substrate is provided and a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer are placed on the substrate. A carbon nanotube structure is provided and the carbon nanotube structure is lie on the second semiconductor layer. A first electrode is formed on the carbon nanotube structure. A portion of the first semiconductor layer is exposed and a second electrode is formed on the exposed portion of the first semiconductor layer to obtain the light emitting diode.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a light emitting diode, comprising:

providing a carbon nanotube structure and a substrate having a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer on the substrate;

laying the carbon nanotube structure on the second semiconductor layer;

placing a first electrode on the carbon nanotube structure;

exposing a portion of the first semiconductor layer; and

placing a second electrode on the exposed portion of the first semiconductor layer.

2. The method of claim 1, after laying the carbon nanotube structure on the second semiconductor layer, further comprising steps of forming a protective layer to cover and fix the carbon nanotube structure and removing a first area of the protective layer to expose an exposed portion of the carbon nanotube structure;

wherein the first electrode is placed on the exposed portion of the carbon nanotube structure, and the protective layer is made of insulating material, semiconductor material, or metal material.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first area of the protective layer is removed by wet-etching process to expose the exposed portion of the carbon nanotube structure.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a second area of the protective layer is removed, and the carbon nanotube structure, the second semiconductor layer, the active layer and a portion of the first semiconductor layer under the second area of the protective layer is removed to expose the exposed portion of the first semiconductor layer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the carbon nanotube structure under the second area is removed by oxide plasma etching.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the second semiconductor layer, the active layer and the portion of the first semiconductor layer corresponding to the second area of the protective layer are removed by reactive ion etching.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of removing the residual protective layer after forming the second electrode on the exposed portion of the first semiconductor layer.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising steps of forming a metal layer on the carbon nanotube structure and annealing the metal layer in a temperature of about 300 degrees centigrade to about 500 degrees centigrade for about 3 minutes to about 10 minutes.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of forming a static electrode on the top surface of the second semiconductor layer before forming the carbon nanotube structure on the second semiconductor layer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube structure comprises at least one drawn carbon nanotube film, the at least one drawn carbon nanotube film is drawn from a carbon nanotube array, the at least one drawn carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes substantially arranged along a primary direction, each of the carbon nanotubes is substantially parallel to the top surface of the second semiconductor layer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the carbon nanotube structure comprises two or more drawn carbon nanotube films, an angle between the primary directions of the two adjacent drawn carbon nanotube films ranges from about 0 degrees to about 90 degrees.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube structure comprises of a layered structure and has a thickness of greater than 0.5 nanometers.

13. A method of fabricating a light emitting diode, comprising:

providing a carbon nanotube structure, a substrate having a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer, formed thereon;

applying the carbon nanotube structure on the second semiconductor layer;

affixing a metal layer on the carbon nanotube structure;

exposing a portion of the first semiconductor layer; and

placing a first electrode on the metal layer and a second electrode on the exposed portion of the first semiconductor layer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the metal layer comprises of a material selected from the group consisting of nickel, gold, and titanium.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the metal layer is deposited on the carbon nanotube structure by physical vapor deposition.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the metal layer is a single-layered structure or a multi-layered structure.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the metal layer has a thickness of about 5 nanometers to about 8 nanometers.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the metal layer includes a nickel layer and a gold layer, the nickel layer has a thickness of about 2 nanometers, and the gold layer has a thickness of about 5 nanometers.