IP Library Granted Patent US 6,858,866
Granted Patent B2
US 6,858,866 · App. 10/061,241 · Granted Feb 22, 2005

III-nitride light emitting diode

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,858,866
App. No.
10/061,241
Granted
Feb 22, 2005
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention, a III-nitride light emitting diode (LED) and a manufacture method thereof, forms a magnetic metal layer in a conventional III-nitride LED by the method of thermal evaporation, e-beam evaporation, ion sputtering, or electroplate. Due to the eddy current effect, heat is generated by using electromagnetic oven inducing with electromagnetic wave to activate the p-type semiconductor material in III-nitride LED. The present invention has advantages of providing the equipments of simple structure and low cost. The contact resistance between the semiconductors and electrodes is reduced while the III-nitride compound semiconductor material is activated.

Claims (33)

1. A III-nitride LED, comprising:

a substrate;

an epitaxial structure having a plurality of III-nitride compound semiconductor layers used for generating light when current enters, wherein one side of the epitaxial structure is connected to one side of the substrate, a first ohmic contact metal electrode is located on the other side of the epitaxial structure, and the III-nitride compound semiconductor layers comprises at least one heat activated p-type III-nitride compound semiconductor layer; and

an eddy current activated magnetic metal layer located on the other side of the substrate, for activating the III-nitride compound semiconductor layers in a heating step with an eddy current effect induced by electromagnetic wave, wherein the at least one heat activated p-type III-nitride compound semiconductor layer is formed in the heating step.

2. The III-nitride LED according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate is composed of the material selected from a group consisting of sapphire, SiC, GaAs, and silicon.

3. The III-nitride LED according to claim 1 , wherein the eddy current activated magnetic metal layer is composed of the material selected from a group consisting of Fe, Co, V, Ni and alloy thereof.

4. The III-nitride LED according to claim 1 , wherein the eddy current activated magnetic metal layer is a second ohmic contact metal electrode, which has low metal-semiconductor contact resistance with the substrate having characteristics of high doping and high-conductivity.

5. The III-nitride LED according to claim 1 , wherein the eddy current activated magnetic metal layer is located on another side of the substrate.

6. The III-nitride LED according to claim 1 , wherein the epitaxial structure comprises a semiconductor layer having a first electrical property, and the semiconductor layer having the first electrical property is composed of (Al x Ga 1-x ) y In 1-y N (0≦x≦1; 0≦y≦1).

7. The III-nitride LED according to claim 6 , wherein the structure further comprises a trench located on the other side of the epitaxial structure, in order to expose a portion of a surface of the semiconductor layer having the first electrical property, and a second ohmic contact metal electrode located on the portion of the surface of the semiconductor layer having the first electrical property.

8. The III-nitride LED according to claim 1 , wherein the epitaxial structure comprises a buffer layer, and the buffer layer is composed of the material selected from a group consisting of AlN and GaN.

9. The III-nitride LED according to claim 1 , wherein the epitaxial structure comprises a first confining layer having the first electrical property, and the first confining layer having the first electrical property is composed of (Al x Ga 1-x ) y In 1-y N (0≦x≦1; 0≦y≦1).

10. The III-nitride LED according to claim 1 , wherein the epitaxial structure comprises an active layer, and the active layer is composed of the material selected from a group consisting of a double hetero-junction structure and a quantum well of (Al x Ga 1-x ) y In 1-y N (0≦x≦1; 0≦y≦1).

11. The III-nitride LED according to claim 1 , wherein the epitaxial structure comprises a second confining layer having a second electrical property, and the second confining layer is composed of (Al x Ga 1-x ) y In 1-y N (0≦x≦1; 0≦y≦1).

12. The III-nitride LED according to claim 1 , wherein the epitaxial structure comprises a contact layer having the second electrical property, and the contact layer having the second electrical property is composed of (Al x Ga 1-x ) y In 1-y N (0≦x≦1; 0≦y≦1).

13. A method of manufacturing III-nitride LED, comprising:

providing a substrate;

providing an epitaxial structure having a plurality of III-nitride compound semiconductor layers used for generating light when current enters, wherein one side of the epitaxial structure is connected to one side of the substrate, and the III-nitride compound semiconductor layers comprises at least one p-type III-nitride compound semiconductor layer;

forming a first ohmic contact metal electrode located on the other side of the epitaxial structure;

providing a magnetic metal layer on the other side of the substrate; and

heating the magnetic metal layer with an eddy current effect induced by electromagnetic wave for activating the at least one p-type III-nitride compound semiconductor layer of the III-nitride compound semiconductor layers.

14. The method of manufacturing III-nitride LED according to claim 13 , wherein the substrate is composed of the material selected from a group consisting of sapphire, SiC, GaAs, and silicon.

15. The method of manufacturing III-nitride LED according to claim 13 , wherein the magnetic metal is formed by the method selected from a group consisting of thermal evaporation, e-beam evaporation, ion sputtering, and electroplate.

16. The method of manufacturing III-nitride LED according to claim 13 , wherein the magnetic metal layer is composed of the material selected from a group consisting of Fe, Co, V, Ni and alloy thereof.

17. The method of manufacturing III-nitride LED according to claim 13 , wherein the magnetic metal layer is a second ohmic contact metal electrode, which has low metal-semiconductor contact resistance with the substrate having characteristics of high doping and high conductivity.

18. The method of manufacturing III-nitride LED according to claim 13 , wherein the magnetic metal layer is located on another side of the substrate.

19. The method of manufacturing III-nitride LED according to claim 13 , wherein the epitaxial structure comprises a semiconductor layer having a first electrical property, and the semiconductor layer having the first electrical property is composed of (Al x Ga 1-x ) y In 1-y N (0≦x≦1; 0≦y≦1).

20. The method of manufacturing III-nitride LED according to claim 19 , wherein the structure further comprises a trench located on the other side of the epitaxial structure, in order to expose a portion of a surface of the semiconductor layer having the first electrical property, and a second ohmic contact metal electrode located on the portion of the surface of the semiconductor layer having the first electrical property.

21. The method of manufacturing III-nitride LED according to claim 13 , wherein the epitaxial structure comprises a buffer layer, and the buffer layer is composed of the material selected from a group consisting of AlN and GaN.

22. The method of manufacturing III-nitride LED according to claim 13 , wherein the epitaxial structure comprises a first confining layer having the first electrical property, and the first confining layer having the first electrical property is composed of (Al x Ga 1-x ) y In 1-y N (0≦x≦1; 0≦y≦1).

23. The method of manufacturing III-nitride LED according to claim 13 , wherein the epitaxial structure comprises an active layer, and the active layer is composed of the material selected from a group consisting of a double hetero-junction structure and a quantum well of (Al x Ga 1-x ) y In 1-y N (0≦x≦1; 0≦y≦1).

24. The method of manufacturing III-nitride LED according to claim 13 , wherein the epitaxial structure comprises a second confining layer having a second electrical property, and the second confining layer having the second electrical property is composed of (Al x Ga 1-x ) y In 1-y N (0≦x≦1; 0≦y≦1).

25. The method of manufacturing III-nitride LED according to claim 13 , wherein the epitaxial structure comprises a contact layer having the second electrical property, and the contact layer having the second electrical property is composed of (Al x Ga 1-x ) y In 1-y N (0≦x≦1; 0≦y≦1).

Assignments (7)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 29, 2009
From: CHEN, SHI-MING
To: EPISTAR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 022597/0980 →
MERGER Recorded Jan 22, 2008
From: EPITECH TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
To: EPISTAR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 020417/0734 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 14, 2007
From: SOUTH EPITAXY CORPORATION
To: EPITECH TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 019000/0685 →
MERGER Recorded Feb 22, 2007
From: EPITECH TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
To: SOUTH EPITAXY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 018917/0719 →
MERGER Recorded Feb 15, 2007
From: EPITECH CORPORATION, LTD.
To: EPITECH TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 018891/0848 →
REQUEST FOR CORRECTED NOTICE OF RECORDATION OF ASSIGNMENT DOCUMENT TO CORRECT ASSIGNEE'S AND ASSIGNEE ADDRESSES ON AN ASSIGNMENT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 014163, FRAME 0719. Recorded Sep 15, 2004
From: CHEN, SHI-MING
To: EPITECH CORPORATION, LTD.; CHEN, SHI-MING
Reel/Frame 015786/0617 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 12, 2003
From: CHEN, SHI-MING
To: EPITECH CORPORATION, LTD.
Reel/Frame 014163/0719 →