High-powered light emitting device with improved thermal properties

1. A light emitting device comprising:

a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type;

an active region overlying the first semiconductor layer, wherein the active region is capable of emitting light;

a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type overlying the active region;

a first contact connected to the first semiconductor layer;

a second contact connected to the second semiconductor layer;

a substrate, wherein the first semiconductor layer, second semiconductor layer and active region are connected to the substrate;

a submount;

an interconnect disposed between the submount one of the first and second contacts, wherein the interconnect physically and electrically connects the submount to one of the first and second contacts; and

an underfill disposed between the submount and the active region, the underfill having a thermal conductivity greater than about 3 W/m-K;

wherein at least one of the first contact and the second contact comprises at least one metal layer having a substantially uniform thickness and a substantially uniform lateral extent, wherein the thickness is greater than 3.5 microns.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the first semiconductor layer, active region, and second semiconductor layer are III-nitride layers, and the first and second contacts are formed on a same side of the device.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first contact and the second contact comprise a plurality of layers of different composition, wherein the total thickness of the plurality of layers is greater than 3.5 microns.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first contact and the second contact has a thickness greater than ten microns.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein both the first and second contacts have a thickness greater than 3.5 microns.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first contact and the second contact comprises at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Ag, Al, Au, and Cu.

7. The device of claim 1 further comprises a substrate underlying the first semiconductor layer, wherein the substrate is SiC.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first contact and the second contact comprises a first heat extraction layer, wherein the first heat extraction layer has a thickness greater than 0.2 micron.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the first heat extraction layer has a thickness greater than 3.5 microns.

10. The device of claim 8 wherein the first heat extraction layer comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of Cu, Al, Au, Ni, V, and metal alloys.

11. The device of claim 8 wherein the first heat extraction layer has an area greater than about 20 percent of an area of at least one of the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the device has an area greater than or equal to one square millimeter.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the device has an area less than or equal to one square millimeter.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein the device has a thermal resistance per area less than about 10K/W-mm 2 when operated at a current density of at least 143 A/cm 2 .

15. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a submount; and

at least one solder interconnect disposed between the submount and one of the first and second contacts, wherein a length of the solder interconnect is longer than a width of the solder interconnect.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the solder interconnect comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of In, Sn, metal alloys, and Ag, In 100-x , wherein x is between zero and 100.

17. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a substrate, wherein the first semiconductor layer, second semiconductor layer and active region are connected to the substrate.

18. The device of claim 1 wherein the underfill is selected from the group consisting of diamond, boron nitride, and titanium oxide.

19. The device of claim 1 wherein the underfill fills an area greater than about 70 percent of an area of the first semiconductor layer.

20. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a first lead electrically connected to the first contact;

a second lead electrically connected to the second contact; and

a cover disposed on a side of the first semiconductor layer opposite the active region.

21. A light emitting device comprising:

a substrate;

a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type overlying the substrate;

an active region overlying the first semiconductor layer, wherein the active region is capable of emitting light;

a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type overlying the active region;

a first contact connected to the first semiconductor layer, and

a second contact connected to the second semiconductor layer, the second contact comprising a plurality of layers including a heat extraction layer, the second contact having a thickness greater than 3.5 microns;

a submount;

an interconnect disposed between the submount and one of the first and second contacts, wherein the interconnect physically and electrically connects the submount to one of the first and second contacts and wherein the interconnect has a substantially rectangular vertical cross section; and

an underfill disposed between the submount and the substrate, the underfill having a thermal conductivity greater than about 3 W/m-K.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein the underfill substantially surrounds the interconnect.

23. The device of claim 21 wherein the interconnect comprises a solder bar.