Process for preparing a semiconductor light-emitting device for mounting

1. A process for preparing a semiconductor light-emitting device for mounting, the light-emitting device having a mounting face for mounting to a sub-mount, the mounting face comprising a bottom surface of a metal electrode, the process comprising:

treating at least one surface of the light-emitting device other than the mounting face to lower a surface energy of said at least one surface, such that when mounting the light-emitting device, an underfill material applied between the mounting face and the sub-mount is inhibited from contaminating said at least one surface, wherein said at least one surface comprises a sidewall of said metal electrode.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein treating said at least one surface comprises treating at least one sidewall surface of the light-emitting device.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein treating said at least one surface comprises treating sidewalls of a transparent substrate on which the light-emitting device is formed.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein treating said at least one surface comprises treating at least one light-emitting surface of the light-emitting device.

5. The process of claim 4 wherein the light-emitting device comprises a primary light-emitting surface and at least one secondary light-emitting surface, said secondary light-emitting surface operable to emit less light than said primary light-emitting surface and wherein said treating comprises treating said at least one secondary light-emitting surface.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein said treating comprises applying a treatment material to said at least one surface of the light-emitting device.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein applying said treatment material comprises applying a treatment material comprising organic molecules and an evaporable solvent.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein applying said treatment material comprises applying a treatment material comprising fluorocarbons in a fluoro-solvent.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein applying said treatment material comprises applying a treatment material comprising less than 15% fluorocarbons by weight.

10. The process of claim 6 wherein applying said treatment material comprises one of:

dipping said at least one surface in a liquid treatment material;

spraying said treatment material onto said at least one surface; and

generating a mist of a liquid treatment material proximate said at least one surface, said mist being operable to coat said at least one surface with said liquid treatment material.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein treating comprises dipping said at least one surface in a liquid treatment material comprising constituents that selectively attach to said metal electrode and have poor or significantly no adhesion to at least one semiconductor layer in the semiconductor light-emitting device.

12. The process of claim 1 further comprising selectively treating the sub-mount to lower a surface energy of at least a portion of the sub-mount such that when mounting the light-emitting device the underfill material is inhibited from contaminating said portion of the sub-mount.

13. The process of claim 12 wherein selectively treating the sub-mount comprises selectively treating a sub-mount comprising one of a ceramic material and a silicon material.

14. The process of claim 12 wherein selectively treating the sub-mount comprises:

applying a treatment material to the sub-mount;

exposing an area of the sub-mount to electromagnetic radiation to selectively change a characteristic of said treatment material on said area, said change causing one of:

said selectively exposed area of the sub-mount; and

an unexposed area of the sub-mount;

to have lowered surface energy.

15. The process of claim 1 further comprising bonding said bottom electrode surface to a corresponding conductive surface on the sub-mount such that the mounting face is spaced apart from the sub-mount.

16. The process of claim 15 further comprising underfilling a gap between said spaced apart mounting surface and the sub-mount.

17. The process of claim 1 wherein said treating at least one surface occurs prior to applying an underfill.

18. A process for mounting a semiconductor light-emitting device on a sub-mount, the process comprising:

adhesively mounting a wafer including a plurality of light-emitting devices on a medium, a mounting face associated with each of the light-emitting devices being in contact with said medium, said mounting face comprising a bottom surface of a metal electrode;

dicing the wafer into individual light-emitting devices, said individual light-emitting devices remaining in contact with said medium and having adjacent spaced apart exposed surfaces;

treating said exposed surfaces of said individual light-emitting devices to lower a surface energy of said exposed surfaces, said exposed surfaces including a sidewall of said metal electrode;

removing the light-emitting device from said medium;

bonding the mounting face of the light-emitting device to the sub-mount;

underfilling a gap between the mounting face and the sub-mount with an underfill material, said underfill material being inhibited from contaminating said treated exposed surfaces of the light-emitting device.

19. The process of claim 18 further comprising stretching said medium before said treating to cause a spacing between said individual light-emitting devices to be expanded to further facilitate said treating.

20. The process of claim 18 wherein dicing the wafer comprises dicing the wafer using a dicing blade, said dicing blade having a width sufficient to cause said exposed surfaces be sufficiently spaced apart after said dicing to facilitate said treating of said exposed surfaces.

21. The process of claim 18 further comprising removing said treatment material from the light-emitting device after said underfilling.