IP Library Granted Patent US 8,283,687
Granted Patent B2
US 8,283,687 · App. 12/808,333 · Granted Oct 9, 2012

Light emitting device and method of manufacturing the same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,283,687
App. No.
12/808,333
Granted
Oct 9, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided are a vertical-type light emitting device and a method of manufacturing the same. The light emitting device includes a p-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and an n-type semiconductor layer that are stacked, a cover layer disposed on a p-type electrode layer to surround the p-type electrode layer, a conductive support layer disposed on the cover layer, and an n-type electrode layer disposed on the n-type semiconductor layer.

Claims (50)

1. A light emitting device, comprising:

an n-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer;

a p-type electrode layer and an etch stop layer arranged on the p-type semiconductor layer;

a cover layer arranged on the p-type electrode layer and the etch stop layer;

a conductive support layer arranged on the cover layer; and

an n-type electrode layer arranged on the n-type semiconductor layer.

2. The light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the p-type electrode layer is arranged on a portion of the p-type semiconductor layer.

3. The light emitting device of claim 2 , wherein the p-type electrode layer comprises a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure comprising an electrode metal and a reflective metal.

4. The light emitting device of claim 2 , wherein the cover layer is arranged on the p-type electrode layer and the etch stop layer, and surrounds the p-type electrode layer.

5. The light emitting device of claim 2 , further comprising a reflective layer arranged on the p-type electrode layer.

6. The light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the p-type electrode layer arranged on an entire surface of the p-type semiconductor layer.

7. The light emitting device of claim 6 , further comprising a reflective layer arranged on a portion of the p-type electrode layer.

8. The light emitting device of claim 7 , wherein the etch stop layer is arranged on a portion of the p-type electrode layer, and is spaced apart from the reflective layer.

9. The light emitting device of claim 5 , wherein the cover layer surrounds the reflective layer.

10. The light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the cover layer comprises a metal.

11. The light emitting device of claim 10 , further comprising a diffusion barrier layer arranged between the cover layer and the conductive support layer.

12. The light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive support layer comprises a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure comprising one of a metal layer, a conductive ceramic layer, an impurity-doped semiconductor layer, and a combination thereof.

13. The light emitting device of claim 12 , wherein the conductive ceramic layer comprises one of Nb-doped SrTiO 3 , Al-doped ZnO, indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), and a combination thereof.

14. The light emitting device of claim 12 , wherein the semiconductor layer comprises one of B-doped Si, As-doped Si, impurity-doped diamond, impurity-doped Ge, and a combination thereof.

15. The light emitting device of claim 1 , further comprising a bonding layer arranged between the cover layer and the conductive support layer.

16. The light emitting device of claim 1 , further comprising a passivation layer arranged on sidewalls of the p-type semiconductor layer, the active layer, and the n-type semiconductor layer, and on a portion of the n-type semiconductor layer.

17. The light emitting device of claim 16 , wherein the passivation layer is arranged on an upper portion and a lower portion of the etch stop layer.

18. The light emitting device of claim 1 , further comprising an anti-reflective layer arranged on an upper portion or a lower portion of the n-type electrode layer.

19. A method of manufacturing a light emitting device, the method comprising:

forming an n-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer on an insulating substrate;

forming a p-type electrode layer and an etch stop layer on the p-type semiconductor layer so that the p-type electrode layer and the etch stop layer are spaced apart from each other;

forming a cover layer on the p-type electrode layer, the cover layer surrounding the p-type electrode layer;

removing the insulating substrate after forming a conductive support layer on the cover layer;

etching the n-type semiconductor layer, the active layer, and the p-type semiconductor layer to expose the etch stop layer;

forming a passivation layer to surround the etched n-type semiconductor layer, the etched active layer, and the etched p-type semiconductor layer;

forming an n-type electrode layer on the etched n-type semiconductor layer; and

separating light emitting devices to form each light emitting device.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising etching portions of the n-type semiconductor layer, the active layer, and the p-type semiconductor layer to expose the insulating substrate.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising forming an insulating material on the etched portions of the n-type semiconductor layer, the active layer, and the p-type semiconductor layer.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the insulating material comprises a photosensitive layer or an etch stop layer.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein forming the p-type electrode layer comprises stacking an electrode metal and a reflective metal on a portion of the p-type semiconductor layer.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising heat-treating the p-type electrode layer in a nitrogen atmosphere or an atmosphere containing 0.1% or more oxygen at a temperature ranging from 250° C. to 660° C. for a period of time ranging from 30 seconds to 30 minutes.

25. The method of claim 19 , wherein the p-type electrode layer is formed on an entire surface of the p-type semiconductor layer.

26. The method of claim 25 , further comprising forming a reflective layer on the p-type electrode layer.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the p-type electrode layer comprises a transparent conductive material, and the transparent conductive material is heat-treated at a temperature ranging from 200° C. to 800° C.

28. The method of claim 19 , wherein the etch stop layer comprises a material having an etch selectivity different from those of the n-type semiconductor layer, the active layer, and the p-type semiconductor layer.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the etch stop layer is one selected from a group consisting of MgO, Al 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , IrO 2 , RuO 2 , TaO 2 , WO 3 , VO 3 , HfO 2 , RhO 2 , NbO 2 , YO 3 , ReO 3 , and a combination thereof.

30. The method of claim 19 , wherein the conductive support layer comprises a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure comprising one of a metal layer, a conductive ceramic layer, an impurity-doped semiconductor layer, and a combination thereof.

31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the metal layer is formed using an electroplating or vacuum deposition method.

32. The method of claim 30 , wherein the metal layer, the conductive ceramic layer, or the impurity-doped semiconductor layer is bonded to the cover layer through a bonding layer.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the bonding layer is formed by applying an eutectic alloy containing 80% of Au and 20% of Sn on at least one of the cover layer and the conductive support layer, and then heat-treating the eutectic alloy at a temperature ranging from 280° C. to 400° C. for a period of time ranging from 1 minute to 120 minutes.

34. The method of claim 32 , wherein the bonding layer is formed by applying an eutectic alloy containing 10% of Au and 90% of Sn on at least one of the cover layer and the conductive support layer, and then heat-treating the eutectic alloy at a temperature ranging from 220° C. to 300° C. for a period of time ranging from 1 minute to 120 minutes.

35. The method of claim 19 , further comprising forming an anti-reflective layer on an upper portion or a lower portion of the n-type electrode layer.

36. The method of claim 35 , wherein the anti-reflective layer comprises one of ITO, ZnO, SiO 2 , Si 3 N 4 , IZO, and a combination thereof.

37. The method of claim 19 , further comprising performing a roughening process on a portion of the n-type semiconductor layer.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 21, 2014
From: SEOUL OPTO DEVICE CO., LTD
To: SEOUL VIOSYS CO., LTD
Reel/Frame 032723/0126 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 22, 2010
From: LEE, JONG-LAM
To: SEOUL OPTO DEVICE CO., LTD.; POSTECH ACADEMY-INDUSTRY FOUNDATION
Reel/Frame 024571/0928 →