IP Library Granted Patent US 9,040,322
Granted Patent B2
US 9,040,322 · App. 13/601,231 · Granted May 26, 2015

Method for manufacturing semiconductor light emitting element

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,040,322
App. No.
13/601,231
Granted
May 26, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to one embodiment, a method is disclosed for manufacturing a semiconductor light emitting element. The method can include bonding a stacked main body of a structural body to a substrate main body. The structural body includes a growth substrate and the stacked main body provided on the growth substrate. The stacked main body includes a first nitride semiconductor film, a light emitting film provided on the first nitride semiconductor film, and a second nitride semiconductor film provided on the light emitting film. The method can include removing the growth substrate. The method can include forming a plurality of stacked bodies. The method can include forming an uneven portion in a surface of a first nitride semiconductor layer. The method can include forming a plurality of the semiconductor light emitting elements.

Claims (63)

1. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor light emitting element, comprising:

bonding a stacked main body to a substrate main body, the stacked main body being included in a structural body, the structural body further including a growth substrate, the stacked main body being provided on the growth substrate, the stacked main body including a first nitride semiconductor film of a first conductivity type, a light emitting film provided on the first nitride semiconductor film, and a second nitride semiconductor film of a second conductivity type provided on the light emitting film, tensile stress being applied to the stacked main body;

removing the growth substrate;

forming a plurality of stacked bodies by dividing the stacked main body into a plurality of regions by removing a portion of the stacked main body, the stacked bodies including a first nitride semiconductor layer formed from the first nitride semiconductor film, a second nitride semiconductor layer formed from the second nitride semiconductor film, and a light emitting layer formed from the light emitting film;

forming an uneven portion in a surface of the first nitride semiconductor layer on a side opposite to the light emitting layer for each of the stacked bodies; and

forming a plurality of the semiconductor light emitting elements by dividing the substrate main body for each of the stacked bodies, each of the semiconductor light emitting elements including the stacked body and a supporting substrate formed from the divided substrate main body,

wherein the removing of the growth substrate includes polishing the growth substrate to cause a thickness of the growth substrate to be not less than 5 μm and not more than 50 μm.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising forming the structural body by:

forming the first nitride semiconductor film on the growth substrate;

forming the light emitting film on the first nitride semiconductor film; and

forming the second nitride semiconductor film on the light emitting film.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein:

the forming of the structural body further includes forming a buffer layer between the growth substrate and the first nitride semiconductor film, the buffer layer being used as a stopper when removing the growth substrate; and

the removing of the growth substrate further includes removing the buffer layer.

4. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor light emitting element, comprising:

forming a structural body, the structural body including a growth substrate and a stacked main body, the stacked main body being provided on the growth substrate, the stacked main body including a first nitride semiconductor film of a first conductivity type, a light emitting film provided on the first nitride semiconductor film, and a second nitride semiconductor film of a second conductivity type provided on the light emitting film, tensile stress being applied to the stacked main body;

bonding the stacked main body to a substrate main body;

removing the growth substrate;

forming a plurality of stacked bodies by dividing the stacked main body into a plurality of regions by removing a portion of the stacked main body, the stacked bodies including a first nitride semiconductor layer formed from the first nitride semiconductor film, a second nitride semiconductor layer formed from the second nitride semiconductor film, and a light emitting layer formed from the light emitting film;

forming an uneven portion in a surface of the first nitride semiconductor layer on a side opposite to the light emitting layer for each of the stacked bodies; and

forming a plurality of the semiconductor light emitting elements by dividing the substrate main body for each of the stacked bodies, each of the semiconductor light emitting elements including the stacked body and a supporting substrate formed from the divided substrate main body,

the forming of the structural body including:

forming the first nitride semiconductor film on the growth substrate;

forming the light emitting film on the first nitride semiconductor film; and

forming the second nitride semiconductor film on the light emitting film,

the forming of the structural body further including forming a buffer layer between the growth substrate and the first nitride semiconductor film, the buffer layer being used as a stopper when removing the growth substrate,

the removing of the growth substrate further including removing the buffer layer,

the forming of the first nitride semiconductor film further including forming a first layer on the buffer layer and forming a second layer on the first layer, a concentration of an impurity of the second layer being higher than a concentration of an impurity of the first layer, and

the removing of the growth substrate further including removing the first layer.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the growth substrate is a Si substrate.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising forming a first electrode on the surface of the first nitride semiconductor layer on the side opposite to the light emitting layer, the first electrode being electrically connected to the first nitride semiconductor layer.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the forming of the first electrode includes making a recess in the surface of the first nitride semiconductor layer on the side opposite to the light emitting layer and forming the first electrode inside the recess.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising forming an etching stop film on the second nitride semiconductor film prior to the bonding of the major surface of the structural body to the substrate main body,

the forming of the stacked bodies by dividing the stacked main body including dividing the stacked main body by etching the stacked main body from the first nitride semiconductor film side to the etching stop film.

9. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor light emitting element, comprising:

bonding a stacked main body to a substrate main body, the stacked main body being included in a structural body, the structural body further including a growth substrate, the stacked main body being provided on the growth substrate, the stacked main body including a first nitride semiconductor film of a first conductivity type, a light emitting film provided on the first nitride semiconductor film, and a second nitride semiconductor film of a second conductivity type provided on the light emitting film, tensile stress being applied to the stacked main body;

removing the growth substrate;

forming a plurality of stacked bodies by dividing the stacked main body into a plurality of regions by removing a portion of the stacked main body, the stacked bodies including a first nitride semiconductor layer formed from the first nitride semiconductor film, a second nitride semiconductor layer formed from the second nitride semiconductor film, and a light emitting layer formed from the light emitting film;

forming an uneven portion in a surface of the first nitride semiconductor layer on a side opposite to the light emitting layer for each of the stacked bodies; and

forming a plurality of the semiconductor light emitting elements by dividing the substrate main body for each of the stacked bodies, each of the semiconductor light emitting elements including the stacked body and a supporting substrate formed from the divided substrate main body,

the bonding the stacked main body to the substrate main body including:

forming an etching stop film on the second nitride semiconductor film prior to the bonding of the major surface of the structural body to the substrate main body;

exposing a portion of the second nitride semiconductor film by removing a portion of the etching stop film prior to the bonding of the major surface of the structural body to the substrate main body; and

forming an electrode on the portion of the second nitride semiconductor film, the electrode being electrically connected to the second nitride semiconductor film,

the forming of the stacked bodies by dividing the stacked main body including dividing the stacked main body by etching the stacked main body from the first nitride semiconductor film side to the etching stop film.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein a thickness of the electrode along a stacking direction of the stacked main body is the same as a thickness of the etching stop film along the stacking direction.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the etching stop film is an oxide film of at least one selected from Si, Al, Ti, Zr, In, Sn, and Ni, a nitride film of the at least one, or an oxynitride film of the at least one.

12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the etching stop film is a metal including at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Pt, W, Au, Ti, and Al.

13. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the etching of the stacked main body is dry etching including one element selected from chlorine, argon, fluorine, and boron.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the bonding of the structural body to the substrate main body includes forming a first bonding film on the stacked main body, forming a second bonding film on the substrate main body, and bonding the first bonding film to the second bonding film.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the forming of the uneven portion includes forming an insulating film on the first nitride semiconductor layer, exposing a portion of the first nitride semiconductor layer by removing a portion of the insulating film, and etching the portion of the first nitride semiconductor layer using the insulating film as a mask.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the insulating film covers a side surface of the stacked bodies.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a surface roughness of the uneven portion is not less than 100 nm and not more than 3000 nm.

18. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising forming a back surface electrode on a back surface of the substrate main body,

the back surface being a surface of the substrate main body on a side opposite to a bonding surface of the substrate main body, the bonding surface being bonded to the stacked main body.

19. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor light emitting element, comprising:

bonding a stacked main body to a substrate main body, the stacked main body being included in a structural body, the structural body further including a growth substrate, the stacked main body being provided on the growth substrate, the stacked main body including a first nitride semiconductor film of a first conductivity type, a light emitting film provided on the first nitride semiconductor film, and a second nitride semiconductor film of a second conductivity type provided on the light emitting film, tensile stress being applied to the stacked main body;

removing the growth substrate;

forming a plurality of stacked bodies by dividing the stacked main body into a plurality of regions by removing a portion of the stacked main body, the stacked bodies including a first nitride semiconductor layer formed from the first nitride semiconductor film, a second nitride semiconductor layer formed from the second nitride semiconductor film, and a light emitting layer formed from the light emitting film;

forming an uneven portion in a surface of the first nitride semiconductor layer on a side opposite to the light emitting layer for each of the stacked bodies;

forming a back surface electrode on a back surface of the substrate main body, the back surface being a surface of the substrate main body on a side opposite to a bonding surface of the substrate main body the bonding surface being bonded to the stacked main body; and

forming a plurality of the semiconductor light emitting elements by dividing the substrate main body for each of the stacked bodies, each of the semiconductor light emitting elements including the stacked body and a supporting substrate formed from the divided substrate main body,

the forming of the back surface electrode further including polishing the substrate main body to cause a thickness of the substrate main body to be not less than 50 μm and not more than 250 μm.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 6, 2020
From: TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
To: SEOUL SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 052316/0044 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 24, 2020
From: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
To: TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND STORAGE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 051691/0442 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 8, 2012
From: SATO, TAISUKE; ZAIMA, KOTARO; TAJIMA, JUMPEI; SUGIYAMA, NAOHARU; NUNOUE, SHINYA
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
Reel/Frame 029265/0235 →