Semiconductor light emitting device with thick metal layers

1. A device comprising:

a semiconductor structure comprising a light emitting layer sandwiched between an n-type region and a p-type region;

first and second metal contacts, wherein the first metal contact is in direct contact with the n-type region and the second metal contact is in direct contact with the p-type region;

first and second metal layers disposed on the first and second metal contacts, respectively,

wherein the first and second metal layers are sufficiently thick to mechanically support the semiconductor structure, wherein a sidewall of one of the first and second metal layers comprises a three-dimensional feature, and wherein a width of the first or second metal layer above and below the three-dimensional feature is the same, and a width of the first or second metal layer in a region of the three-dimensional feature is different from the width above and below the three-dimensional feature.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the first and second metal layers are copper layers.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the three-dimensional feature comprises a protrusion protruding from an otherwise flat sidewall.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the three-dimensional feature comprises a depression formed in an otherwise flat sidewall.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the three-dimensional feature comprises a series of protrusions.

6. The device of claim 1 further comprising an electrically insulating material disposed in direct contact with the three-dimensional feature.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the first and second metal layers are thicker than 50 μm.

8. A method comprising:

providing a wafer of semiconductor devices, the wafer comprising:

a semiconductor structure comprising a light emitting layer sandwiched between an n-type region and a p-type region; and

first and second metal contacts for each semiconductor device, wherein each first metal contact is in direct contact with the n-type region and each second metal contact is in direct contact with the p-type region;

forming first and second metal layers on the first and second metal contacts of each semiconductor device on the wafer, respectively, wherein the first and second metal layers are sufficiently thick to support the semiconductor structure during later processing, wherein forming first and second metal layers comprises forming a three-dimensional feature on a sidewall of one of the first and second metal layers, and wherein a width of the first or second metal layer above and below the three-dimensional feature is the same, and a width of the first or second metal layer in a region of the three-dimensional feature is different from the width above and below the three-dimensional feature;

after forming first and second metal layers, forming an electrically insulating layer that fills spaces between the first and second metal layers.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein forming first and second metal layers comprises plating first and second metal layers on a wafer.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein forming a three-dimensional feature comprises:

plating a first portion of the first and second metal layers;

plating a second portion of the first and second metal layers on the first portion of the first and second metal layers, wherein the second portion has a different lateral extent than the first portion; and

plating a third portion of the first and second metal layers on the second portion of the first and second metal layers, wherein the third portion has a different lateral extent than the second portion.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

after plating a first portion, molding a first portion of an electrically insulating layer over the first portion of the first and second metal layers;

after plating a second portion, molding a second portion of an electrically insulating layer over the second portion of the first and second metal layers; and

after plating a third portion, molding a third portion of an electrically insulating layer over the third portion of the first and second metal layers.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the first and second metal layers are thicker than 50 μm.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the electrically insulating layer is a first electrically insulating layer, the method further comprising:

disposing a second electrically insulating layer over the wafer;

forming a first opening in the second electrically insulating layer aligned with the first metal layer and a second opening in the second electrically insulating layer aligned with the second metal layer; and

forming a first metal bonding pad aligned with the first opening and forming a second metal bonding pad aligned with the second opening.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the semiconductor structure is grown on a growth substrate, the method further comprising removing the growth substrate after forming the first and second metal layers.

15. The method of claim 8 further comprising dicing the wafer into individual or groups of semiconductor devices after forming the first and second metal layers.

16. The device of claim 1 further comprising a uniform, continuous layer of electrically insulating material disposed in direct contact with the three dimensional feature, with a region of the sidewall above the three dimensional feature, and with a region of the sidewall below the three dimensional feature.

17. The method of claim 8 wherein forming an electrically insulating layer that fills spaces between the first and second metal layers comprises forming, in a single process, a uniform, continuous layer of electrically insulating material disposed in direct contact with the three dimensional feature, with a region of the sidewall above the three dimensional feature, and with a region of the sidewall below the three dimensional feature.