Surface treatment of a semiconductor light emitting device
View Patent ↗A semiconductor light-emitting device includes a semiconductor structure having a light-emitting region. A surface of the semiconductor structure has flattened peaks.
1. A method comprising:
roughening a light extracting surface of a semiconductor structure, the semiconductor structure comprising a light emitting layer; and
after said roughening, reducing the mean surface roughness of the light extracting surface.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein reducing the mean surface roughness of the light extracting surface comprises reducing the mean surface roughness by at least 10%.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein reducing the mean surface roughness of the light extracting surface comprises reducing the mean surface roughness by at least 30%.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein reducing the mean surface roughness of the light extracting surface comprises treating the light extracting surface with plasma.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
growing the semiconductor structure on a growth substrate;
attaching the semiconductor structure to a mount; and
removing the growth substrate, wherein the light extracting surface is a surface revealed by removing the growth substrate.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein:
roughening a light extracting surface of a semiconductor structure comprises forming a plurality of peaks on the light extracting surface; and
reducing the mean surface roughness of the light extracting surface comprises flattening tops of at least a portion of the plurality of peaks.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising disposing a wavelength converting material over the light extracting surface.
8. A method comprising:
roughening a light extracting surface of a semiconductor structure, the semiconductor structure comprising a light emitting layer, wherein said roughening forms surface features on the light extracting surface; and
after said roughening, reducing a height of the surface features.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein reducing a height of the surface features comprises reducing the height of the surface features by at least 20%.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein reducing a height of the surface features comprises reducing the height of the surface features by at least 40%.
11. The method of claim 8 wherein reducing a height of the surface features comprises treating the light extracting surface with plasma.
12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
growing the semiconductor structure on a growth substrate;
attaching the semiconductor structure to a mount; and
removing the growth substrate, wherein the light extracting surface is a surface revealed by removing the growth substrate.
13. The method of claim 8 further comprising disposing a wavelength converting material over the light extracting surface.