Illumination devices, and methods of fabricating same
View Patent ↗A light emitter, comprising a monolithic n-type layer (comprising at least first and second n-type regions), a monolithic p-type layer (comprising at least first and second p-type regions), at least a first isolation region and at least a first electrically conductive via that extends through at least part of the first isolation region. At least part of the first isolation region is between the first n-type region and the second n-type region, and/or least part of the first isolation region is between the first p-type region and the second p-type region.
1. A light emitter, comprising:
at least a first monolithic n-type layer;
at least a first monolithic p-type layer;
at least one isolation region; and
at least a first electrically conductive via,
the monolithic n-type layer comprising at least a first n-type region and a second n-type region;
the monolithic p-type layer comprising at least a first p-type region and a second p-type region,
the first n-type region and the first p-type region together comprising a first light emitting device,
the second n-type region and the second p-type region together comprising a second light emitting device,
the at least one isolation region electrically isolating at least the first light emitting device from the second light emitting device,
the first electrically conductive via extending through at least the n-type layer and the p-type layer.
2. A light emitter as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the first p-type region has a first surface that defines a first plane, and
the first electrically conductive via extends to a location substantially coplanar with the first plane.
3. A light emitter as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the first light emitting device has a first light emitting device n-contact and a first light emitting device p-contact, and
the second light emitting device has a second light emitting device n-contact and a second light emitting device p-contact.
4. A light emitter as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
each light emitting device in the light emitter has its own p-contact and its own n-contact.
5. A light emitter as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
each light emitting device in the light emitter is independently electrically connectable.
6. A light emitter, comprising:
an n-type layer;
a p-type layer;
at least one isolation region; and
at least a first electrically conductive via,
the n-type layer comprising a first n-type region, a second n-type region and a third n-type region,
the first n-type region, the second n-type region, and the third n-type region each isolated from each other by the at least one isolation region,
the p-type layer comprising a first p-type region, a second p-type region, and a third p-type region,
the first p-type region, the second p-type region, and the third p-type region each isolated from each other by the at least one isolation region,
the first n-type region and the first p-type region together comprising a first light emitting device,
the second n-type region and the second p-type region together comprising a second light emitting device,
the third n-type region and the third p-type region together comprising a third light emitting device,
the first electrically conducting via extending through at least part of at least one of the at least one isolation region, the first electrically conducting via electrically connected to the first p-type region.
7. The light emitter of claim 6 , wherein the n-type layer is a monolithic layer, and the p-type layer is a monolithic layer.
8. The light emitter of claim 6 , wherein the light emitter further comprises a substrate, and the n-type layer and the p-type layer are on the substrate.
9. The light emitter of claim 8 , wherein the n-type layer is a monolithic layer, and the p-type layer is a monolithic layer.
10. The light emitter of claim 6 , wherein the first electrically conductive via is electrically connected to the n-type layer only through the p-type layer.