MOUNTING STRUCTURES FOR EDGE-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
Semiconductor devices and more particularly mounting structures for edge-emitting semiconductor devices are disclosed. Exemplary edge-emitting semiconductor devices include light-emitting diode (LED) edge emitters. Mounting structures include submounts with recesses configured to receive edge-emitting semiconductor devices such that emitting edges are positioned toward desired emission directions. Submount recesses are disclosed that include corresponding electrical connections for edge-emitting semiconductor devices. Multiple edge-emitting semiconductor devices are mechanically supported and electrically connected within a single recess or with multiple recesses. Corresponding devices are disclosed that include arrays of edge-emitting semiconductor devices in one or more recesses.
1 . A light-emitting diode (LED) device comprising:
an edge-emitting LED chip comprising:
an n-type layer, an active layer, and a p-type layer; and
a first edge and an opposing second edge, the active layer extending lengthwise between the first edge and the second edge; and
a submount with a recess, the edge-emitting LED chip residing at least partially within the recess such that the edge-emitting LED chip is mechanically supported and electrically coupled to the submount within the recess.
2 . The LED device of claim 1 , wherein:
the edge-emitting LED chip further comprises an n-contact on the n-type layer and a p-contact on the p-type layer; and
the n-contact and the p-contact are electrically coupled to the submount within the recess.
3 . The LED device of claim 2 , further comprising a first electrical connection and a second electrical connection on sidewalls of the recess, wherein the p-contact is electrically coupled to the first electrical connection and the n-contact is electrically coupled to the second electrical connection.
4 . The LED device of claim 3 , wherein portions of the first electrical connection and portions of the second electrical connection extend on a top surface of the submount and away from the recess to form contact pads.
5 . The LED device of claim 3 , further comprising vias that provide electrically conductive paths for the first electrical connection and the second electrical connection to a bottom surface of the submount.
6 . The LED device of claim 1 , wherein the second edge is in contact with a floor of the recess.
7 . The LED device of claim 1 , wherein the second edge is spaced from a floor of the recess.
8 . The LED device of claim 7 , wherein sidewalls of the recess are angled such that the floor of the recess has a smaller lateral dimension than a lateral dimension of the recess at a top surface of the submount.
9 . The LED device of claim 7 , further comprising a reflective material between the second edge and the floor of the recess.
10 . The LED device of claim 7 , wherein the floor of the recess is curved.
11 . A light-emitting diode (LED) device comprising:
a plurality of edge-emitting LED chips, each edge-emitting LED chip comprising:
an n-type layer, an active layer, and a p-type layer; and
a first edge and an opposing second edge, the active layer extending lengthwise between the first edge and the second edge; and
a submount with a recess, the plurality of edge-emitting LED chips residing at least partially within the recess.
12 . The LED device of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of edge-emitting LED chips comprises a first edge-emitting LED chip and a second edge-emitting LED chip within the recess, wherein the first edge-emitting LED chip is configured to provide a different emission wavelength than the second edge-emitting LED chip.
12 . (canceled)
13 . The LED device of claim 11 , further comprising a common first electrical connection and a common second electrical connection in the recess for each edge-emitting LED chip of the plurality of edge-emitting LED chips.
14 . The LED device of claim 11 , further comprising a common first electrical connection and multiple second electrical connections in the recess for each edge-emitting LED chip of the plurality of edge-emitting LED chips.
15 . A light-emitting diode (LED) device comprising:
a submount comprising a top surface, a first recess that extends into the submount from the top surface, and a second recess that extends into the submount from the top surface;
a first edge-emitting LED chip at least partially within the first recess; and
a second edge-emitting LED chip at least partially within the second recess.
16 . The LED device of claim 15 , wherein the first edge-emitting LED chip is mechanically supported and electrically coupled to the submount within the first recess, and the second edge-emitting LED chip is mechanically supported and electrically coupled to the submount within the second recess.
17 . The LED device of claim 15 , wherein the first recess comprises a different lateral width than the second recess.
18 . The LED device of claim 15 , wherein the top surface of the submount comprises a black surface.
19 . The LED device of claim 15 , wherein the submount comprises material that is transparent to light from the first edge-emitting LED chip and the second edge-emitting LED chip.
20 . The LED device of claim 19 , wherein recess floors of the first recess and the second recess are open through a bottom surface of the submount.
21 . The LED device of claim 15 , wherein the top surface of the submount comprises light-scattering materials.
22 . The LED device of claim 11 , further comprising a separate first electrical connection and a separate second electrical connection in the recess for each edge-emitting LED chip of the plurality of edge-emitting LED chips.