Integrated light emitting device, integrated sensor device, and manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10270002-B2
Application number	US-201615196203-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2016
Priority date	Jun 30, 2015
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an integrated light emitting device. The integrated light emitting device comprises a substrate of semiconductor material, a light emitting unit integrated into the semiconductor material, and at least one cavity formed into the semiconductor material between the substrate and the light emitting unit. At least portions of the at least one cavity may be formed by Silicon-On-Nothing (SON) process steps.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An integrated light emitting device, comprising:
a substrate of semiconductor material, wherein the substrate includes a main surface extending in a lateral direction;
a light emitting unit integrated into the semiconductor material of the substrate, wherein the substrate and light emitting unit are monolithically formed from the semiconductor material, and wherein the light emitting unit is configured to emit a light beam directed in the lateral direction;
at least one cavity formed into the semiconductor material between the substrate and the light emitting unit; and
at least one insulating support structure coupled between the light emitting unit and the substrate,
wherein the at least one cavity and the at least one insulating support structure are configured to insulate the light emitting unit and the substrate from each other.

2. The integrated light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the light emitting unit comprises an electrically conductive structure formed vertically in the semiconductor material as a light source, wherein the electrically conductive structure is configured to emit light when a supply voltage is applied to terminals of the electrically conductive structure.

3. The integrated light emitting device of claim 2 , wherein the electrically conductive structure comprises crystalline, polycrystalline or amorphous semiconductor material.

4. The integrated light emitting device of claim 2 , wherein the electrically conductive structure comprises an electrically conductive filament extending perpendicular to the lateral direction of the light beam emitted from the light emitting unit.

5. The integrated light emitting device of claim 2 , wherein the light emitting unit further comprises a beam shaping portion extending in the lateral direction and configured to collimate light emitted from the electrically conductive structure.

6. The integrated light emitting device of claim 5 , wherein the beam shaping portion comprises a light-reflecting curved or parabolic edge of a semiconductor material of the light emitting unit.

7. The integrated light emitting device of claim 6 , wherein the electrically conductive structure substantially extends through a focus of the curved or parabolic edge.

8. The integrated light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the light emitting unit further comprises a filter portion formed in the semiconductor material.

9. The integrated light emitting device of claim 8 , wherein the filter portion is configured to have at least one pass band in a spectral infrared region.

10. The integrated light emitting device of claim 8 , wherein the filter portion comprises one or more trenches formed into a semiconductor material of the light emitting unit.

11. The integrated light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the light emitting unit is arranged in a portion of the semiconductor material sealed off from an environment.

12. The integrated light emitting device of claim 11 , wherein the light emitting unit in the sealed portion is at least partially surrounded by an evacuated cavity.

13. The integrated light emitting device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sealing layer formed above the light emitting unit; and
at least one cavity between the light emitting unit and the sealing layer.

14. The integrated light emitting device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a waveguide coupled to a light outlet of the light emitting unit, wherein the waveguide is configured to provide interaction between guided light and a measurement medium surrounding the waveguide.

15. The integrated light emitting device of claim 14 , wherein the waveguide and the light emitting unit are integrally formed into the semiconductor material, wherein the waveguide and light emitting unit are monolithically formed from the semiconductor material.

16. The integrated light emitting device of claim 14 , wherein the waveguide is arranged in a portion of the semiconductor material open to an environment, and wherein the light emitting unit is arranged in a portion of the semiconductor material sealed off from the environment.

17. The integrated light emitting device of claim 14 , wherein a width of the waveguide is smaller than a wavelength of light emitted by the electrically conductive structure.

18. An integrated sensor device, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate, wherein the semiconductor substrate includes a main surface extending in a lateral direction;
a light emitting unit formed into the semiconductor substrate, wherein the semiconductor substrate and light emitting unit are monolithically formed from a semiconductor material, and wherein the light emitting unit is configured to emit a light beam in the lateral direction;
at least one insulating support structure coupled between the light emitting unit and the semiconductor substrate;
a light detecting unit formed into the semiconductor substrate; and
a waveguide formed into the semiconductor substrate between the light emitting unit and the light detecting unit;
wherein the waveguide is formed in a portion of the semiconductor substrate open to an environment to provide interaction between guided light and a measurement medium surrounding the waveguide,
wherein the light emitting unit is formed in a portion of the semiconductor substrate sealed off from the environment, and
wherein the light emitting unit in the sealed portion is at least partially surrounded by an evacuated cavity such that the light emitting unit and the semiconductor substrate are insulated from each other.

19. A method for forming an integrated light emitting device, the method comprising:
integrating a light emitting unit into a semiconductor material of a semiconductor substrate, wherein the semiconductor substrate and the light emitting unit are monolithically formed from the semiconductor material;
depositing at least one insulating support structure on the semiconductor substrate such that the at least one insulating support structure is coupled between the light emitting unit and the semiconductor substrate; and
forming at least one cavity into the semiconductor material between the semiconductor substrate and the light emitting unit.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein forming the at least one cavity comprises using a Silicon-On-Nothing (SON) processing sequence.

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Dresden Gmbh

Inventors

• Kautzsch Thoralf

Classifications

• G02B6/12004

  Combinations of two or more optical elements · CPC title

• G01N21/35 Primary

  using infrared light (G01N21/39 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N21/552 Primary

  Attenuated total reflection · CPC title

• H01L31/173 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L33/005

  Electricity · mapped topic