Gap distributed Bragg reflectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9335262-B2
Application number	US-201113217859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2011
Priority date	Aug 25, 2011
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

A device includes one or more reflector components. Each reflector component comprises layer pairs of epitaxially grown reflective layers and layers of a non-epitaxial material, such as air. Vias extend through at least some of the layers of the reflector components. The device may include a light emitting layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of making a device, comprising:
epitaxially growing a layer stack including one or more reflective layers and one or more interstitial layers, each interstitial layer disposed between two reflective layers; and
forming vias that intersect at least some of the one or more reflective layers and the one or more interstitial layers;
exposing the interstitial layers to an etchant through the vias;
etching the interstitial layers;
detecting a color of the surface of the device, a reflectivity of the device, or both a color of the surface of the device and a reflectivity of the device; and
controlling the etching based on the detected color, the detected reflectivity, or both the detected color and the detected reflectivity.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more reflective layers comprises two sets of one or more reflective layers and further comprising growing a light emitting layer between the sets of reflective layers.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein growing the layer stack comprises growing only one reflective layer over or under a light emitting layer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
forming the vias comprises dry etching the vias; and
exposing the interstitial layers to the etchant comprises exposing the interstitial layers to a wet etchant through the vias.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the vias comprises forming the vias to surround a central region.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reflective layers and the interstitial layers comprise group III-nitride materials.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the reflective layers and the interstitial layers comprise aluminum (Al) and the reflective layers have a lower Al content than the interstitial layers.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising forming air gaps between the reflective layers.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein etching the interstitial layers further comprises etching the interstitial layers for a predetermined period of time.

Assignees

• Wunderer Thomas
• Chua Christopher L
• Krusor Brent S
• Johnson Noble M
• Palo Alto Res Ct Inc

Inventors

• Wunderer Thomas
• Chua Christopher L
• Krusor Brent S
• Johnson Noble M

Classifications

• G01N21/17

  Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated (where the material investigated is optically excited causing a change in wavelength of the incident light G01N21/63) · CPC title

• G01N2201/0635

  Structured illumination, e.g. with grating · CPC title

• G02B5/0816

  Multilayer mirrors, i.e. having two or more reflecting layers (G02B5/0883, G02B5/0891 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01S5/34333

  with a well layer based on Ga(In)N or Ga(In)P, e.g. blue laser · CPC title

• G01N21/41 Primary

  Refractivity; Phase-affecting properties, e.g. optical path length (G01N21/21 takes precedence) · CPC title