Semiconductor light-emitting device and semiconductor light-emitting device array

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9680063-B2
Application number	US-201615144267-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2016
Priority date	May 14, 2015
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

A semiconductor light-emitting device comprises an optical semiconductor multilayer disposed above a support substrate, which has a structure in which a first semiconductor layer having a first conductivity type, an active layer having light emitting properties, and a second semiconductor layer having a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type are sequentially stacked from the support substrate side, in which a groove, which has a height exceeding at least the active layer from the support substrate side, is formed along an outer edge of the optical semiconductor multilayer, and which includes an external region being a region further outside than the groove, an inner region being a region further inside than the groove, and a connection region corresponding to a region where the groove is provided, in plan view.

First claim

What are claimed are:

1. A semiconductor light-emitting device comprising:
a support substrate;
an optical semiconductor multilayer disposed above the support substrate, wherein:
the optical semiconductor multilayer has a structure in which a first semiconductor layer having a first conductivity type, an active layer having light emitting properties, and a second semiconductor layer having a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type are sequentially stacked from the support substrate side,
a groove, which has a height exceeding at least the active layer from the support substrate side, is formed along an outer edge of the optical semiconductor multilayer, and
the optical semiconductor multilayer includes an external region which is a region provided outside of the groove, an inner region which is a region provided inside of the groove, and a connection region corresponding to a region where the groove is provided, when viewed in plan view;

a first electrode disposed between the support substrate and the optical semiconductor multilayer and having a portion in contact with the first semiconductor layer in the inner region, wherein the first electrode overlaps the groove; and
a second electrode disposed between the support substrate and the optical semiconductor multilayer, the second electrode having a portion which penetrates the first electrode, the first semiconductor layer, and the active layer, and the second electrode being in contact with the second semiconductor layer, in the inner region,
wherein, in the optical semiconductor multilayer, the connection region includes a member having a refractive index greater than air, and the member causes the second semiconductor layer in the inner region to be coupled to the second semiconductor layer in the external region.

2. The semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the connection region includes the same member as the second semiconductor layer, and the second semiconductor layer is continuously formed from the inner region to the external region.

3. The semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1 , wherein, in the optical semiconductor multilayer, the groove is formed to penetrate the first semiconductor layer, the active layer, and the second semiconductor layer, and
wherein the connection region comprises a light-transmitting member which fills the groove and which has a refractive index equal to or less than a refractive index of the optical semiconductor multilayer.

4. The semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1 ,
wherein, on an upper surface of the second semiconductor layer, an uneven structure which is patterned to be a predetermined planar shape is provided and a flat surface is provided in a vicinity of the connection region.

5. The semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical semiconductor multilayer has:
a structure in which the first semiconductor layer, the active layer, and the second semiconductor layer are sequentially stacked from the support substrate side in the inner region, and
a structure in which a light-transmitting layer and the second semiconductor layer are sequentially stacked from the support substrate side in the external region.

6. The semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a light extraction layer disposed between the support substrate and the optical semiconductor multilayer so as to be in contact with the optical semiconductor multilayer, the light extraction layer being formed from the inner region to the external region.

7. A semiconductor light-emitting device array comprising:
a mounting substrate;
a plurality of semiconductor light-emitting devices disposed on the mounting substrate; and
a protection layer covering the plurality of semiconductor light-emitting devices and including a phosphor material,
wherein each of the semiconductor light-emitting devices includes:
a support substrate,
an optical semiconductor multilayer disposed above the support substrate, wherein:
the optical semiconductor multilayer has a structure in which a first semiconductor layer having a first conductivity type, an active layer having light emitting properties, and a second semiconductor layer having a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type are sequentially stacked from the support substrate side,
a groove, which has a height exceeding at least the active layer from the support substrate side, is formed in the optical semiconductor multilayer along a side close to an adjacent semiconductor light-emitting device, and
the optical semiconductor multilayer includes an outer region which is a region closer to the adjacent semiconductor light-emitting device than the groove, a main region which is a region further away from the adjacent semiconductor light-emitting device than the groove, and a connection region corresponding to a region where the groove is provided, when viewed in plan view,

a first electrode disposed between the support substrate and the optical semiconductor multilayer and having a portion in contact with the first semiconductor layer in the main region,
a second electrode disposed between the support substrate and the optical semiconductor multilayer, the second electrode having a portion which penetrates the first electrode, the first semiconductor layer, and the active layer, and the second electrode being in contact with the second semiconductor layer, in the main region, and
a light extraction layer overlapping the groove.

8. The semiconductor light-emitting device array according to claim 7 , wherein, in the optical semiconductor multilayer, the groove is formed to penetrate the first semiconductor layer, the active layer, and the second semiconductor layer, and
wherein each of the plurality of semiconductor light-emitting devices further includes a light-transmitting member which fills the groove and which has a refractive index equal to or more than a refractive index of air.

9. The semiconductor light-emitting device array according to claim 8 ,
wherein the light-transmitting member is different from a member constituting the protection layer.

10. The semiconductor light-emitting device array according to claim 7 ,
wherein the connection region includes the same member as the second semiconductor layer, and the second semiconductor layer is continuously formed from the main region to the outer region.

11. The semiconductor light-emitting device array according to claim 7 ,
wherein, on an upper surface of the second semiconductor layer, an uneven structure which is patterned to be a predetermined planar shape is provided and a flat surface is provided in a vicinity of the connection region.

12. The semiconductor light-emitting device array according to claim 7 , wherein the optical semiconductor multilayer has:
a structure in which the first semiconductor layer, the active layer, and the second semiconductor layer are sequentially stacked from the support substrate side in the main region, and
a structure in which a light-transmitting layer and the second semiconductor layer are sequentially stacked from the support substrate side in the outer region.

13. The semiconductor light-emitting device array according to claim 7 , wherein the light extraction layer is disposed between the support substrate and the optical semiconductor multilayer so as to be in contact with the optical semiconductor multilayer, and is formed from the main region to the outer region.

Assignees

• Stanley Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Miyachi Mamoru
• Nihei Noriko

Classifications

• F21S41/153

  arranged in a matrix · CPC title

• H01L33/44

  Electricity · mapped topic

• F21S48/115

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• H01L33/08

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L33/382 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic