Light Emitting Device

Abstract

A light-emitting structure includes a transparent substrate; a first transparent conductive layer formed on the transparent substrate and having a first top surface and a second top surface substantially coplanar with the first top surface; a first light-emitting stack formed on the first top surface; and a first electrode directly formed on the second top surface.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/730,130, entitled "LIGHT EMITTING DIODE HAVING A TRANSPARENT SUBSTRATE", filed Dec. 28, 2012, which is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/114,384, entitled "LIGHT EMITTING DIODE HAVING A TRANSPARENT SUBSTRATE", filed May 24, 2011, which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/724,310, entitled "LIGHT EMITTING DIODE HAVING A TRANSPARENT SUBSTRATE", filed Mar. 15, 2007 claiming the right of priority based on Taiwan application Ser. No. 090115871, filed Jun. 27, 2001; the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates to a light-emitting device, more specifically to a light-emitting device with a light-emitting stack on a transparent conductive layer.

DESCRIPTION OF BACKGROUND ART

[0003] Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are employed in a wide variety of applications including optical display devices, traffic lights, data storage equipment, communication devices, illumination apparatuses, and medical treatment equipment. Some of the main goals of engineers who design LEDs are to increase the brightness of the light emitted from LEDs and to reduce the cost of manufacturing LEDs.

[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,477 discloses a method of bonding two compound semiconductor surfaces to produce an ohmic contact interface. The method of manufacturing a prior art LED is to create an ohmic contact interface by aligning the crystallographic orientation and rotational alignment of two semiconductor surfaces and applying uniaxial pressure to the semiconductor wafers at a temperature of 1000.degree. C. In actual procedure, however, it is difficult and expensive to align the crystallographic orientation and rotational alignment of the two semiconductor surfaces.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0005] A light-emitting structure includes a transparent substrate; a first transparent conductive layer formed on the transparent substrate and having a first top surface and a second top surface substantially coplanar with the first top surface; a first light-emitting stack formed on the first top surface; and a first electrode directly formed on the second top surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a high brightness light emitting diode having a transparent substrate according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0007] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view showing a first semiconductor multilayer before wafer bonding during the manufacturing method according to the present invention.

[0008] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view showing an amorphous interface layer and a second semiconductor multilayer before wafer bonding during the manufacturing method according the present invention.

[0009] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view showing a third semiconductor multilayer after wafer bonding, but before removal of the non-transparent substrate during the manufacturing method according the present invention.

[0010] FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view showing a third semiconductor multilayer after removal of the non-transparent substrate and formation of an ITO transparent conductive layer during the manufacturing method according the present invention.

[0011] FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of a high brightness light emitting diode having a transparent substrate according to the second embodiment of the invention.

[0012] FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of a high brightness light emitting diode having a transparent substrate according to the third embodiment of the invention.

[0013] FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of a high brightness light emitting diode having a transparent substrate according to the fourth embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a high brightness light emitting diode (LED) 1 having a transparent substrate according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the LED 1, an indium tin oxide (ITO) amorphous interface layer 11 is formed on a sapphire transparent substrate 10. A top surface of the ITO amorphous interface layer 11 comprises a first surface region and a second surface region. The LED further comprises layers stacked upon each other on the first surface region in the following order, bottom to top: a contact layer of p+-type GaAs 12, a cladding layer of a p-type AlGaInP 13, a multiple quantum well (MQW) light-emitting layer 14, a cladding layer of n-type AlGaInP 15, a stop layer of n-type AlGaAs 16, and an ITO transparent conductive layer 18. A first electrode 19 is located on the ITO transparent conductive layer 18, and a second electrode 20 is located on the second surface region.

[0015] FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 illustrate a method for manufacturing the light emitting diode 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. A first semiconductor multilayer 2 is created by first forming an n-type stop layer 16 of AlGaAs on an n-type GaAs semiconductor substrate 17. Then an n-type cladding layer 15 of AlGaInP is formed on the n-type stop layer 16. An MQW light-emitting layer 14 of AlGaInP is formed on the n-type cladding layer 15. A p-type cladding layer 13 of AlGaInP is formed on the MQW light-emitting layer 14, and a p+-type contact layer 12 of GaAs is formed on the p-type cladding layer 13. Next, a second semiconductor multilayer 3 is created. The second semiconductor multilayer 3 comprises an amorphous interface layer 11 of ITO formed on a sapphire substrate 10. As is shown in FIG. 4, a third semiconductor multilayer 4 is produced by inverting the first semiconductor multilayer 2, placing it on the semiconductor multilayer 3, and bonding the first semiconductor multilayer 2 to the second semiconductor multilayer 3 by elevating temperature and applying uniaxial pressure to the semiconductor multilayers. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show the next step, which comprises the removal of the n-type GaAs semiconductor substrate 17 from the multilayer 4 and the formation of a first ITO transparent conductive layer 18 on the n-type stop layer 16, producing a fourth semiconductor multilayer 5. Next, an interface exposed region is formed by etching away a portion of the fourth semiconductor multilayer 5 from the first ITO transparent conductive layer 18 to the ITO amorphous interface layer 11. Finally, a first contact electrode 19 and a second contact electrode 20 are formed on the first ITO transparent conductive layer 18 and the interface exposed region, respectively.

[0016] FIG. 6 illustrates a light emitting diode 6 having a transparent substrate according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. A transparent substrate 611 of p-type GaP is formed on an ohmic contact electrode 610. A first p+-type contact layer 612 of GaAs is formed on the transparent substrate 611. An indium tin oxide (ITO) amorphous interface layer 613 is formed on the first p+-type contact layer 612. A second p+-type contact layer 614 of GaAs is formed on the ITO amorphous interface layer 613. A p-type cladding layer 615 of AlGaInP is formed on the second p+-type contact layer 614. A multiple quantum well (MQW) light-emitting layer 616 of AlGaInP is formed on the p-type cladding layer 615. An n-type cladding layer 617 of AlGaInP is formed on the MQW light-emitting layer 616. An n-type stop layer 618 of AlGaAs is formed on the n-type cladding layer 617. An ITO transparent conductive layer 619 is formed on the n-type stop layer 618. An electrode 620 is formed on the ITO transparent conductive layer 619.

[0017] FIG. 7 illustrates a light emitting diode 7 having a transparent substrate according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. A transparent substrate 711 of n-type GaP is formed on a first electrode 710. An indium tin oxide (ITO) amorphous interface layer 713 is formed on the transparent substrate 711. An n-type contact layer 714 of GaP is formed on the ITO amorphous interface layer 713. An n-type cladding layer 715 of AlGaInP is formed on the n-type contact layer 714. A multiple quantum well (MQW) light-emitting layer 716 of AlGaInP is formed on the n-type cladding layer 715. A p-type cladding layer 717 of AlGaInP is formed on the MQW light-emitting layer 716. A p-type buffer layer 718 of AlGaAs is formed on the p-type cladding layer 717. A p+-type contact layer 719 of GaAs is formed on the p-type buffer layer. An ITO transparent conductive layer 720 is formed on the p+-type contact layer 719. A second electrode 721 is formed on the ITO transparent conductive layer 720.

[0018] FIG. 8 illustrates a light emitting diode 8 having a transparent substrate according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention. An indium tin oxide (ITO) amorphous interface layer 811 is formed on a transparent substrate 810 of glass. A top surface of the ITO amorphous interface layer 811 comprises a first surface region and a second surface region. An n+-type reverse tunneling contact layer 814 of InGaN is formed on the first surface region. A p-type cladding layer 815 of GaN is formed on the n+-type reverse tunneling contact layer 814. A multiple quantum well (MQW) light-emitting layer 816 of InGaN is formed on the p-type cladding layer 815. An n-type cladding layer 817 of GaN is formed on the MQW light-emitting layer 816. A first Ti-Al contact electrode is formed on the n-type cladding layer 817. A second electrode 820 is formed on the second surface region.

[0019] According to the description of these embodiments, LEDs having a transparent substrate can be manufactured by a method of bonding two chips using an amorphous interface layer. LEDs made according to the present invention are easier to manufacture, less expensive to manufacture, and brighter than those made according to the prior art.

[0020] While the invention has been disclosed and described with reference to these preferred embodiments, the scope of the invention is not limited to these preferred embodiments. Any variation and modifications of the invention still falls within the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, using a transparent conductive layer of adhesive agent instead of a single-crystal interface layer or using a single quantum well light-emitting layer instead of a multiple quantum well light-emitting layer cannot escape the scope and spirit of the invention. Moreover, the manufacturing method of the present invention is also suitable for manufacturing a light emitting diode having a non-transparent substrate.

[0021] Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention.

[0022] Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A light-emitting structure, comprising: a transparent substrate: a first transparent conductive layer formed on the transparent substrate and having a first top surface and a second top surface substantially coplanar with the first top surface; a first light-emitting stack formed on the first top surface; and a first electrode directly formed on the second top surface.

2. The light-emitting structure of claim 1, further comprising a second transparent conductive layer electrically connected to the light-emitting stack.

3. The light-emitting structure of claim 2, wherein the first transparent conductive layer and the second transparent conductive layer comprises a same material.

4. The light-emitting structure of claim 2, further comprising a second electrode formed on the second transparent conductive layer.

5. The light-emitting structure of claim 2, wherein the first light-emitting stack comprises a semiconductor layer with a width equal to that of the second transparent conductive layer.

6. The light-emitting structure of claim 2, wherein the first transparent conductive layer, the second transparent conductive layer or both comprise ITO.

7. The light-emitting structure of claim 1, further comprising a second light-emitting stack formed on the first transparent conductive layer.

8. The light-emitting structure of claim 1, wherein the first transparent conductive layer is a non-semiconductor layer.

9. The light-emitting structure of claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate comprises sapphire, GaP or glass.

10. The light-emitting structure of claim 1, wherein the first light-emitting stack comprises a semiconductor layer with a width less than that of the first transparent conductive layer.

11. The light-emitting structure of claim 1, wherein the first transparent conductive layer is an amorphous layer.

12. The light-emitting structure of claim 1, wherein the first top surface and the second top surface are flat.

13. The light-emitting structure of claim 1, wherein the first transparent conductive layer is a non-epitaxial layer.