A kind of vertical GaN-based LED chip and preparation method thereof
Technical field
The present invention relates to a kind of GaN based light-emitting diode (LED) chip and preparation method thereof, belong to the opto-electronic device technical field.
Background technology
Sapphire Substrate has the production technology maturation, device quality is good, stability is high, can high temperature resistant growth course, mechanical strength height, be easy to handle and advantages such as cleaning, become most popular substrate in the growing GaN base LED epitaxial loayer substrate.But Sapphire Substrate exists lattice mismatch and thermal stress mismatch to make epitaxial loayer produce a large amount of defectives, and sapphire is a kind of insulator simultaneously, and the resistivity under the normal temperature is greater than 10
11Ω cm can't make conductive electrode, as shown in Figure 1, has to make n type and p type electrode at the epitaxial loayer upper surface, thereby can not obtain the led chip of vertical stratification.
The LED of this surperficial two electrodes, efficient lighting area reduces, in the chip electric current flow and current expansion bad, internal quantum efficiency is low, the device heat radiation is also bad, these factors restrict the power of this surperficial two electrode LED structures and the lifting of brightness, and the thermal conductivity of Sapphire Substrate is low simultaneously, and this structure is unfavorable for great power LED work.
Remarkable advantages such as that semiconductor lighting has is energy-conservation, safety, environmental protection, long-life, rich color, microminiaturization and digitlization, be called the 4th generation green light source.Various countries have started the semiconductor lighting plan one after another, and China's 863 high-tech plans have also proposed the plan of development semiconductor lighting.Semiconductor lighting realizes that industrialization technology is to utilize the blue-ray LED of GaN base to excite YAG fluorescent material to obtain white light LEDs.The power that improves blue-ray LED has become the important topic of present photoelectric field to accelerate the semiconductor lighting industrialization.
In order to improve traditional GaN based LED construction self-defect, make its suitable high power work be used for lighting field, the led chip of inverted structure and vertical stratification has appearred.As shown in Figure 2, inverted structure GaN base LED chip adopts Metal Ball link n electrode, and relative traditional structure has very big lifting aspect current expansion, but still has the problem that the chip efficient lighting area is little and heat radiation is bad; As shown in Figure 3, the structure of vertical stratification GaN base LED chip comprises P electrode, conduction Si or copper substrate, N type GaN, mqw active layer, P type GaN and current extending from bottom to top; Technology be by laser Sapphire Substrate is peeled off and with Devices with Solder Bonding on conductive substrates, its current expansion, light-emitting area utilization, heat dissipation problem all improve, illumination at present mostly is the vertical stratification chip with the power blue chip, but the vertical stratification chip need be removed Sapphire Substrate by laser lift-off, this process has to a certain degree damage to extension layer crystal physique amount and pn knot integrality, makes that good rate of chip and consistency are not high.
The ill effect of bringing at the laser lift-off Sapphire Substrate that adopts vertical stratification, Chinese patent literature CN101017876 discloses " a kind of GaN LED core and manufacture method thereof ", this GaN LED core, comprise Sapphire Substrate and on Sapphire Substrate outward extending successively resilient coating, n type gallium nitride, active area and p type gallium nitride, p type gallium nitride top is provided with a p type electrode; Wherein, on the n type gallium nitride that contacts with Sapphire Substrate, be provided with a n type electrode.The manufacture method of this GaN LED core, compared with prior art, by etching away the saphire substrate material of a part, n type gallium nitride is exposed from the bottom, then making electrode, is by adopting reaction and plasma etching (ICP) technology to remove the saphire substrate material of a part.The GaN LED that mentions in this patent documentation still does backing material by Sapphire Substrate, its thickness is controlled at the 100um magnitude at least, mention in the patent so with ICP etching part saphire substrate material to n type gallium nitride, according to the fastest present etching condition is consuming time also will be in a few hours; Exiting surface in the patent is still at the P face on the other hand, and the bottom sapphire supports, and its heat dissipation channel need pass through Sapphire Substrate, and heat-sinking capability is poor, without any cooling measure, and incompatibility great power LED structure; Do not relate to improving light extraction efficiency as far as possible yet.LED in the document is not suitable for actual mass production, and this structure can not be used on the blue power chip simultaneously, can not be used for the semiconductor lighting system.
Therefore, a kind of GaN LED structure is provided, its efficient lighting area utilance height, the chip current expansion is excellent, good heat dissipation on the basis that power and brightness improve, reduces destabilizing factor influence in the technical process as far as possible, to improve the cost performance of integral product, be one of important topic of current semiconductor lighting industrialized development.
Summary of the invention
The led chip that the present invention is directed to existing vertical stratification is owing to removing chip damage, good rate and the not high problem of consistency that whole Sapphire Substrate causes by laser lift-off in the manufacturing process, provide a kind of light extraction efficiency high vertical GaN-based LED chip, a kind of manufacture method of producing this vertical GaN-based LED chip in batches that is applicable to is provided simultaneously.
The structure of vertical GaN-based LED chip of the present invention comprises sapphire or 6H-SiC transparent substrates, N type GaN, mqw active layer, P type GaN, current extending, metallic mirror, bonding weld layer and electrically-conductive backing plate from top to bottom successively, on electrically-conductive backing plate, be manufactured with the P electrode, on sapphire or 6H-SiC transparent substrates, be provided with window until N type GaN layer, each face evaporation has layer of metal in this window, leads to the N electrode on this metal level.
The exiting surface of described sapphire or 6H-SiC transparent substrates is processed into alligatoring face, to reduce the light inner full-reflection, improves the light extraction efficiency of LED.
The exiting surface of described sapphire or 6H-SiC transparent substrates is provided with photonic crystal, and the crystal structure of photon band gap can not be propagated the ripple of a certain frequency range in this periodic structure, improves the light extraction efficiency of LED by the optical grating diffraction effect of this forbidden band adjusting.
The window's position of processing on sapphire or 6H-SiC transparent substrates can be the optional position on the substrate, can be in the substrate inboard, and also can be at the edge of substrate.The window's position of processing on sapphire or the 6H-SiC transparent substrates is on the side wall surface of substrate, can large-area metal side wall as the bonding wire of N electrode effective lighting area of having put not only maximum using, also solved the too small welding inconvenience that causes of bonding wire electrode zone simultaneously.
The manufacture method of vertical GaN-based LED chip of the present invention may further comprise the steps:
(1) epitaxial growth N type GaN, mqw active layer, P type GaN and current extending successively from bottom to top on sapphire or 6H-SiC transparent substrates according to a conventional method;
(2) on current extending routinely electron beam evaporation or sputter mode make metallic mirror, the material of metallic mirror adopts one or more of Al, Ag, Cr, Au;
(3) weld electrically-conductive backing plate by the bonding scolder on metallic mirror, electrically-conductive backing plate is conductive substrates Si or Cu or the good material of other electrical and thermal conductivity performances, makes the P electrode by conventional electrical beam evaporation or sputter mode on electrically-conductive backing plate;
(4) then with the thickness anti-attrition of sapphire or 6H-SiC transparent substrates to 30um-50um;
(5) process window until N type GaN layer on sapphire or 6H-SiC transparent substrates, the topside area of single window is 30um
2-2500um
2, detailed process is:
By laser undercutting sapphire or SiC substrate, regulate UV laser work repetition rate 25KHz, energy 4.5W earlier, its pulse is not more than 30ns; Laser visual field focus energy reaches 200J/cm
2, control laser pulse number control undercutting speed utilizes 30-120 pulse undercutting to arrive apart from N type GaN layer upper surface 1um-2.5um, stop the laser undercutting, use the ICP method instead or conventional photoresist technology is carried out etching, etching depth is 4um, if adopt ICP etching SiC substrate SF
6And O
2, etching Sapphire Substrate BCl
3And Cl
2, BCl
3Flow be 80sccm, Cl
2Flow be 20sccm, ICP power is 2500W, radio frequency (RF) power is 500W, pressure is 0.9Pa, temperature is 60 ℃, etch rate reaches 200 ± 20nm/min;
(6) evaporation layer of metal on each face in the window that processes forms ohmic contact with n type GaN, on this metal level, draw the N electrode and below P electrode on the electrically-conductive backing plate form the path of PN junction.
The present invention adopts the laser undercutting to add corrosion and is etched in the window that obtains on sapphire or the 6H-SiC transparent substrates until N type GaN layer, and it is trapezoidal that window section is, and realizes the metal level evaporation easily.Current extending is generally used ITO, ZnO, NiAu or other transparent conductive materials.Metallic mirror can make the light usable reflection to the bottom surface emission return exiting surface, improves the LED light extraction efficiency, and metallic mirror is bonded on the conductive substrates, can effectively shed the high-power chip heat, helps improving the high temperature ageing performance of power LED.In window with the bonding wire point of large-area side metal wall as the N electrode, not only maximum using effective lighting area, also solved simultaneously the too small inconvenience that causes of bonding wire electrode zone.The PN junction of the LED that makes is particularly suitable for high power work near the base material of good heat dissipation.
The present invention has reduced destabilizing factor influence in the technical process, the processing of window is earlier by quick laser undercutting, carry out etching by ICP method or conventional photoresist technology again, not only accelerated process velocity but also can not damage N type GaN layer, be fit to actual mass production.The GaN base LED chip efficient lighting area utilance height of making, chip current is expanded, good heat dissipation.
Description of drawings
Fig. 1 is the structural representation of existing Sapphire Substrate GaN base LED chip.
Fig. 2 is the structural representation of inverted structure GaN base LED chip.
Fig. 3 is the structural representation of vertical stratification GaN base LED chip.
Fig. 4 is the structural representation of vertical GaN-based LED chip of the present invention.
Fig. 5 is the structural representation of the vertical GaN-based LED chip of the surface coarsening made of the present invention.
Fig. 6 is the present invention makes the vertical GaN-based LED chip of photonic crystal at the Sapphire Substrate exiting surface a structural representation.
Fig. 7 is the present invention makes the vertical GaN-based LED chip of electrode at sidewall a structural representation.
Fig. 8 is the vertical view of Fig. 7.
Embodiment
As shown in Figure 4, vertical GaN-based LED chip of the present invention comprises sapphire or 6H-SiC transparent substrates, N type GaN, mqw active layer, P type GaN, current extending, metallic mirror, bonding weld layer and electrically-conductive backing plate from top to bottom successively, on electrically-conductive backing plate, be manufactured with the P electrode, on sapphire or 6H-SiC transparent substrates, be provided with window until N type GaN layer, evaporation has layer of metal in this window, leads to the N electrode on this metal level.
In order further to improve the light extraction efficiency of chip, can be as shown in Figure 5 the sapphire of the vertical GaN-based LED chip made or the exiting surface of 6H-SiC transparent substrates be processed into alligatoring face, reduce the light inner full-reflection, destroy total reflection.Perhaps as shown in Figure 6, Sapphire Substrate exiting surface electron beam lithography fabrication techniques photonic crystal for the vertical GaN-based LED chip of Sapphire Substrate, the crystal structure of photon band gap can not be propagated the ripple of a certain frequency range in this periodic structure, improve the light extraction efficiency of LED by the optical grating diffraction effect of this forbidden band adjusting.
The window's position of processing on sapphire or 6H-SiC transparent substrates can be the optional position on the substrate, can be in the substrate inboard, and also can be at the edge of substrate.Shown in the vertical GaN-based chip structure that Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 provide, the window's position is on the side wall surface of substrate, edge table top and side wall surface at chip N type GaN layer evenly plate metal, do chip bonding wire point with side wall surface, the N electrode is arranged on this side wall surface, as the bonding wire of N electrode effective lighting area of having put not only maximum using, also solved the too small welding inconvenience that causes of bonding wire electrode zone with large-area metal side wall simultaneously.At equal etching table top of one week of edge of chip N type GaN layer, its current expansion uniformity height can suitably reduce edge fluting area, makes the lighting area maximization.
The manufacturing process of vertical GaN-based LED chip of the present invention, specific as follows:
Epitaxial growth N type GaN, mqw active layer, P type GaN and current extending successively from bottom to top on sapphire or 6H-SiC transparent substrates at first routinely.On current extending, make metallic mirror.Be welded to electrically-conductive backing plate by the bonding scolder on metallic mirror, electrically-conductive backing plate is conductive substrates Si or Cu or the good material of other electrical and thermal conductivity performances, makes the P electrode by electron evaporation or sputter mode on electrically-conductive backing plate.Anti-attrition sapphire or 6H-SiC transparent substrates make substrate thin as far as possible then, are beneficial to by laser processing electrode window through ray and bright dipping, and general anti-attrition Sapphire Substrate is to 30um-50um.
On sapphire after the anti-attrition or 6H-SiC transparent substrates, process window until N type GaN layer with the laser undercutting, reconcile laser work frequency, pulse and laser visual field focal length, control undercutting speed and stepping, according to the big small scale of die-size design window, the topside area of single window is 30um
2-2500um
2Regulate UV laser work repetition rate 25KHz, energy 4.5W, its pulse is not more than 30ns; Laser visual field focus energy reaches 200J/cm
2, control laser pulse number control undercutting speed.For avoiding the burn damage of laser energy to the GaN epitaxial loayer, utilizing 30-120 pulse undercutting, stop the laser undercutting to apart from N type GaN layer upper surface 1um-2.5um, use the GaN that ICP or other caustic solutions etch away sapphire or SiC substrate and part thin layer instead.Etching process can anyly be sheltered, the direct etching 4um degree of depth, so not only window reaches on the GaN, and sapphire or the SiC substrate to exiting surface plays certain alligatoring effect simultaneously, improve light extraction efficiency, carry out etching after also can adopting masking layer such as photoresist technology to make required figure.If adopt ICP etching SiC SF
6And O
2, etching sapphire, GaN BCl
3And Cl
2We use BCl the etching sapphire
3Flow is 80sccm, Cl
2Flow is 20sccm, and ICP power is 2500W, and RF power is 500W, and pressure is 0.9Pa, and temperature is that 60 ℃ of etch rates can reach 200 ± 20nm/min.Evaporation last layer metal on the N of window type GaN is as the alloy or the multiple layer metal of Ti, Au, Al, Cr or several metals, so that do the N electrode of LED.The said method undercutting adds the window that the ICP etching obtains, and the cross section generally is trapezoidal, realizes the metal level evaporation easily.The present invention has reduced the damage of laser lift-off process to extension layer crystal physique amount and integrality, has improved the acceptance rate and the quality conformance of chip, is fit to produce in batches.