# US 11,309,459 B2 · Optoelectronic semiconductor device and method of operating an optoelectronic semiconductor device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,309,459 B2 - Document ID: US11309459B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/495,144 - Filed: 2018-04-16 - Published: 2020-02-06 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-04-18 - Assignees: OSRAM OLED GmbH - Applicants: OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH - Inventors: Clemens Vierheilig; Philipp Kreuter; Rainer Hartmann; Michael Binder; Tobias Meyer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309459B2 ## CPC - H10H 20/816: having carrier transport control structures, e.g. highly-doped semiconductor layers or current-blocking structures - H10H 20/833: Transparent materials - H10H 20/0133: {with a substrate not being Group III-V materials} - H10H 20/062: {Light-emitting semiconductor devices having field effect type light-emitting regions, e.g. light-emitting High-Electron Mobility Transistors} - H10H 20/824: comprising only Group III-V materials, e.g. GaP - H10H 20/052: {Light-emitting semiconductor devices having Schottky type light-emitting regions; Light emitting semiconductor devices having Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor type light-emitting regions} - H10H 20/813: having a plurality of light-emitting regions, e.g. multi-junction LEDs or light-emitting devices having photoluminescent regions within the bodies - H10H 20/8312: {extending at least partially through the bodies} - H10H 20/8314: {extending at least partially onto an outer side surface of the bodies} - H10H 20/84: Coatings, e.g. passivation layers or antireflective coatings - H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS ## Abstract An optoelectronic semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer sequence including an active zone that generates radiation by electroluminescence; a p-electrode and an n-electrode; an electrically insulating passivation layer on side surfaces of the semiconductor layer sequence; and an edge field generating device on the side surfaces on a side of the passivation layer facing away from the semiconductor layer sequence at the active zone, wherein the edge field generating device is configured to generate an electric field at least temporarily in an edge region of the active zone so that, during operation, a current flow through the semiconductor layer sequence is controllable in the edge region. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optoelectronic semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor layer sequence comprising an active zone that generates radiation by electroluminescence; a p-electrode and an n-electrode; an electrically insulating passivation layer on side surfaces of the semiconductor layer sequence; and an edge field generating device on the side surfaces on a side of the passivation layer facing away from the semiconductor layer sequence at the active zone, wherein the edge field generating device is configured to generate an electric field at least temporarily in an edge region of the active zone so that during operation a current flow through the semiconductor layer sequence is controllable in the edge region, and (i) one of said electrodes extends through said active zone in the form of pins and said edge field generating device extends annularly around at least some of said pins and/or (ii) the semiconductor layer sequence is pixelated to islands, the edge field generating device extending directly around at least some of the islands. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a current density in the edge region is at a same value as in a central area of the active zone with a tolerance of not more than a factor of 3, and the edge field generating device runs around the active zone by at least 90% when viewed in top view. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the edge field generating device comprises an independent further electrode at the active zone, the further electrode being independently controllable of the p-electrode and the n-electrode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The optoelectronic semiconductor device according to the claim 3, wherein a distance between the further electrode and the p-electrode and between the further electrode and the n-electrode is each 10 nm to 5 μm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said edge field generating device comprises a first electrode extension at the active zone, the first electrode extension being electrically short-circuited to the p-electrode, and the first electrode extension leaves at least 80% of an n-conducting region of the semiconductor layer sequence free at the side surfaces. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the edge field generating device comprises a second electrode extension at the active zone, the second electrode extension being electrically short-circuited to the n-electrode, and the second electrode extension leaving at least 80% of a p-conducting region of the semiconductor layer sequence free at the side surfaces. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the edge field generating device comprises an electrostatic layer at the active zone such that charges are permanently generated on the side surfaces. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The optoelectronic semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the electrostatic layer is electrically insulated from the exterior. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The optoelectronic semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the electrostatic layer comprises a layer stack with at least two differently electrically charged partial regions so that the electrostatic layer as a whole is electrically uncharged. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the edge field generating device completely covers a space charge zone on the active zone, seen in side view and in projection parallel to the active zone. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the edge region, in which the current flow is prevented, has an average width of 0.1 μm to 5 μm in top view during intended operation of the semiconductor device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein, during intended operation of the semiconductor device, a quotient of a total area of the active zone and a length of a boundary line of the edge region is 1 μm to 100 μm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein, in top view, the active zone has an boundary line along which the edge region extends that is at least 2 times longer than an outer contour line, and a base area spanned by the contour line is filled to at least 80% by the active zone. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the p-electrode and the n-electrode are each applied directly and in areal manner to the semiconductor layer sequence, and the semiconductor layer sequence is located between the p-electrode and the n-electrode so that the semiconductor device does not comprise a growth substrate of the semiconductor layer sequence, and the semiconductor layer sequence is based on the AlInGaN material system and configured to generate blue light having a wavelength of maximum intensity of at most 480 nm. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein one of said electrodes extends through said active zone in the form of pins and said edge field generating device extends annularly around at least some of said pins. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The optoelectronic semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer sequence is pixelated to islands, and the edge field generating device extends directly around at least some of the islands. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A method of operating the optoelectronic semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein an electric field is generated temporarily or permanently in the circumferential edge region of the active zone by the edge field generating device, whereby, during operation, a current flow through the semiconductor layer sequence in the edge region is controlled. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, with which an optoelectronic semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor layer sequence comprising an active zone that generates radiation by electroluminescence; a p-electrode and an n-electrode; an electrically insulating passivation layer on side surfaces of the semiconductor layer sequence; and an edge field generating device on the side surfaces on a side of the passivation layer facing away from the semiconductor layer sequence at the active zone, wherein the edge field generating device is configured to generate an electric field at least temporarily in an edge region of the active zone so that, during operation, a current flow through the semiconductor layer sequence is controllable in the edge region, the edge field generating device comprises an independent further electrode at the active zone, the further electrode being independently controllable of the p-electrode and the n-electrode is operated, and an electrical voltage of at least 30 V is applied at least temporarily to the further electrode. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The operating method according to claim 18, wherein, during operation of the optoelectronic semiconductor device, the edge field generating device is operated such that the edge region temporarily occupies at least 50% of the active zone in top view.