# US 12,604,572 B2 · Thin-film LED array with low refractive index patterned structures and reflector

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- Number: US 12,604,572 B2
- Document ID: US12604572B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/981,926
- Filed: 2022-11-07
- Published: 2023-05-18
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2021-11-12
- Assignees: Lumileds Singapore Pte. Ltd.
- Applicants: Lumileds LLC
- Inventors: Toni Lopez; Isaac Wildeson; Erik William Young
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12604572B2

## CPC

- H10H 20/841: Reflective coatings, e.g. dielectric Bragg reflectors
- H10H 20/01335: {the light-emitting regions comprising nitride materials}
- H10H 20/018: {Bonding of wafers}
- H10H 20/825: containing nitrogen, e.g. GaN
- H10H 20/851: Wavelength conversion means
- H10H 20/855: Optical field-shaping means, e.g. lenses
- H10H 20/034: {of coatings}
- H10H 20/0361: {of wavelength conversion means}
- H10H 20/0363: {of optical field-shaping means}
- H10H 20/819: characterised by their shape, e.g. curved or truncated substrates
- H10H 20/8312: {extending at least partially through the bodies}
- H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS

## Abstract

Described are light emitting diode (LED) devices having a patterned dielectric layer on a substrate and methods for effectively growing epitaxial III-nitride layers on them. A nucleation layer, comprising a III-nitride material, is grown on a substrate before any patterning takes place. The patterned dielectric layer comprises a first plurality of features and a second plurality of features, where the second plurality of features has a height larger than the height of the first plurality of features. The second plurality of features aligns with the cathode layer of the trench.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A light emitting diode (LED) device comprising:
a nucleation layer on a substrate, the nucleation layer comprising a first III-nitride material;
a patterned dielectric layer on a top surface of the nucleation layer, the patterned dielectric layer comprising a first plurality of features, a second plurality of features adjacent the first plurality of features, and a plurality of spaces between the first plurality of features and the second plurality of features, the first plurality of features and the second plurality of features protruding from a top surface of the nucleation layer, the second plurality of features having a second height greater than a first height of the first plurality of features, and the plurality of spaces exposing a top surface of the nucleation layer;
a reflector layer on a surface of the second plurality of features distal from the nucleation layer;
a III-nitride layer on the first plurality of features and on the plurality of spaces, the III-nitride layer comprising a second III-nitride material; and
a metal contact aligned with and directly contacting the second plurality of features.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The light emitting diode device of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of features and the second plurality of features independently have a shape selected from a hemispherical shape, a triangular pyramidal shape, a quadrangular pyramidal shape, a hexagonal pyramidal shape, a conical shape, a semi-spherical shape, or a cut-spherical shape.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The light emitting diode device of claim 1, wherein the first height is in a range of from 10 nm to 3 μm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The light emitting diode device of claim 1, wherein the second height is about 10% to 90% of a thickness of the III-nitride layer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The light emitting diode device of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of features has a second width greater than a first width of the first plurality of features.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The light emitting diode device of claim 5, wherein the first width is in a range of from 5 nm to 3 μm and the second width is in a range of from 100 nm to 5 μm.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The light emitting diode device of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of features has a first width greater than a second width of the second plurality of features.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The light emitting diode device of claim 1, wherein the reflector layer comprises a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR).

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The light emitting diode device of claim 1, wherein the first III-nitride material and the second III-nitride material independently comprise one or more of aluminum, gallium, and indium.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The light emitting diode device of claim 9, wherein the first III-nitride material and the second III-nitride material are the same.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The light emitting diode device of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a low refractive index material having a refractive index in a range of from about 1.2 to about 2.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The light emitting diode device of claim 11, wherein the dielectric layer comprises one or more of silicon oxide (SiO2) and silicon nitride (Si3N4).

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The light emitting diode device of claim 1, wherein the second III-nitride material comprises gallium nitride (GaN).

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The light emitting diode device of claim 1, wherein the nucleation layer has a thickness in a range of from about 5 nm to about 100 nm.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

A method of manufacturing the light emitting diode device of claim 1, the method comprising:
depositing the nucleation layer on the substrate, the nucleation layer comprising the first III-nitride material;
depositing the dielectric layer on the top surface of the nucleation layer, the dielectric layer comprising the low refractive index dielectric material;
patterning the dielectric layer to form the patterned surface having the first plurality of features, the second plurality of features adjacent the first plurality of features, and having the plurality of spaces between the first plurality of features and the second plurality of features, the first plurality of features and the second plurality of features protruding from the top surface of the nucleation layer, the second plurality of features having the second height and the second width greater than the first height and the first width of the first plurality of features, and the plurality of spaces exposing the top surface of the nucleation layer;
depositing the reflector layer on the surface of the second plurality of features distal from the nucleation layer;
epitaxially growing the III-nitride layer on the patterned surface, the III-nitride layer comprising the second III-nitride material; and
forming the metal contact aligned with and directly contacting the second plurality of features.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the first plurality of features and the second plurality of features independently have a shape selected from a hemispherical shape, a triangular pyramidal shape, a quadrangular pyramidal shape, a hexagonal pyramidal shape, a conical shape, a semi-spherical shape, or a cut-spherical shape.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the first height is in a range of from 10 nm to 3 μm and the first width is in a range of from 5 nm to 3 μm.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the second height is about 10% to 90% of a thickness of the Ill-nitride layer.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the nucleation layer is deposited by one or more of sputter deposition, atomic layer deposition (ALD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD), and plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD).

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a low refractive index material having a refractive index in a range of from about 1.2 to about 2.