Host substrate for nitride based light emitting devices

A method of making a host substrate for nitride based thin-film semiconductor devices, the method comprising:

• providing a silicon layer;
• etching a pattern of blind holes in a side of the silicon layer;
• bonding the silicon layer to a gallium nitride (GaN) layer, the GaN layer attached to a sapphire substrate, wherein the side of the silicon layer having the pattern of holes is bonded to the GaN layer;
• thinning the silicon layer to expose the pattern of holes in the silicon layer;
• plating the silicon layer with copper to fill the holes etched in the silicon layer;
• and
• removing the sapphire substrate.

A nitride-based semiconductor structure having a host substrate, the nitride-based semiconductor structure comprising:

• a sapphire substrate;
• one or more gallium nitride (GaN) layers formed on the sapphire substrate;
• a metal layer plated to the one or more GaN layers;
• and
• a semiconductor layer bonded to the metal layer.

A nitride-based semiconductor structure having a host substrate, the nitride-based semiconductor structure comprising:

• a sapphire substrate;
• and
• one or more gallium nitride (GaN) layers formed on the sapphire substrate;
• a metal layer plated to the one or more GaN layers, wherein the metal layer includes a combination of two different metals.