# US 2014/0151715 A1 · Light emitting diode with nanostructured layer and methods of making and using

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- Number: US 2014/0151715 A1
- Document ID: US20140151715A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/172,505
- Filed: 2014-02-04
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2011-08-05
- Assignees: Wostec, Inc.
- Applicants: Wostec, Inc.
- Inventors: Valery K. Smirnov; Dmitry S. Kibalov
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151715A1

## CPC

- H10H 20/82: Roughened surfaces, e.g. at the interface between epitaxial layers
- B82Y 20/00: Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
- H10H 20/01: Manufacture or treatment
- H10H 20/0133: {with a substrate not being Group III-V materials}
- H10H 20/01335: {the light-emitting regions comprising nitride materials}
- H10H 20/819: characterised by their shape, e.g. curved or truncated substrates
- H10H 20/824: comprising only Group III-V materials, e.g. GaP
- H10H 20/825: containing nitrogen, e.g. GaN
- B82Y 30/00: Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
- B82Y 40/00: Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
- H10H 20/872: {Periodic patterns for optical field-shaping, e.g. photonic bandgap structures}
- H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES

## Abstract

A light emitting diode has a plurality of layers including at least two semiconductor layers. A first layer of the plurality of layers has a nanostructured surface which includes a quasi-periodic, anisotropic array of elongated ridge elements having a wave-ordered structure pattern, each ridge element having a wavelike cross-section and oriented substantially in a first direction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A light emitting diode, comprising:
a plurality of layers including at least two layers, wherein a first layer of the plurality of layers has a nanostructured surface, the nanostructured surface comprising a quasi-periodic, anisotropic array of elongated ridge elements having a wave-ordered structure pattern, each ridge element having a wavelike cross-section and oriented substantially in a first direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein the first layer is a semiconductor layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The light emitting diode of claim 2, wherein the first layer comprises an aluminum-containing semiconductor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The light emitting diode of claim 3, wherein the aluminum containing semiconductor is selected from AlAs, AlGaAs, AlGaInP, AlGaN, and AlGaInN.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The light emitting diode of claim 2, wherein the first layer comprises a gallium-containing semiconductor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The light emitting diode of claim 5, wherein the aluminum containing semiconductor is selected from GaP, GaAs, GaN, AlGaAs, AlGaInP, AlGaN, and AlGaInN.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein the nanostructured surface is a light emitting surface.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The light emitting diode of claim 7, wherein the nanostructured surface is disposed on a back external side of the plurality of layers.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The light emitting diode of claim 7, wherein the nanostructured surface is an internal surface disposed adjacent to a second layer of the plurality of layers.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein the first layer comprises a transparent inorganic material disposed between at least two semiconductor layers.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The light emitting diode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of layers comprises a substrate selected from sapphire (Al2O3), silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), spinel (MgAl2O4), neodymium gallate (NdGaO3), lithium gallate (LiGaO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), magnesium oxide (MgO), gallium phosphide (GaP), gallium arsenide (GaAs), and gallium nitride (GaN).

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A device, comprising
the light emitting diode of claim 1.

### Claim 13

A hard nanomask, comprising:
a plurality of elongated elements formed from an aluminum-containing semiconductor material, other than pure aluminum nitride, and disposed in a quasi-periodic, anisotropic array having a wave-ordered structure pattern and a wavelike cross-section, at least some of the elongated elements having the following structure in cross-section: an inner region of the aluminum-containing semiconductor material and a first outer region containing aluminum nitride covering a first portion of the inner region.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The nanomask of claim 13, further comprising a second outer region containing aluminum nitride covering a second portion of the inner region, and connecting with the first outer region at a wave crest, wherein the first outer region is substantially thicker than the second outer region.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The nanomask of claim 13, wherein the aluminum containing semiconductor material is selected from AlAs, AlGaAs, AlGaInP, AlGaN, and AlGaInN.

### Claim 16

A method of making a light-emitting semiconductor device, the method comprising:
depositing a layer of amorphous silicon on a surface of an aluminum-containing semiconductor layer;
irradiating a surface of the amorphous silicon with an oblique beam of nitrogen ions to form a wave-ordered structure in the layer of amorphous silicon; and
further irradiating the surface of the amorphous silicon with an oblique beam of nitrogen ions to transfer the wave-ordered structure to a surface of the aluminum-containing semiconductor layer forming a nanomask, the nanomask comprising a quasi-periodic, anisotropic array of elongated elements having a wave-ordered structure pattern and a wave-like cross-section.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the nanomask has the following structure in cross-section: an inner region of the aluminum-containing semiconductor layer, a first outer region containing aluminum nitride covering a first portion of the inner region, and a second outer region containing aluminum nitride covering a second portion of the inner region and connecting with the first outer region at a wave crest, wherein the first outer region is substantially thicker than the second outer region.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising etching the nanomask to remove the second outer region.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising, after removing the second outer region, etching the portion of the aluminum-containing semiconductor layer that was below the second outer region.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising, after forming the nanomask, removing the amorphous silicon.