# US 2014/0191249 A1 · Active led module with led and transistor formed on same substrate > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0191249 A1 - Document ID: US20140191249A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/204,965 - Filed: 2014-03-11 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-09 - Assignees: Nthdegree Technologies Worldwide Inc. - Applicants: Nthdegree Technologies Worldwide Inc. - Inventors: Richard Austin Blanchard; Bradley Steven Oraw - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191249A1 ## CPC - H10H 29/14: comprising multiple light-emitting semiconductor components - H10H 20/825: containing nitrogen, e.g. GaN - H10H 29/10: Integrated devices comprising at least one light-emitting semiconductor component covered by group H10H20/00 (active-matrix LED displays H10H29/30) - H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS ## Abstract An LED module is disclosed containing an integrated driver transistor (e.g, a MOSFET) in series with an LED. In one embodiment, LED layers are grown over a substrate. The transistor regions are formed over the same substrate. After the LED layers, such as GaN layers, are grown to form the LED portion, a central area of the LED is etched away to expose a semiconductor surface in which the transistor regions are formed. A conductor connects the transistor in series with the LED. Another node of the transistor is electrically coupled to an electrode on the bottom surface of the substrate. In one embodiment, an anode of the LED is connected to one terminal of the module, one current carrying node of the transistor is connected to a second terminal of the module, and the control terminal of the transistor is connected to a third terminal of the module. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A lighting device comprising: a first light emitting diode (LED) having at least a first LED layer of a first conductivity and a second LED layer of a second conductivity, the first LED layer and the second LED layer being epitaxially grown over a top surface of a semiconductor material; a first transistor formed over or in the top surface of the semiconductor material, the first transistor having a first current carrying node, a second current carrying node, and a control node; and a first conductor connecting the first current carrying node of the first transistor to the first LED layer to connect the first transistor in series with the LED so that, when a voltage is applied across the second LED layer and the second current carrying node of the first transistor, and the transistor conducts current, current flows laterally through the first transistor and vertically through the LED to illuminate the LED. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 further comprising a second conductor formed through the semiconductor material, the second conductor coupling the second current carrying node of the first transistor to a bottom terminal of the device, and wherein the voltage is applied across the bottom terminal of the device and the second LED layer to illuminate the LED when the first transistor turns on. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor material comprises a conductive substrate, wherein the voltage is applied across a bottom surface of the substrate and the second LED layer to illuminate the LED when the first transistor turns on. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the first transistor is a field effect transistor (FET). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the first transistor is a bipolar transistor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the device is a three-terminal device, wherein the second LED layer of the LED is connected to a first terminal of the device, the second current carrying node of the first transistor is electrically coupled to a second terminal of the device, and the control node of the first transistor is coupled to a third terminal of the device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor material comprises one of silicon, SiC, GaN, and GaAs. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor material is a high resistivity layer, wherein the first LED layer is a first GaN-based layer grown overlying the high resistivity layer, wherein at least a portion of the first transistor is formed in the first GaN-based layer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein a high resistivity layer is formed over the semiconductor material, the first LED layer and the second LED layer are grown over the high resistivity layer, and wherein at least a portion of the first transistor is formed in the semiconductor material but not overlying the high resistivity layer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the first LED surrounds the first transistor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the first LED and first transistor are part of a first module, the device further comprising a plurality of modules, including the first module, wherein LEDs in the plurality of modules emit light of different wavelengths. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11 wherein the device emits a combination of red, green, and blue light. ### Claim 13 A method of forming a light emitting device comprising: providing a semiconductor material; growing layers of a first light emitting diode (LED), the layers comprising a first LED layer of a first conductivity and a second LED layer of a second conductivity, the first LED layer and the second LED layer being epitaxially grown over a top surface of the semiconductor material; forming a first transistor over or in the top surface of the semiconductor material, the first transistor having a first current carrying node, a second current carrying node, and a control node; and forming a first conductor connecting the first current carrying node of the first transistor to the first LED layer to connect the first transistor in series with the LED so that, when a voltage is applied across the second LED layer and the second current carrying node of the first transistor, and the transistor conducts current, current flows laterally through the first transistor and vertically through the LED to illuminate the LED. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 further comprising forming a second conductor through the semiconductor material, the second conductor coupling the second current carrying node of the first transistor to a bottom terminal of the device, and wherein the voltage is applied across the bottom terminal of the device and the second LED layer to illuminate the LED when the first transistor turns on. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the semiconductor material comprises a conductive substrate, wherein the voltage is applied across a bottom surface of the substrate and the second LED layer to illuminate the LED when the first transistor turns on. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the device is a three-terminal device, wherein the second LED layer of the LED is connected to a first terminal of the device, the second current carrying node of the first transistor is electrically coupled to a second terminal of the device, and the control node of the first transistor is coupled to a third terminal of the device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the first LED surrounds the first transistor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the first LED is formed prior to forming the first transistor, the method further comprising: etching at least one of the first LED layer or the second LED layer to expose an area for forming the first transistor; and forming the first transistor in the exposed area. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the first transistor is formed prior to forming the first LED, the method further comprising: masking the first transistor to expose areas over the semiconductor material; and growing the layers of the first LED over exposed areas of the semiconductor material. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the semiconductor material comprises one of silicon, SiC, GaN, and GaAs.