High efficiency light emitting diodes
AssigneeCree Research, Inc.
InventorGerald H. Negley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Light emitting diodes are disclosed which have increased external efficiency and are formed from silicon carbide substrates. Diodes are produced by a method which includes directing a beam of laser light at one surface of a portion of silicon carbide, and which the laser light is sufficient to vaporize the silicon carbide that it strikes to thereby define a cut in the silicon carbide portion; and then dry etching the silicon carbide portion to remove by-products generated when the laser light cuts the silicon carbide portion. The resulting diode structure includes reticulate patterned sidewalls that promote increased light emission efficiency.
Claims17
A high efficiency light emitting diode comprising:
- a silicon carbide substrate that includes reticulate patterned sidewalls;
- at least two epitaxial layers on said substrate that form a p-n junction therebetween, said epitaxial layers having reticulate patterned side edges and with the reticulate patterned side edges of said epitaxial layers being coincident with said reticulate patterned sidewalls of said substrate;
- and
- ohmic contacts for applying a potential across said junction;
- characterized in that said p-n junction produces an emission in the blue region of the visible spectrum when a potential is applied thereacross.
A high efficiency light emitting diode comprising:
- a silicon carbide substrate that includes reticulate patterned sidewalls;
- at least two epitaxial layers on said substrate that form a p-n junction therebetween;
- said epitaxial layers having reticulate patterned side edges that are coincident with said reticulate patterned sidewalls of said substrate;
- and
- ohmic contacts for applying a potential across said junction.
A high efficiency light emitting diode comprising:
- a silicon carbide substrate that includes reticulate patterned sidewalls;
- at least two epitaxial layers on said substrate that form a p-n junction therebetween, said epitaxial layers having reticulate patterned side edges and with the reticulate patterned side edges of said epitaxial layers being coincident with said reticulate patterned sidewalls of said substrate;
- and
- ohmic contacts for applying a potential across said junction;
- characterized in that said p-n junction produces an emission in the green region of the visible spectrum when a potential is applied thereacross.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.