Method for production of a radiation-emitting semiconductor chip

A method for micropatterning a radiation-emitting surface of a semiconductor layer sequence for a thin-film light-emitting diode chip comprising the steps of:

• (a) growing the semiconductor layer sequence on a substrate;
• (b) forming or applying a mirror layer on the semiconductor layer sequence on a surface opposite to the substrate, which reflects back into the semiconductor layer sequence at least part of a radiation that is generated in the semiconductor layer sequence during the operation thereof and is directed toward the mirror layer;
• (c) separating the semiconductor layer sequence from the substrate, wherein a separation zone made of compound semiconductor material of the semiconductor layer sequence is at least partly decomposed, and
• (d) etching a separation surface of the semiconductor layer sequence, from which the substrate has been separated and on which different crystal facets have been uncovered, by means of an etchant which predominantly etches at crystal defects and selectively etches the different crystal facets at the separation surface;
• wherein through the etching at the separation surface of the semiconductor layer sequence a roughening is produced on a scale which corresponds to a wavelength range of an electromagnetic radiation emitted by the semiconductor layer sequence during operation thereof.