Semiconductor light-emitting device, lighting instrument employing the same and process for production of the semiconductor light-emitting device

A process for production of a semiconductor light-emitting device, comprising the steps of:

• forming a compound semiconductor layer on a first side of a substrate;
• forming a metal electrode layer on said compound semiconductor layer, a thickness of said metal electrode layer being not less than 10 nm but not more than 50 nm, and said metal electrode layer including:
• a continuous metal part, any two point-positions in said continuous metal part being continuously connected without breaks;
• and
• a plurality of openings penetrating through said metal electrode layer and having a circle-equivalent diameter of not less than 10 nm but less than 5 μm;
• forming a light-extraction layer including a dielectric film on said metal electrode layer, said light-extraction layer covering at least a portion of said continuous metal part and having a thickness of not less than 20 nm but not more than 120 nm;
• and
• forming a counter electrode layer on said substrate on a second side opposite to said compound semiconductor layer;
• wherein said step of forming said metal electrode layer further comprises the sub-steps of:
• forming a metal thin layer,
• preparing a stamper whose surface has a fine relief pattern corresponding to the shape of the metal electrode layer intended to be formed,
• transferring a resist pattern onto at least one part of said metal thin layer by use of said stamper, and
• forming openings on said metal thin layer by use of said resist pattern as an etching mask.

A semiconductor light-emitting device comprising

• a substrate,
• a compound semiconductor layer formed on one surface of said substrate,
• a metal electrode layer which is formed on said compound semiconductor layer and whose thickness is not less than 10 nm but not more than 50 nm,
• a light-extraction layer which is formed on said metal electrode layer and which has a fine rugged structure, and
• a counter electrode formed on the other surface of said substrate;
• wherein
• said metal electrode layer comprises
• a metal part so continuous that any pair of point-positions therein is continuously connected without breaks, and
• plural openings which penetrate through said metal electrode layer and whose circle-equivalent diameter is not less than 10 nm but less than 5 μm;
• and
• said light-extraction layer covers at least partly the metal part of said metal electrode layer, and the rugged structure thereof comprises projections so arranged that their summits are positioned at intervals of not less than 100 nm but not more than 600 nm and the heights of the summits from the surface of said metal electrode layer are not less than 200 nm but not more than 700 nm.