The novel features believed characteristic of the present invention are set forth in the claims. The invention itself, as well as other features and advantages thereof will be best understood by referring to detailed descriptions that follow, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
a to
f shows first embodiment of a through-hole vertical semiconductor device or chip manufactured by the method of
While embodiments of the present invention will be described below, the following description is illustrative the principle only and not limiting to the embodiments.
Note the followings:
The structure of an active layer is selected from a group comprising bulk, single quantum well, multi-quantum well, quantum dot and quantum line. The material system of an epitaxial layer is selected from a group comprising: (1) the combinations of elements of Gallium, Aluminum, Indium and Nitrogen, which comprising GaN, GaInN, AlGaInN; (2) the combinations of elements of Gallium, Aluminum, Indium and Phosphor, which comprising GaP, GaInP, AlGaInP; (3) the combinations of elements of Gallium, Aluminum, Indium, Nitrogen and Phosphor, which comprising GaNP, GaInNP, AlGaInNP; (4) the combinations of elements of Zinc and Oxygen, which comprising ZnO. The crystal planes of GaN based epitaxial layer is selected from a group comprising c-plane, a-plane, and m-plane.
A silicon supporting wafer comprises: silicon supporting wafer 106, metal layer 107 deposited on the first surface of silicon supporting wafer 106, first electrode 111 and second electrode 110 both deposited on the second surface of silicon supporting wafer 106, static protection diode 112 built-in silicon supporting wafer 106, metal layer 107 electrically connected to second electrode 110 and first electrode 111 via through-hole-metal-plug 108 and through-hole-metal-plug 109 respectively.
b: bonding the semiconductor epitaxial wafer to the silicon supporting wafer to form a compound semiconductor epitaxial wafer. Metal layer 107 is bonded to reflector/Ohmic/bonding layer 105. The bonding process is performed at wafer level. The method of wafer bonding is selected from a group comprising: electrically conductive glue bonding, metal thermal-pressure bonding, fusion bonding. Since metal layer 107 and reflector/Ohmic/bonding layer 105 are bonded together, hereafter, call it reflector/Ohmic/bonding layer.
c: removing growth substrate 101 and the buffer layer, until first-type cladding layer 102 exposed. The removing method is different for different semiconductor epitaxial wafers. The method of removing growth substrate is selected from a group comprising laser lift off (suitable for transparent growth substrate comprising sapphire and SiC), dry/wet etching (suitable for growth substrate comprising silicon, GaAs, GaP), thermal separation, precision grinding/lapping (suitable for any growth substrate), and combination of about methods. An embodiment is the following: firstly, applying precision grinding/lapping method to thin down a growth substrate to pre-determined thickness then applying other method to completely removing the growth substrate.
Etching semiconductor epitaxial layer 100 and the reflector/Ohmic/bonding layer (including metal layer 107) at pre-determined positions, until the silicon surface of the silicon supporting substrate and the top surface of through-hole-metal-plug 109 exposed.
d: depositing protection-plug 113 on both the exposed silicon surface of the silicon supporting substrate and the exposed top surface of through-hole-metal-plug 109. The material of protection-plug 113 is selected from a group comprising SiO2. The top surface of protection-plug 113 is substantially at the same level as that of the top surface of the first-type cladding layer. Depositing current spreading layer 114 on both the top surfaces of first-type cladding layer 102 and protection-plug 113. The material of current spreading layer 114 is selected from a group comprising metals and electrically conductive oxides. The material of the electrically conductive oxides is selected from a group comprising ITO, ZnO:Al, ZnGa2O4, SnO2:Sb, Ga2O3:Sn, In2O3:Zn, NiO, MnO, CuO, SnO, GaO. The material of the transparent thin metal layer is selected from a group comprising Ni/Au, Ni/Pt, Ni/Pd, Ni/Co, Pd/Au, Pt/Au, Ti/Au, Cr/Au, Sn/Au.
e: Etching current spreading layer 114 and protection-plug 113 at pre-determined positions until the top surface of through-hole-metal-plug 109 exposed to form half-through-hole 115. The method of etching is selected from a group comprising dry etching and wet etching.
f: forming half-through-hole-metal-plug 116 in half-through-hole 115. Half-through-hole-metal-plug 116 is electrically connected to through-hole-metal-plug 109. Depositing patterned electrode 117 on the top surface of current spreading layer 114. Patterned electrode 117 is electrically connected to half-through-hole-metal-plug 116 and, thus, electrically connected to first electrode 111.
f also shows first embodiment of through-hole vertical semiconductor devices or chips with static protection diodes.
a to
a: forming protection-plug 313 on the exposed surface of through-hole-metal-plug 309.
b: etching protection-plug 313 at pre-determined positions until the top surface of through-hole-metal-plug 309 exposed to form half-through-hole 314.
c: forming half-through-hole-metal-plug 316 in half-through-hole 314. Half-through-hole-metal-plug 316 is electrically connected to through-hole-metal-plug 309. Depositing patterned electrode 317 on the top surfaces of both first-type cladding layer 302 and protection-plug 313. Patterned electrode 317 is electrically connected to half-through-hole-metal-plug 316.
Note: optimizing the pattern of patterned electrode 317, the current spreading layer is not necessary. Thus there will be no issues of instability of the current spreading layer and emitting light blocked by thin metal current spreading layer.
c also shows second embodiment of through-hole vertical semiconductor devices or chips with static protection diodes.
Process step 701: providing a semiconductor epitaxial wafer and a silicon supporting wafer. Forming a plurality of static protection diodes inside of the silicon supporting wafer. Depositing a metal layer on first side of the silicon supporting wafer. The metal layer on the first side of the silicon supporting wafer is electrically connected to one polarity of built-in static protection diodes. Forming a plurality of electrode set at pre-determined positions on the second side of the silicon supporting wafer. Each of electrode set has first and second electrodes. Forming a plurality of through-hole-metal-plugs passing through the silicon supporting wafer and electrically connecting first and second electrodes to the metal layer on the first side on the silicon supporting wafer respectively.
Depositing a reflector/Ohmic/bonding layer on the second-type cladding layer of the semiconductor epitaxial wafer.
Process step 702: bonding the reflector/Ohmic/bonding layer to the metal layer of the silicon supporting wafer to form a compound semiconductor epitaxial wafer. The method of bonding is selected from a group comprising electrically conductive glue bonding, metal thermal-pressure bonding, fusion bonding. After bonding, the reflector/Ohmic/bonding layer and the metal layer become one layer, hereafter call it the reflector/Ohmic/bonding layer.
Process step 703: removing the growth substrate and the buffer layer of the semiconductor epitaxial wafer until the first-type cladding layer exposed. The method of removing the growth substrate is selected from a group comprising laser lift-off, precision grinding/polishing, thermal separation, etching, and combination of above methods. The laser lift-off method is suitable for transparent growth substrates comprising sapphire and SiC. The precision grinding/polishing method is suitable for all of growth substrates comprising silicon, GaAs, GaP, sapphire and SiC. The etching method is suitable for selective-etching growth substrates comprising silicon, GaAs, and GaP.
Process step 704: at pre-determined positions, etching the semiconductor epitaxial layer (comprising the first-type cladding layer, the active layer, the second-type cladding layer) and the reflector/Ohmic/bonding layer until both the top surfaces of the through-hole-metal-plugs and the silicon surface of the silicon supporting wafer exposed. The etching method is selected from a group comprising dry and wet etching.
Process step 705: Depositing a protection-plug on both the exposed top surfaces of the through-hole-metal-plugs and the exposed silicon surface of the silicon supporting wafer so that the through-hole-metal plugs do not contact the reflector/Ohmic/bonding layer and the epitaxial layer (comprising the first-type cladding layer, the active layer and the second-type cladding layer). The material of the protection-plug is selected from a group comprising SiO2. The top surfaces of the protection-plugs are substantially at the same level as that of the first-type cladding layer.
Process step 706: Depositing a current spreading layer on the top surfaces of both the first-type cladding layer and the protection-plugs. The material of the current spreading layer is selected from a group comprising transparent and electrically conductive oxide layer and transparent thin metal layers. The material of the transparent and electrically conductive oxide layer is selected from a group comprising ITO, ZnO:Al, ZnGa2O4, SnO2:Sb, Ga2O3:Sn, In2O3:Zn, NiO, MnO, CuO, SnO and GaO. The material of the transparent thin metal layer is selected from a group comprising Ni/Au, Ni/Pt, Ni/Pd, Ni/Co, Pd/Au, Pt/Au, Ti/Au, Cr/Au and Sn/Au.
Process step 707: at pre-determined positions, etching the current spreading layer and the protection-plugs until the top surfaces of half-through-hole-metal-plugs exposed and forming half-through-holes. The methods of etching comprise dry and wet etching.
Process step 708: Forming half-through-hole-metal-plugs in half-through-holes. Half-through-hole-metal-plugs are electrically connected to the through-hole-metal-plugs.
Process step 709: at pre-determine positions on the surfaces of the current spreading layer, forming optimized patterned electrodes which being electrically connected to the half-through-hole-metal-plugs so that the current distribution is more uniform.
Process 710: dicing the compound semiconductor epitaxial wafer into single through-hole vertical semiconductor devices or chips.
Although the description above contains many specifications, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of the present invention. Therefore the scope of the present invention should be determined by the claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the embodiments given.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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200610089061.5 | Aug 2006 | CN | national |