Inspection Method for Semiconductor Layer Structure and Inspection Apparatus for Semiconductor Layer Structure

Abstract

To provide a semiconductor layer structure inspection method and a semiconductor layer structure inspection device based on irradiation of light, with which inspection can be efficiently carried out, and inspection quality is high.SOLUTION: Provided is an inspection method for determining the acceptability of a semiconductor layer structure which has a plurality of light emission parts including a light emission layer. The inspection method includes: a primary determination step for irradiating, at a first intensity of irradiation, the semiconductor layer structure with first inspection light of a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light emission layer and primarily determining the acceptability of the light emission parts on the basis of a fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure acquired by irradiation of the first inspection light; a secondary determination step for irradiating, at a second intensity of irradiation lower than the first intensity of irradiation, the semiconductor layer structure with second inspection light of a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light emission layer and secondarily determining the acceptability of the light emission parts on the basis of a fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure acquired by irradiation of the second inspection light; and a tertiary determination step for determining the acceptability of each of the light emission parts on the basis of the primary and secondary determinations.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for inspecting a semiconductor layer structure and an apparatus for inspecting a semiconductor layer structure. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, semiconductor light-emitting elements such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are manufactured by stacking multiple semiconductor layers, including a light-emitting layer, on a substrate and forming electrodes, and are shipped after their light-emitting characteristics are inspected. Generally, this inspection of light-emitting characteristics is performed by applying a voltage between the positive and negative pad electrodes of multiple semiconductor light-emitting elements in the wafer state, causing a current to flow through the semiconductor layers and causing them to emit light.

[0003] However, light emission inspections performed by passing a current require the needles (probes) of a prober to contact the electrodes of each semiconductor light-emitting element, which takes a lot of time. Therefore, as a method for inspecting light emission performance without passing a current through the semiconductor light-emitting element, an inspection method has been proposed and studied in which the active layer of the semiconductor light-emitting element is excited by irradiating it with light and the fluorescence emitted from the excited active layer is observed (Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-128366 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-038313 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, while the inspection method of irradiating light to determine whether a semiconductor light emitting element is good or bad can efficiently perform the inspection, there is a demand for higher inspection quality.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for inspecting a semiconductor layer structure by irradiating light and an apparatus for inspecting a semiconductor layer structure, which allows for efficient inspection and high-quality inspection. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a semiconductor layer structure inspection method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is an inspection method for determining the quality of a semiconductor layer structure having a plurality of light-emitting portions including a light-emitting layer, and includes: a primary determination step of irradiating the semiconductor layer structure with first inspection light having a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light-emitting layer at a first irradiation intensity, and performing a primary determination of the quality of the light-emitting portions based on a first fluorescence image of the semiconductor layer structure obtained by irradiating the semiconductor layer structure with the first inspection light; a secondary determination step of irradiating the semiconductor layer structure with second inspection light having a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light-emitting layer at a second irradiation intensity lower than the first irradiation intensity, and performing a second determination of the quality of the light-emitting portions based on a second fluorescence image of the semiconductor layer structure obtained by irradiating the semiconductor layer structure with the second inspection light; and a tertiary determination step of determining the quality of each light-emitting portion based on the primary determination and the secondary determination.

[0008] An inspection device for a semiconductor layer structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is an inspection device that irradiates inspection light onto a semiconductor layer structure including a plurality of light-emitting units, each including a light-emitting layer, to determine whether the light-emitting units are good or bad, and includes: an irradiation unit that irradiates the semiconductor layer structure with inspection light having adjustable irradiation intensity and wavelength; a control unit that controls the irradiation unit so that first inspection light, which has a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light-emitting layer, is irradiated onto the semiconductor layer structure at a first irradiation intensity, and controls the irradiation unit so that second inspection light, which has a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light-emitting layer, is irradiated onto the semiconductor layer structure at a second irradiation intensity that is lower than the first irradiation intensity; an image acquisition unit that acquires a first fluorescence image of the semiconductor layer structure obtained by irradiating the semiconductor layer structure with the first inspection light, and acquires a second fluorescence image of the semiconductor layer structure obtained by irradiating the semiconductor layer structure with the second inspection light; and a determination unit that determines whether each light-emitting unit is good or bad based on the first fluorescence image and the second fluorescence image.

[0009] Another form of semiconductor layer structure inspection method according to the present disclosure is an inspection method for determining the quality of a semiconductor layer structure having a plurality of light-emitting portions including a light-emitting layer, and includes the steps of: preparing a database storing a correlation between a current value when determining the quality of the light-emitting portions by applying a current and an irradiation intensity when determining the quality of the light-emitting portions by irradiating them with inspection light having a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light-emitting portions; an irradiation intensity acquisition step of acquiring a first irradiation intensity corresponding to the applied current value for which the quality is to be determined by irradiating the semiconductor layer structure with the inspection light at the first irradiation intensity; an irradiation step of irradiating the semiconductor layer structure with the inspection light at the first irradiation intensity; and a determination step of determining the quality of the light-emitting portions based on a fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure obtained by the irradiation step.

[0010] Another form of semiconductor layer structure inspection device according to the present disclosure is an inspection device that determines the quality of a semiconductor layer structure that has a plurality of light-emitting sections including a light-emitting layer, and includes: a database that stores a correlation between a current value when determining the quality of the light-emitting sections by applying a current and an irradiation intensity when determining the quality of the semiconductor layer structure by irradiating inspection light having a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light-emitting layer; an irradiation unit that irradiates the inspection light onto the semiconductor layer structure; a control unit that refers to the database to obtain the irradiation intensity corresponding to the applied current value for which the quality is to be determined, controls the emission intensity of the inspection light so that the semiconductor layer structure is irradiated with inspection light of the obtained irradiation intensity, and causes the irradiation unit to irradiate the semiconductor layer structure with the inspection light; an image acquisition unit that obtains a fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure by irradiating it with the inspection light; and a determination unit that determines the quality of the semiconductor layer structure based on the obtained fluorescent image and outputs the determination result as a determination result for the semiconductor layer structure at the applied current value. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the semiconductor layer structure inspection method and inspection device disclosed herein configured as described above, it is possible to provide a semiconductor layer structure inspection method and inspection device that use light irradiation to perform inspection efficiently and with high inspection quality. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1]1 is a flowchart of an inspection method according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a configuration diagram schematically illustrating an inspection device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart of another inspection method according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart of an inspection method according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart of a database preparation step in the inspection method of embodiment 2. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram schematically illustrating an inspection device according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An inspection method and an inspection device according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. [Embodiment 1] The inspection method of embodiment 1 according to the present disclosure is an inspection method in which inspection light of different irradiation intensities is irradiated, the pass / fail of the light-emitting part is judged in the fluorescence image obtained by each irradiation, and the light-emitting part judged as pass in all pass / fail judgments is judged as pass / fail, and is based on the following findings.

[0014] That is, when determining whether a light-emitting unit is defective based on a fluorescent image, if the brightness of the fluorescent light is low, the unit is determined to be defective. However, there are cases where a light-emitting unit that was determined to be defective when irradiated with inspection light at a low irradiation intensity is determined to be defective when irradiated with inspection light at a high irradiation intensity. Therefore, when the irradiation intensity of the inspection light was increased, it was found that, conversely, a light-emitting unit that was determined to be defective when irradiated with inspection light at a low irradiation intensity may be determined to be defective when irradiated with inspection light at a high irradiation intensity. The above-mentioned findings are findings that the present inventors have independently discovered, and the testing method of embodiment 1 according to the present disclosure has been made based on the above-mentioned findings that the present inventors have independently discovered. The inspection method and inspection device of the first embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a flowchart of an inspection method according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The inspection method of the first embodiment is an inspection method for determining the quality of a semiconductor layer structure including a plurality of light-emitting portions each including a light-emitting layer, and includes a primary determination step S510, a secondary determination step S520, and a tertiary determination step S530, as shown in Fig. 1. Here, particularly, the primary determination step S510 irradiates the light-emitting layer with a first inspection light having a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light-emitting layer at a first irradiation intensity, and determines the quality of the light-emitting portion based on a first fluorescence image obtained by the irradiation, and the secondary determination step S520 irradiates the light-emitting layer with a second inspection light having a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light-emitting layer at a second irradiation intensity lower than the first irradiation intensity, and determines the quality of the light-emitting portion based on a second fluorescence image obtained by the irradiation. Then, in the tertiary judgment step S530, the light-emitting unit that has been judged to be non-defective in both the primary judgment step S510 and the secondary judgment step S520 is judged to be non-defective. This makes it possible to provide a method for inspecting a semiconductor layer structure by irradiating light, which allows for efficient inspection and high-quality inspection.

[0016] 1, the primary determination step S510 includes a first irradiation step S511 of irradiating the semiconductor layer structure with first inspection light having a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light-emitting layer at a first irradiation intensity, a first fluorescence image acquisition step S512 of acquiring an image (first fluorescence image) formed by fluorescence emitted by the light-emitting portion when excited by the irradiation with the first inspection light, and a first determination step S513 of determining the quality of the light-emitting portion based on the acquired first fluorescence image. The secondary determination step S520 also includes a second irradiation step S521 of irradiating the semiconductor layer structure with second inspection light having a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light-emitting layer at a second irradiation intensity lower than the first irradiation intensity, a second fluorescence image acquisition step S522 of acquiring an image (second fluorescence image) formed by fluorescence emitted by the light-emitting portion when excited by the irradiation with the second inspection light, and a second determination step S523 of determining the quality of the light-emitting portion based on the acquired second fluorescence image. Then, in the tertiary judgment step S530, the light-emitting unit that has been judged to be non-defective in both the primary judgment step S510 and the secondary judgment step S520 is judged to be non-defective.

[0017] <First irradiation step S511, second irradiation step S521> The first inspection light in the first irradiation step S511 of the primary determination step S510 and the second inspection light in the second irradiation step S521 of the secondary determination step S520 are light with a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light-emitting layer. For example, if the light emitted by the light-emitting layer is visible light, light with an emission peak wavelength of 405 nm, which is close to visible light, is used for the first inspection light and the second inspection light. The wavelengths of the first inspection light and the second inspection light may be the same or different. If the wavelengths of the first inspection light and the second inspection light are the same, the configuration of the irradiation unit in the inspection device described below can be simplified. A semiconductor layer structure is a layer of multiple semiconductors, and is, for example, a part of a light emitting device. The light emitting layer is the layer in the semiconductor layer structure that emits light. Specific examples of semiconductor layer structures include nitride semiconductors, such as In x Al y Ga 1-x-yN (0≦X≦1, 0≦Y≦1). The same applies to the light-emitting layer.

[0018] The first irradiation intensity of the first inspection light in the first irradiation step S511 is preferably set to a range of intensity equivalent to the intensity that reproduces the light emission phenomenon caused by the first current application, more preferably to a range of irradiation intensity equivalent to the first applied current value. A preferred range of the first irradiation intensity is 0.75 mW / cm. 2 More than 2.0mW / cm 2 The following are examples, for example, 1.0 mW / cm 2 The second irradiation intensity of the second inspection light in the second irradiation step S521 is preferably set within a range of intensity equivalent to that which reproduces the light emission phenomenon caused by the application of the second current, more preferably within a range of irradiation intensity equivalent to the value of the second applied current. A preferred range of the second irradiation intensity is 0.05 mW / cm 2 More than 0.50mW / cm 2 Examples include: 0.15 mW / cm 2 By setting the first irradiation intensity and the second irradiation intensity within the above ranges, defects that were not detected in the primary judgment step S510 can be detected in the secondary judgment step S520, and defects that cannot be detected in the secondary judgment step S520 can be detected in the primary judgment step S510.

[0019] <First Image Acquisition Step S512, Second Image Acquisition Step S522> The first fluorescence image acquired in the first fluorescence image acquisition step S512 is an image obtained from the semiconductor layer structure when the light-emitting units are excited by the irradiation of the first inspection light, emit fluorescence, and the light is emitted from the semiconductor layer structure. For example, the first fluorescence image includes information on brightness corresponding to the intensity of the fluorescence emission and contrast, which is an index of brightness that varies with position. Similarly, the second fluorescence image acquired in the second fluorescence image acquisition step S52 is an image obtained from the semiconductor layer structure when the light-emitting units are excited by the irradiation of the second inspection light, emit fluorescence, and the light is emitted from the semiconductor layer structure. For example, the second fluorescence image includes information on brightness corresponding to the intensity of the fluorescence emission and contrast, which is an index of brightness that varies with position.

[0020] <First Determination Step S513, Second Determination Step S523> The first determination step S513 of the primary determination step S510 includes determining that a light-emitting portion whose light emission in the first fluorescence image is less than a first reference intensity is defective. The first reference intensity is set based on an image obtained by fluorescent emission when a reference semiconductor layer structure having the same configuration as the semiconductor layer structure to be determined and recognized as a non-defective product by current application determination is irradiated with a first inspection light at a first irradiation intensity. Here, the first reference intensity is, for example, a peak value of emission intensity calculated based on the highest brightness in the image, an average value of emission intensity calculated based on the average brightness in the image, or the like. The first reference intensity may include both the peak value of emission intensity and the average value of emission intensity calculated based on the average brightness in the image.

[0021] The second determination step S523 of the secondary determination step S520 includes determining, as defective, a light-emitting portion whose emission in the second fluorescence image is less than a second reference intensity different from the first reference intensity. Like the first reference intensity, the second reference intensity is set based on an image formed by fluorescent emission when a reference semiconductor layer structure having the same configuration as the semiconductor layer structure to be determined and recognized as a pass / fail semiconductor layer structure by current application is irradiated with a second inspection light at a second irradiation intensity. Here, the second reference intensity is, for example, a peak value of emission intensity calculated based on the highest brightness in the image, an average value of emission intensity calculated based on the average brightness in the image, or the like. The second reference intensity may include both the peak value of emission intensity and the average value of emission intensity calculated based on the average brightness in the image. Here, the reference semiconductor layer structure refers to a semiconductor layer structure that has been determined to be non-defective by applying a current in a conventional semiconductor layer structure inspection. As will be explained later, this reference semiconductor layer structure is one that has been inspected by applying a current and determined to be non-defective, but it is also possible to prepare a reference semiconductor layer structure in advance, and more specifically, to prepare a purchased reference semiconductor layer structure that has been determined to be non-defective. Furthermore, the second determination step S523 of the secondary determination step S520 preferably includes determining, as a defective product, a light-emitting portion in which light emission of a third reference intensity greater than the second reference intensity is confirmed in the second fluorescent image. This makes it possible to determine, as a defective product, not only light-emitting portions with weak light emission intensity but also semiconductor layer structures including strong light-emitting portions that emit abnormally strong light. A strong light-emitting portion refers to a light-emitting portion that can be observed by irradiating excitation light onto a defective portion of a semiconductor, such as a so-called pit structure.

[0022] In the first determination step S513 of the primary determination step S510, the pass / fail determination may be made by comparing a first fluorescence image of the semiconductor layer structure to be inspected with a first reference fluorescence image obtained when a reference semiconductor layer structure judged to be pass-through is irradiated with the same light as the first inspection light at a first irradiation intensity. Furthermore, in the second determination step S523 of the secondary determination step S520, the pass / fail determination may be made by comparing a second fluorescence image of the semiconductor layer structure to be inspected with a second reference fluorescence image obtained when a reference semiconductor layer structure judged to be pass-through is irradiated with the same light as the second inspection light at a second irradiation intensity. This allows for efficient inspection of semiconductor layer structures with high inspection quality.

[0023] The first reference fluorescent image may be an image obtained when light identical to the first inspection light is irradiated simultaneously onto multiple reference semiconductor layer structures that have been determined to be good products. By using the first reference fluorescent image that includes images of multiple reference semiconductor layer structures, it is possible to efficiently determine the quality of the multiple semiconductor layer structures collectively by comparing it with a fluorescent image that includes images of the multiple semiconductor layer structures that are being inspected, for example. Furthermore, the second reference fluorescence image may be an image obtained when the same light as the second inspection light is irradiated simultaneously on a plurality of reference semiconductor layer structures that have been determined to be good products. By using the second reference fluorescence image that includes images of a plurality of reference semiconductor layer structures, it is possible to efficiently determine the pass / fail status of the plurality of semiconductor layer structures collectively by comparing it with, for example, a fluorescence image that includes images of the plurality of semiconductor layer structures that are the subject of inspection.

[0024] Here, the first reference fluorescent image and the second reference fluorescent image, which include images obtained when irradiating a plurality of reference semiconductor layer structures at once, and the first fluorescent image and the second fluorescent image, which include images obtained when irradiating a plurality of reference semiconductor layer structures that are the inspection target at once, are images obtained by irradiating inspection light onto the entire wafer on which a plurality of reference semiconductor layer structures are formed, for example. In addition, the tertiary judgment step judges as good products those that are judged as good products in the primary judgment step and also judged as good products in the secondary judgment step as good products. Products that are judged as defective products in either the primary judgment step or the secondary judgment step are judged as defective products in the tertiary judgment step.

[0025] The inspection method of the first embodiment according to the present disclosure described above irradiates inspection light of different irradiation intensities in the primary judgment step S510 and the secondary judgment step S520, and judges the quality of the light-emitting part based on the fluorescent images obtained by each irradiation, thereby providing an inspection method for semiconductor layer structures that enables efficient inspection and high inspection quality.

[0026] 3 is a flowchart of another inspection method according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The primary determination step and the secondary determination step may be performed first, as shown in FIG. 1, and then the secondary determination step, or may be performed first, as shown in FIG. 3, and then the primary determination step.

[0027] In the inspection method of the first embodiment of the present disclosure described above, the first and second fluorescent images obtained when multiple reference semiconductor layer structures to be inspected are irradiated simultaneously with the first and second reference fluorescent images obtained when multiple reference semiconductor layer structures are irradiated simultaneously are compared to determine whether the structures are pass or fail. This makes it possible to collectively determine whether multiple semiconductor layer structures formed on a single wafer are pass or fail, for example, and allows for more efficient pass / fail determination.

[0028] Next, an inspection device according to the first embodiment that implements the inspection method according to the first embodiment will be described. The inspection device of embodiment 1 is an inspection device 100 that irradiates inspection light onto a semiconductor layer structure having a plurality of light-emitting units, each including a light-emitting layer, to determine whether the light-emitting units are good or bad. The inspection device includes: an irradiation unit 112 that irradiates the semiconductor layer structure with inspection light having an adjustable irradiation intensity; an irradiation control unit 124 that controls the irradiation unit 112 so that the semiconductor layer structure is irradiated with first inspection light having a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light-emitting layer at a first irradiation intensity, and so that the semiconductor layer structure is irradiated with second inspection light having a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light-emitting layer at a second irradiation intensity that is lower than the first irradiation intensity; an image acquisition unit 111 that acquires a first fluorescence image of the semiconductor layer structure obtained by irradiating it with the first inspection light, and acquires a second fluorescence image of the semiconductor layer structure obtained by irradiating it with the second inspection light; and a determination unit 121 that determines whether each light-emitting unit is good or bad based on the first fluorescence image and the second fluorescence image. Here, the irradiation unit 112 may be capable of adjusting the wavelength of the inspection light in addition to the irradiation intensity.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the inspection device 100, which includes an inspection unit 110 including an irradiation unit 112 and an image acquisition unit 111, a control unit 120 including an irradiation control unit 124 and a determination unit 121, and an output unit 130. A more specific explanation will be given below.

[0030] The inspection unit 110 includes, in addition to the irradiation unit 112 and the image acquisition unit 111, a support unit 113 on which the inspection sample is placed, for example. The irradiation unit 112 includes, for example, one or more light sources that irradiate the semiconductor layer structure to be inspected with inspection light. The light source can be, for example, a light-emitting diode, a laser diode, an excimer light source, or the like that irradiates the entire semiconductor layer structure placed on the support unit 113 with light having a certain degree of spread. For example, when the light emitted by the light-emitting layer is visible light, the light from the light source can be light having an emission peak wavelength of 405 nm, which is close to the wavelength of visible light. When two or more irradiation units 112 are provided, they may be provided at different positions. The irradiation units 112 may include a plurality of light sources that switch between emitting the first inspection light and the second inspection light, and irradiate the semiconductor layer structure, which is the irradiation target, with the first inspection light or the second inspection light from different directions. Furthermore, the first inspection light and the second inspection light may be light of the same wavelength.

[0031] The image acquisition unit 111 is, for example, a camera provided opposite the support unit 113. The image acquisition unit 111 can acquire (capture) a first fluorescent image formed on the surface of the semiconductor layer structure by the emission of light from the light-emitting unit excited by the irradiation of the first inspection light, and a second fluorescent image formed on the surface of the semiconductor layer structure by the emission of light from the light-emitting unit excited by the irradiation of the second inspection light.

[0032] 2 illustrates a wafer 115 having a plurality of semiconductor layer structures as the inspection object. When the inspection object is the wafer 115, for example, the light source of the irradiation unit 112 is arranged to irradiate the entire wafer 115 with light, and irradiates the plurality of semiconductor layer structures with inspection light all at once. This allows the image acquisition unit 111 to acquire a first fluorescence image or a second fluorescence image from the plurality of semiconductor layer structures.

[0033] The control unit 120 includes, in addition to an irradiation control unit 124 and a determination unit 121, an image acquisition control unit 122 and a storage unit 123, for example. The irradiation control unit 124 controls one or more of the light emission intensity of the light source, the distance between the light source and the semiconductor layer structure to be irradiated, the light distribution characteristics of light emitted from the light source, the emission angle with respect to the surface of the semiconductor layer structure, etc., to cause the irradiation unit 112 to emit inspection light (first or second inspection light) so that the semiconductor layer structure is irradiated with the inspection light (first or second inspection light) at a predetermined irradiation intensity (first or second irradiation intensity). Furthermore, when the inspection object is a wafer 115, for example, the irradiation control unit 124 controls the irradiation unit 112 so that the entire surface of the wafer 115 is irradiated with the inspection light (first or second inspection light) at the predetermined irradiation intensity (first or second irradiation intensity) and with reduced irradiation unevenness. It goes without saying that the irradiation control unit 124 controls the irradiation of the first inspection light and the second inspection light at different times, rather than simultaneously. It is preferable to control the irradiation of the first inspection light or the second inspection light so that they are irradiated at a predetermined interval, taking into account the fluorescent characteristics of the light-emitting portion of the semiconductor layer structure. For example, if the first inspection light is irradiated first, it is preferable to irradiate the second inspection light after the fluorescence from the first inspection light has weakened to a certain extent, which enables high-quality inspection.

[0034] The image acquisition control unit 122 controls the timing at which the image acquisition unit 111 acquires an image, for example, the timing at which the camera shutter is released, based on the timing at which the irradiation control unit 124 causes the irradiation unit 112 to emit inspection light. Typically, the image acquisition unit 111 acquires an image several milliseconds (ms), that is, almost immediately after the inspection light is emitted. However, if there is a time difference between when the inspection light is irradiated onto the semiconductor layer structure and when the light emitting unit emits light, and when a stable, optimal image is formed on the surface of the semiconductor layer structure, the image acquisition control unit 122 controls the timing at which the image acquisition unit 111 acquires an image, taking these time differences into consideration.

[0035] The judgment unit 121 makes a primary judgment as to whether the semiconductor layer structure is good or bad based on the first fluorescent image, a secondary judgment as to whether the semiconductor layer structure is good or bad based on the second fluorescent image, and a tertiary judgment as to whether the semiconductor layer structure is good or bad based on the primary and secondary judgments. For example, the determination unit 121 determines as defective a light-emitting portion whose emission intensity is less than a first reference intensity in the first fluorescence image (primary determination), and determines as defective a light-emitting portion whose emission intensity is less than a second reference intensity in the second fluorescence image (secondary determination). The determination unit 121 preferably includes in the secondary determination a determination as defective a light-emitting portion in which emission of light of a third reference intensity or greater than the second reference intensity is confirmed in the second fluorescence image, thereby enabling determination as defective of a light-emitting portion that emits abnormal light. Then, the determination unit 121 performs a tertiary determination of the quality of the semiconductor layer structure based on the primary determination and the secondary determination, i.e., by determining as good a semiconductor layer structure that was determined to be good in both the primary determination and the secondary determination.

[0036] The first, second, and third reference intensities are stored in, for example, the storage unit 123, and the determination unit 121 determines whether the product is good or bad by comparing the emission intensities based on the first and second fluorescent light images with the first, second, and third reference intensities stored in the storage unit 123. Also, for example, the result of the primary determination can be temporarily stored in the storage unit 123, and after the secondary determination is completed, a tertiary determination can be made based on the results of the primary and second determinations.

[0037] The comparison of the luminescence intensity based on the first and second fluorescent images with the first reference intensity, the second reference intensity, the third reference intensity, etc. can be performed in various ways, for example, based on the brightness, contrast, etc. of the images. For example, the determination unit 121 determines whether a first fluorescence image of the semiconductor layer structure is good or bad by comparing the brightness, contrast, etc. of the image with a first reference fluorescence image obtained when a reference semiconductor layer structure determined to be good is irradiated with the same light as the first inspection light at a first irradiation intensity. Also, the determination unit 121 determines whether a second fluorescence image of the semiconductor layer structure is good or bad by comparing the brightness, contrast, etc. of the image with a second reference fluorescence image obtained when a reference semiconductor layer structure determined to be good is irradiated with the same light as the second inspection light at the second irradiation intensity.

[0038] The first and second fluorescent images may be images obtained, for example, by irradiating a plurality of semiconductor layer structures formed on a single wafer at the same time. In this case, the first reference fluorescent image may be an image obtained by irradiating a single reference semiconductor layer structure with light, but is preferably an image obtained by irradiating a plurality of reference semiconductor layer structures determined to be non-defective with the same light as the first inspection light at the same time. This allows, for example, a configuration in which the non-defectiveness of a plurality of semiconductor layer structures formed on a single wafer can be determined at the same time, thereby enabling more efficient pass / fail determination.

[0039] The output unit 130 outputs the result of the determination made by the determination unit 221. The output unit 130 is, for example, a display.

[0040] According to the inspection device of the first embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an inspection device for semiconductor layer structures that can perform inspection efficiently and with high inspection quality.

[0041] [Embodiment 2] An inspection method of a second embodiment according to the present disclosure is an inspection method for determining the quality of a semiconductor layer structure having a plurality of light-emitting portions including a light-emitting layer, and includes the steps of: preparing a database storing a correlation between a current value when determining the quality of the light-emitting portions by applying a current and an irradiation intensity when determining the quality of the light-emitting portions by irradiating them with inspection light having a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light-emitting portions; an irradiation intensity acquisition step of referring to the database to obtain a first irradiation intensity corresponding to the applied current value for which the quality is to be determined; an irradiation step of irradiating the semiconductor layer structure with the inspection light at the first irradiation intensity; and a determination step of determining the quality of the light-emitting portions based on a fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure obtained by the irradiation step. Here, the correlation between the current value when determining whether the light-emitting unit is good or bad and the irradiation intensity when determining whether the light-emitting unit is good or bad by irradiating it with inspection light refers to the current value and irradiation intensity at which the results of determining whether the light-emitting unit is good or bad by applying current match the results of determining whether the light-emitting unit is good or bad by irradiating it with inspection light.

[0042] The inspection method of the second embodiment described above judges the quality of the light-emitting portion based on a fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure, and therefore can judge the quality without applying a current, in other words, without using a probe for applying a current, thereby enabling efficient quality judgment. Furthermore, the inspection method of embodiment 2 determines whether the light-emitting unit is good or bad based on the correlation between the current value when determining whether the light-emitting unit is good or bad by applying a current, and the irradiation intensity when determining whether the light-emitting unit is good or bad by irradiating it with inspection light having a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light-emitting unit. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether the light-emitting unit is good or bad with the same detection accuracy as when applying a current. Each step of the inspection method according to the second embodiment will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. As described above, the inspection method of the second embodiment includes a database preparation step S610, an irradiation intensity acquisition step S620, an irradiation step S630, and a determination step S640, which are shown in the flowchart of Fig. 4. Fig. 5 is a flowchart of the database preparation step S610.

[0043] <Database preparation step S610> In the database preparation step S610, as described above, a database is prepared that stores the correlation between the current value when determining whether the light-emitting unit is good or bad by applying a current and the irradiation intensity when determining whether the light is good or bad by irradiating inspection light with a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light-emitting unit. The database preparation step S610 includes a type selection step S611, a current application measurement step S612, a photoexcitation measurement step S613, and a data storage step S614, all of which are shown in FIG.

[0044] First, in a type selection step S611, the semiconductor layer structure of the light emitting element to be inspected is selected. Next, in current application and measurement step S612, for example, a pass / fail judgment is made on the selected semiconductor layer structure when a current is applied. Also, a pass / fail judgment is made on multiple semiconductor layer structures provided on the wafer when a current is applied. When a pass / fail judgment is made on each of multiple semiconductor layer structures, a current is applied by moving the probe. For example, a constant current of 1 mA or less or 1 / 100 of the rated current set for each product type is passed through the semiconductor layer structure, and the voltage of each semiconductor layer structure is measured. Then, for example, a semiconductor layer structure that satisfies a threshold voltage (which may have a certain tolerance range) set for the selected semiconductor layer structure is judged to be a pass / fail product, and a semiconductor layer structure that is below the threshold voltage is judged to be a fail / fail product.

[0045] Next, in a photoexcitation measurement step S613, inspection light having a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light-emitting unit is irradiated at varying irradiation intensities onto the semiconductor layer structures determined to be good and the semiconductor layer structures determined to be defective in the current application measurement step S612. Then, the fluorescent light emitted at each irradiation intensity is confirmed, and (i) the irradiation intensities of the inspection light at which the semiconductor layer structures determined to be good by the current application measurement can be determined to be good and the semiconductor layer structures determined to be defective, and (ii) fluorescent images of the good products and the defective products at the irradiation intensities are obtained.

[0046] Furthermore, for example, when a pass / fail judgment is performed by applying a current to each of multiple semiconductor layer structures provided on a wafer, the optimum irradiation intensity of the inspection light for pass / fail judgment by light irradiation can be determined as follows. Specifically, the multiple semiconductor layer structures provided on the wafer for which a pass / fail judgment by current application has been performed are collectively irradiated with inspection light, and fluorescent images of the multiple semiconductor layer structures are collectively acquired. Then, the fluorescent images of each semiconductor layer structure in the collectively acquired images are matched with the pass / fail judgment for each semiconductor layer structure by applying a current based on the positional information of each semiconductor layer structure, and the irradiation intensity of the inspection light at which the pass / fail judgment by inspection light irradiation and the pass / fail judgment by current application match can be determined to be the irradiation intensity suitable for pass / fail judgment.

[0047] Then, in a data storage step S614, the following are stored in the database: the irradiation intensity when determining pass / fail by irradiating inspection light having a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light-emitting unit, which is correlated with the pass / fail determination of the light-emitting unit by current application, and the fluorescence image at that irradiation intensity; that is, (i) the irradiation intensity of the inspection light at which a semiconductor layer structure determined to be passable by current application measurement can be determined to be passable, and at which a semiconductor layer structure determined to be defective can be determined to be defective; and (ii) the fluorescence image of a pass / fail product and the fluorescence image of a defective product at that irradiation intensity. Here, the fluorescence image of a pass / fail product and the fluorescence image of a defective product in (ii) are reference fluorescence images used as the basis for pass / fail determination. The reference fluorescence image may also be an image obtained by collectively irradiating multiple reference semiconductor layer structures determined to be pass / fail by current application with the same light as the inspection light irradiated in the irradiation step.

[0048] Furthermore, in step S615, it is checked whether there are any other varieties to be put into a database, and if there are other varieties, steps S611 to S614 are repeated to put the other varieties into a database, and if there are no other varieties to be put into a database, preparation of the database is terminated.

[0049] <Irradiation Intensity Acquisition Step S620> In the irradiation intensity acquisition step S620, the database is referenced to acquire the irradiation intensity corresponding to the applied current value when determining whether the type of the semiconductor layer structure to be inspected is good or bad.

[0050] <Irradiation step S630> In the irradiating step S630, the inspection light is irradiated onto the semiconductor layer structure at an irradiation intensity.

[0051] <Decision Step S640> In the determination step S640, a fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure obtained by irradiating it with the inspection light is acquired, and the quality of the light-emitting portion is determined based on the acquired fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure while referring to the database. For example, in decision step S640, (i) a fluorescence image of the semiconductor layer structure; (ii) a reference fluorescent image obtained by irradiating a reference semiconductor layer structure determined to be a non-defective product by applying a current with the same light as the inspection light irradiated in the irradiation step; and The quality of the light emitting portion is determined by comparing the values. The database stores correlations between multiple current values ​​used to determine the quality of a semiconductor layer structure by applying a current and multiple irradiation intensities corresponding to the current values. The irradiation intensity acquisition step, irradiation step, and determination step may be performed at multiple irradiation intensities. For example, an irradiation step may be performed in which inspection light is irradiated onto the semiconductor layer structure at a second irradiation intensity lower than the first irradiation intensity, and a determination step may be performed in which the quality of the light-emitting portion is determined based on a fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure obtained by the irradiation step. Alternatively, an irradiation step may be performed in which inspection light is irradiated onto the semiconductor layer structure at a second irradiation intensity higher than the first irradiation intensity, and a determination step may be performed in which the quality of the light-emitting portion is determined based on a fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure obtained by the irradiation step.

[0052] According to the inspection method of the second embodiment described above, the quality of the light-emitting portion is judged based on a fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure. This makes it possible to judge the quality of the light-emitting portion without applying a current, in other words, without using a probe for applying a current, thereby enabling efficient quality judgment. Furthermore, according to the inspection method of embodiment 2, the pass / fail of the light-emitting unit is determined based on the correlation between the current value when determining the pass / fail of the light-emitting unit by applying a current and the irradiation intensity when determining the pass / fail of the light-emitting unit by irradiating it with inspection light having a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light-emitting unit, so that the pass / fail of the light-emitting unit can be determined with the same detection accuracy as when applying a current.

[0053] Next, an inspection device for carrying out the inspection method of the second embodiment will be described.

[0054] The inspection device of this embodiment 2 is An inspection apparatus 200 for determining whether a semiconductor layer structure having a plurality of light-emitting portions including a light-emitting layer is acceptable or not, a database 240 storing a correlation between a current value when determining the quality of a light-emitting portion by applying a current and an irradiation intensity when determining the quality of a light-emitting portion by irradiating the light with an inspection light having a wavelength shorter than that of the light emitted by the light-emitting layer; an irradiation unit 112 that irradiates the semiconductor layer structure with inspection light; an irradiation control unit 224 that refers to the database to obtain an irradiation intensity corresponding to an applied current value for which pass / fail judgment is to be made, controls the emission intensity of the inspection light so that the semiconductor layer structure is irradiated with the inspection light of the obtained irradiation intensity, and causes the irradiation unit to irradiate the semiconductor layer structure with the inspection light; an image acquisition unit 111 for acquiring a fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure by irradiating it with inspection light; a determination unit 221 that determines whether the semiconductor layer structure is good or bad based on the acquired fluorescent image and outputs the determination result as a determination result of the semiconductor layer structure at the applied current value; Includes.

[0055] The inspection device of the second embodiment will be described in detail below. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of inspection device 200, which includes inspection section 110, control section 220, database 240, and output section . Here, the inspection unit and the output unit are configured in the same manner as the inspection unit 110 and the output unit 130 of the inspection device 100 of the first embodiment, and are indicated in Fig. 6 by the same reference numerals as in Fig. 2. Also in Fig. 6, a wafer 115 provided with a plurality of semiconductor layer structures is illustrated as an inspection target.

[0056] The database 240 stores reference fluorescent images obtained when a reference semiconductor layer structure that has been determined to be non-defective by applying a current is irradiated with the same light as the inspection light irradiated by the irradiating unit 112 . In database 240, for each product type, the current value used to determine the quality of the light-emitting part by applying a current, and the irradiation intensity used to determine the quality of the part by irradiating it with inspection light having a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light-emitting part, which results in a quality determination that matches the quality determination using that current value, are stored together with a reference fluorescent image. Furthermore, in the case where the reference fluorescence image is an image including fluorescence images of a plurality of semiconductor layer structures provided on a wafer, database 240 stores, for each product type, the current value used to determine the pass / fail of the light-emitting section by applying a current, the irradiation intensity used to determine the pass / fail of the light-emitting section by irradiating it with inspection light having a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light-emitting section, which results in agreement with the pass / fail determination based on that current value, the reference fluorescence image, as well as positional information of each semiconductor layer structure on the wafer.

[0057] As described above, the inspection unit 110 is configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

[0058] The control unit 220 includes an irradiation control unit 224 , a determination unit 221 , and an image acquisition control unit 222 . The irradiation control unit 224 acquires from the database 240 the irradiation intensity of the inspection light to be irradiated onto the type of semiconductor layer structure (light-emitting element) to be inspected, and controls the irradiation unit 112 so that the inspection light is irradiated onto the semiconductor layer structure at the acquired irradiation intensity. For example, the irradiation control unit 224 controls one or more of the light emission intensity of the light source, the distance between the light source and the semiconductor layer structure to be inspected, the light distribution characteristics of the light emitted from the light source, the emission angle with respect to the surface of the semiconductor layer structure, etc., to cause the irradiation unit 112 to emit the inspection light so that the semiconductor layer structure is irradiated with the inspection light at a predetermined irradiation intensity. Furthermore, when the inspection object is a wafer 115, for example, the irradiation control unit 112 controls the irradiation unit 112 so that the inspection light is irradiated onto the entire surface of the wafer 115 at a predetermined irradiation intensity with reduced irradiation unevenness.

[0059] The image acquisition control unit 222 controls the image acquisition timing of the image acquisition unit 111, for example, the timing of releasing the camera shutter, based on the timing when the irradiation control unit 224 causes the irradiation unit 112 to emit inspection light. Normally, the image acquisition unit 111 acquires an image several milliseconds (ms), that is, almost immediately after the inspection light is emitted. However, if there is a time difference between when the inspection light is irradiated onto the semiconductor laminate structure and when the light emitting unit emits light, and when a stable, optimal image is formed on the surface of the semiconductor laminate structure, the image acquisition timing of the image acquisition unit 111 is controlled taking these time differences into consideration.

[0060] The determination unit 221 determines whether the semiconductor layer structure is good or bad based on the fluorescence image acquired by the image acquisition control unit 222. For example, the determination unit 221 determines whether the semiconductor layer structure is good or bad by comparing the fluorescence image of the semiconductor layer structure obtained by irradiating inspection light by the irradiation unit 112 with a reference fluorescence image stored in the database 240.

[0061] The comparison of the fluorescent image with the reference fluorescent image in the pass / fail judgment can be performed in various ways. For example, the brightness and contrast of the image in the fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure are compared with the brightness and contrast of the image in the reference fluorescent image, and if the difference in brightness and contrast is within a predetermined range, the product is judged to be passable, and if the brightness, etc. in the fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure is lower than the predetermined range, the product is judged to be defective. Furthermore, the judgment unit 221 may be configured to judge the product as passable if the emission intensity calculated based on the brightness, etc. of the fluorescent image is greater than a first reference intensity calculated based on the brightness, etc. of the reference fluorescent image, and to judge the product as defective if it is lower.

[0062] The fluorescent image may be, for example, an image obtained when multiple semiconductor layer structures provided on a single wafer are irradiated simultaneously. In this case, the reference fluorescent image may be an image obtained when a single reference semiconductor layer structure is irradiated simultaneously with light identical to the inspection light, but is preferably an image obtained when multiple reference semiconductor layer structures that have been determined to be good products are irradiated simultaneously with light identical to the inspection light.

[0063] In the inspection device 200 of the second embodiment configured as described above, the database stores correlations between a plurality of current values ​​when determining the quality of a semiconductor layer structure by applying a current and a plurality of irradiation intensities corresponding to the respective current values. Then, the determination unit 221 can determine the quality of the semiconductor layer structure at a plurality of current values. In the inspection device 200, for example, the irradiation control unit 224 controls the irradiation unit 112 to irradiate the inspection light at the acquired irradiation intensity onto multiple semiconductor layer structures at once, and the irradiation unit 112 irradiates the inspection light at the acquired irradiation intensity onto multiple semiconductor layer structures at once. The image acquisition unit 111 acquires a fluorescent image containing a plurality of fluorescent lights emitted by the plurality of semiconductor layer structures by simultaneous irradiation with the inspection light. Then, the determining unit 221 determines whether the plurality of semiconductor layer structures are good or bad based on the fluorescent light image containing the plurality of fluorescent lights.

[0064] In the inspection device 200, when inspection light is irradiated simultaneously onto a plurality of semiconductor layer structures to obtain a fluorescence image containing a plurality of fluorescence, it is preferable that the judgment unit 221 judges the quality of the plurality of semiconductor layer structures by comparing the fluorescence image with a reference fluorescence image containing fluorescence emitted from a plurality of reference semiconductor layer structures obtained when the same light as the inspection light is irradiated simultaneously onto a plurality of reference semiconductor layer structures that have been judged to be good by applying a current. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 100, 200 inspection equipment 110 Inspection Department 111 Image acquisition unit 112 Irradiation unit 113 Support part 115 wafers 120, 220 control section 121, 221 Judgment section 122, 222 Image acquisition control unit 123 Storage section 124, 224 Irradiation control unit 130 Output section 240 databases

Claims

1. An inspection method for determining whether a semiconductor layer structure having a plurality of light emitting portions including a light emitting layer is acceptable or not, comprising: a primary determination step of irradiating the semiconductor layer structure with first inspection light having a shorter wavelength than light emitted by the light emitting layer at a first irradiation intensity, and performing a primary determination of the quality of the light emitting portion based on a first fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure obtained by irradiating the semiconductor layer structure with the first inspection light; a secondary determination step of irradiating the semiconductor layer structure with second inspection light having a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light emitting layer at a second irradiation intensity lower than the first irradiation intensity, and secondarily determining whether the light emitting portion is good or bad based on a second fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure obtained by irradiating the semiconductor layer structure with the second inspection light; a tertiary judgment step of judging whether each light-emitting unit is good or bad based on the primary judgment and the secondary judgment; A method for inspecting a semiconductor layer structure, comprising:

2. the primary determination step includes determining, as a defective product, a light-emitting portion whose light emission in the first fluorescent image is smaller than a first reference intensity; 2. The semiconductor layer structure inspection method according to claim 1, wherein the secondary judgment in the secondary judgment step includes judging a light-emitting portion whose emission in the second fluorescent image is less than a second reference intensity different from the first reference intensity as a defective product.

3. 3. The semiconductor layer structure inspection method according to claim 2, wherein the secondary judgment in the secondary judgment step includes judging a light-emitting portion in which light emission equal to or greater than a third reference intensity greater than the second reference intensity is confirmed in the second fluorescent image to be defective.

4. In the primary determination step, (i) the first fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure; (ii) a first reference fluorescent image obtained when a reference semiconductor layer structure determined to be a non-defective product is irradiated with the same light as the first inspection light at the first irradiation intensity; and By comparing the In the secondary determination step, (i) the second fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure; and (ii) a second reference fluorescent image obtained when the reference semiconductor layer structure determined to be a non-defective product is irradiated with the same light as the second inspection light at the second irradiation intensity; and The pass / fail is judged by comparing the 4. The method for inspecting a semiconductor layer structure according to claim 1.

5. the first reference fluorescent image is an image obtained when a plurality of reference semiconductor layer structures determined to be non-defective are collectively irradiated with the same light as the first inspection light; 5. The method for inspecting a semiconductor layer structure according to claim 4.

6. An inspection apparatus for irradiating an inspection light onto a semiconductor layer structure including a plurality of light emitting portions each including a light emitting layer to determine whether the light emitting portions are good or bad, an irradiation unit that irradiates the semiconductor layer structure with inspection light having an adjustable irradiation intensity; an irradiation control unit that controls the irradiation unit so that first inspection light having a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light emitting layer is irradiated onto the semiconductor layer structure at a first irradiation intensity, and controls the irradiation unit so that second inspection light having a shorter wavelength than the light emitted by the light emitting layer is irradiated onto the semiconductor layer structure at a second irradiation intensity lower than the first irradiation intensity; an image acquisition unit that acquires a first fluorescence image of the semiconductor layer structure obtained by irradiating the semiconductor layer structure with the first inspection light and acquires a second fluorescence image of the semiconductor layer structure obtained by irradiating the semiconductor layer structure with the second inspection light; a determination unit that determines whether each light-emitting unit is good or bad based on the first fluorescent image and the second fluorescent image; 1. An inspection apparatus for a semiconductor layer structure comprising:

7. the determining unit determines that a light-emitting portion in the first fluorescent image whose light emission intensity is smaller than a first reference intensity is a defective product; The semiconductor layer structure inspection device according to claim 6 , further comprising determining that a light-emitting portion in the second fluorescent image whose light emission intensity is smaller than a second reference intensity is a defective product.

8. The semiconductor layer structure inspection device according to claim 7 , further comprising determining, as a defective product, a light-emitting portion in which light emission of a third reference intensity or more greater than the second reference intensity is confirmed in the second fluorescent image.

9. The determination unit a first fluorescence image of the semiconductor layer structure; a first reference fluorescent image obtained when a reference semiconductor layer structure determined to be a non-defective product is irradiated with the same light as the first inspection light at the first irradiation intensity; By comparing the a second fluorescence image of the semiconductor layer structure; and a second reference fluorescent image obtained when a reference semiconductor layer structure determined to be a non-defective product is irradiated with the same light as the second inspection light at the second irradiation intensity; and The pass / fail is judged by comparing the 9. The semiconductor layer structure inspection device according to claim 6.

10. the first reference fluorescent image is an image obtained when a plurality of reference semiconductor layer structures determined to be non-defective are collectively irradiated with the same light as the first inspection light; 10. An inspection device for a semiconductor layer structure according to claim 9.

11. the irradiation unit includes a plurality of light sources provided at different positions and each of which switches between emitting the first inspection light and the second inspection light, and irradiates the semiconductor layer structure that is the irradiation target with the first inspection light or the second inspection light from different directions; 11. An inspection device for a semiconductor layer structure according to claim 6.

12. the first inspection light and the second inspection light have the same wavelength; 12. An inspection device for a semiconductor layer structure according to claim 6.

13. An inspection method for determining whether a semiconductor layer structure having a plurality of light emitting portions including a light emitting layer is acceptable or not, comprising: preparing a database storing a correlation between a current value when determining whether the light-emitting unit is good or bad by applying a current and an irradiation intensity when determining whether the light-emitting unit is good or bad by irradiating the light with an inspection light having a wavelength shorter than that of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit; an irradiation intensity acquisition step of acquiring a first irradiation intensity corresponding to an applied current value for which pass / fail judgment is to be made by referring to the database; an irradiation step of irradiating the semiconductor layer structure with the inspection light at the first irradiation intensity; a determining step of determining whether the light-emitting portion is good or bad based on a fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure obtained by the irradiating step; Including, A method for inspecting semiconductor layer structures.

14. In the determining step, (i) the fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure; and (ii) a reference fluorescent image obtained by irradiating a reference semiconductor layer structure determined to be a non-defective product by applying a current with the same light as the inspection light irradiated in the irradiation step; and and determining whether the light-emitting unit is good or bad by comparing the results.

14. The method for inspecting a semiconductor layer structure according to claim 13.

15. The irradiation intensity acquisition step, the irradiation step, and the determination step are performed at a plurality of irradiation intensities.

15. The method for inspecting a semiconductor layer structure according to claim 13 or 14.

16. the reference fluorescent image is an image obtained when a plurality of reference semiconductor layer structures determined to be non-defective by current application are collectively irradiated with the same light as the inspection light irradiated in the irradiation step.

15. The method for inspecting a semiconductor layer structure according to claim 14.

17. An inspection device for determining whether a semiconductor layer structure having a plurality of light-emitting portions including a light-emitting layer is good or bad, a database storing a correlation between a current value when determining the quality of a light-emitting portion by applying a current and an irradiation intensity when determining the quality of a light-emitting portion by irradiating the light with an inspection light having a wavelength shorter than that of the light emitted by the light-emitting layer; an irradiation unit that irradiates the semiconductor layer structure with the inspection light; an irradiation control unit that refers to the database to obtain an irradiation intensity corresponding to an applied current value for which pass / fail judgment is to be made, controls the emission intensity of inspection light so that inspection light of the obtained irradiation intensity is irradiated onto the semiconductor layer structure, and causes the irradiation unit to irradiate the inspection light onto the semiconductor layer structure; an image acquisition unit that acquires a fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure by irradiating the inspection light; a determination unit that determines whether the semiconductor layer structure is good or bad based on the acquired fluorescent image and outputs a determination result of the semiconductor layer structure at the applied current value; Including, Semiconductor layer structure inspection equipment.

18. The database stores a reference fluorescent image obtained by irradiating a reference semiconductor layer structure determined to be a non-defective product with the same light as the inspection light irradiated by the irradiation unit by applying a current, 18. The semiconductor layer structure inspection device according to claim 17, wherein the determining unit determines whether the semiconductor layer structure is good or bad by comparing the fluorescent image of the semiconductor layer structure with the reference fluorescent image.

19. the determination unit outputs a determination result of the semiconductor layer structure at the plurality of current values.

19. An inspection device for a semiconductor layer structure according to claim 17 or 18.

20. the irradiation unit irradiates the inspection light at the acquired irradiation intensity onto the plurality of semiconductor layer structures at once; the image acquisition unit acquires a fluorescent image including a plurality of fluorescent lights emitted from the plurality of semiconductor layer structures by simultaneous irradiation with the inspection light, the determining unit determines whether the plurality of semiconductor layer structures are good or bad based on a fluorescent light image containing the plurality of fluorescent lights. An inspection device for a semiconductor layer structure according to any one of claims 17 to 19.

21. In the determination unit, a fluorescence image including the plurality of fluorescences; a reference fluorescent image including fluorescence emitted from a plurality of reference semiconductor layer structures determined to be non-defective by current application when the same light as the inspection light irradiated from the irradiation unit is irradiated collectively onto the plurality of reference semiconductor layer structures; and and determining whether the plurality of semiconductor layer structures are good or bad by comparing the results of the tests.

21. An apparatus for inspecting a semiconductor layer structure according to claim 20.

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