Light-emitting element and production method

Abstract

[Problem] To improve the degree of freedom with which a lens can be formed. [Solution] A light-emitting element according to the present invention comprises a substrate that has a first principal surface that is on a light emission surface side and a second principal surface that is on the reverse side from the first principal surface, a light-emitting layer that is on the first principal surface side of the substrate, a light-blocking member that is further to the light emission surface side than the light-emitting layer, blocks exposure light that enters from the light emission surface side, and has an opening, a first reflection member that is at the opening in the light-blocking member, and a second reflection member that is on the second principal surface side of the substrate and has a concave surface that causes light emitted at the light-emitting layer to resonate between the first reflection member and the second reflection member. The light-blocking member has a plurality of light-blocking bodies that are provided within a plane so as to be separated from each other.

Description

Light-emitting device and manufacturing method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to light emitting devices and methods of manufacture.

[0002] In semiconductor light-emitting devices such as VCSELs (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers), development is underway to develop light-emitting devices with a concave mirror on one side as a way to eliminate diffraction loss due to lateral optical field confinement. In such light-emitting devices, the centers of gravity of the current injection region and the concave mirror must be precisely aligned to ensure that light emitted from the current injection region is accurately incident on the lens. To address this issue, a method has been proposed in which a photosensitive material on the backside of a substrate is patterned using exposure light from the substrate surface and a light-shielding material provided on the substrate surface, and the patterned photosensitive material is then transferred to the substrate to form a lens (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] International Publication No. WO 2022 / 254770 International Publication No. WO 2023 / 145271

[0004] In the above-described method, a cylindrically patterned photosensitive member is transformed into a spherical shape by thermal reflow. Furthermore, to obtain the desired laser beam, it is necessary to control the ROC (radius of curvature) of the lens. The radius of curvature of the lens can be controlled by factors such as the film thickness of the photosensitive member. However, if the film thickness of the photosensitive member is thin, it may be impossible to form a spherical lens with a large diameter using thermal reflow. Thus, the above-described conventional method imposes limitations on the degree of freedom in lens formation, such as the limit on the diameter of the lens that can be formed depending on the film thickness of the photosensitive member.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a light-emitting element and a manufacturing method that can improve the degree of freedom in lens formation.

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the present disclosure, there is provided a light-emitting element comprising: a substrate having a first main surface arranged on the light emission surface side and a second main surface arranged on the opposite side of the first main surface; a light-emitting layer arranged on the first main surface side of the substrate; a light-shielding member arranged on the light emission surface side of the light-emitting layer, blocking exposure light incident from the light emission surface side and having an opening; a first reflecting member arranged in the opening of the light-shielding member; and a second reflecting member arranged on the second main surface side of the substrate, having a concave surface that causes light emitted from the light-emitting layer to resonate between the first reflecting member and the second reflecting member, wherein the light-shielding member has a plurality of light-shielding bodies arranged separately within its surface.

[0007] The plurality of light shielding bodies may be arranged separately from each other along a first direction and a second direction that intersect with each other in a plane, and the areas of the plurality of light shielding bodies may become smaller and the spacing between adjacent light shielding bodies may become wider as they move away from the opening.

[0008] The plurality of light shielding bodies may be arranged separately from each other along a first direction and a second direction that intersect with each other in a plane, and the areas of the plurality of light shielding bodies may become larger and the spacing between adjacent light shielding bodies may become narrower as they move away from the opening.

[0009] The plurality of light blocking bodies may have the same similar shape.

[0010] The plurality of light blocking bodies may include two or more types of similar shapes.

[0011] The plurality of light shielding bodies may have the same shape and size, and may extend radially from the opening as a center, with the distance between two circumferentially adjacent light shielding bodies increasing as the distance from the opening increases.

[0012] The light emitting layer may be disposed so that a light emitting position of the light emitting layer, a center of gravity of the second reflecting member, and a center of gravity of the light blocking member overlap with each other in a plan view.

[0013] The light-shielding member may be arranged such that the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer and the center of gravity of the second reflecting member overlap when viewed in a plane, and the center of gravity of the light-shielding member may be arranged so as to be shifted from the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer and the center of gravity of the second reflecting member when viewed in a plane.

[0014] The first reflecting member may be disposed so as to cover the entire surface of the light blocking member on the light exit surface side in a plan view.

[0015] The present disclosure also provides a light-emitting element comprising: a substrate having a first main surface disposed on the light emitting surface side and a second main surface disposed on the opposite side of the first main surface; a light-emitting layer disposed on the first main surface side of the substrate; a first reflecting member disposed on the light emitting surface side of the light-emitting layer and blocking exposure light; and a second reflecting member disposed on the second main surface side of the substrate and causing light emitted from the light-emitting layer to resonate between the first reflecting member and the second reflecting member, wherein the second reflecting member has an outer shape that follows the outer diameter shape of the first reflecting member.

[0016] The first reflecting member may have a plurality of reflectors arranged separately within a plane.

[0017] The plurality of reflectors may be arranged separately from each other along a first direction and a second direction that intersect with each other in a plane, and the areas of the plurality of reflectors may become smaller and the intervals between adjacent reflectors may become wider as they move away from a central position.

[0018] The first reflecting member may have a partially curved body of integral construction arranged in a plane.

[0019] The light-shielding element may further include a ring-shaped electrode that is disposed so as to surround the light-shielding member and that applies a current to the light-emitting layer.

[0020] A conductive member may be provided to electrically connect the electrode and the light blocking member.

[0021] The light emitting device may include: a plurality of light emitting sections each having the light emitting layer, the light blocking member, the first reflecting member, and the second reflecting member; and a ring-shaped electrode arranged to surround the plurality of light blocking members.

[0022] The light-shielding element may further include a conductive member that electrically connects the electrode and the plurality of light-shielding elements.

[0023] The light-emitting element may comprise a plurality of light-emitting units each having the light-emitting layer, the light-shielding member, the first reflecting member, and the second reflecting member, and arranged in a first direction and a second direction that intersect with each other; and a plurality of electrodes each including two or more of the light-emitting units arranged in the first direction, and arranged for each of a plurality of groups of light-emitting units arranged in the second direction, wherein two of the electrodes are arranged on both ends of each of the plurality of groups of light-emitting units in the first direction, and the two electrodes may be electrically connected to two or more conductive members in the corresponding groups of light-emitting units.

[0024] Further, according to the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes the steps of: forming a light-emitting layer on a first main surface side of a substrate having a first main surface disposed on a light-emitting surface side and a second main surface disposed on an opposite side to the first main surface; forming, on the light-emitting surface side of the light-emitting layer, a first light-shielding member that blocks exposure light and has an opening, or forming a second light-shielding member that functions as a first reflecting member that blocks exposure light and transmits a portion of light emitted by the light-emitting layer; if the first light-shielding member is formed, forming the first reflecting member that is disposed in the opening; irradiating exposure light from the light-emitting surface side using the first light-shielding member or the second light-shielding member as a mask, to form a transfer member having an outer shape that follows the outer shape of the first light-shielding member or the second light-shielding member on the second main surface side of the substrate; and removing a portion of the second main surface side of the substrate along the outer shape of the transfer member to form a second reflecting member that resonates light emitted by the light-emitting layer between the transfer member and the first reflecting member, In the step of forming the first light-shielding member or the second light-shielding member, the first light-shielding member or the second light-shielding member is formed to have a plurality of light-shielding bodies arranged separately within a plane, or the second light-shielding member is formed to have an integrally structured curved body arranged within a plane.

[0025] The transfer member may be formed by irradiating exposure light from the light-emitting surface side at an angle tilted from the normal direction of the first main surface according to the amount of deviation between the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer and the center of gravity position of the first reflecting member when viewed in a plane.

[0026] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of a light-emitting device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a first example of a light-emitting layer; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a second example of a light-emitting layer; FIG. 7 is a plan view of a light-emitting device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a light-shielding member according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 9 is a waveform diagram showing the relationship between the distance from the center of gravity of the light-shielding member of FIG. 3 and the aperture ratio of a region; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a lamination process and an insulation process of a light-emitting device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an electrode formation process of a light-emitting device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a process of forming a first reflecting member, bonding a support substrate, and thinning a substrate according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a backside exposure process and a process of removing an exposed region of a light-emitting device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a reflow process of a semi-light-shielding region and a light-shielding region according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing a lens shape formation process of a light-emitting device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a backside exposure process of a light-emitting device according to a comparative example; FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the outer shape of a photosensitive layer after processing when the thickness of the light-shielding region according to a comparative example is large. 17 is a diagram showing the outer shape of a photosensitive layer after processing when the thickness of a light-shielding region is small according to a comparative example. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of a light-emitting element according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 19 is a plan view of a light-emitting element according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 20 is an enlarged view of a light-shielding member and a first reflecting member according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 21 is a diagram showing the configuration of a light-shielding member according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 22 is a plan view of a light-emitting element according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 23 is an enlarged view of a light-shielding member according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 24 is a plan view of a light-emitting element according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 25 is an enlarged view of a light-shielding member according to the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 26 is a plan view of a light-emitting element according to a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 27 is an enlarged view of a light-shielding member according to the sixth embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 28 is a waveform diagram showing the relationship between the distance from the center of gravity of the light-shielding member of FIG. 17 and the aperture ratio of the region. FIG. 29 is a plan view of a light-emitting element according to a seventh embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view of a light-emitting element according to an eighth embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 29 is a plan view of a light-emitting element according to an eighth embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view of a light-emitting element according to an eighth embodiment of the present disclosure.26A and 26B are process cross-sectional views showing a process of forming a first reflecting member according to an eighth embodiment of the present disclosure; process cross-sectional views showing a backside exposure process and an exposed region removal process of a light-emitting element according to an eighth embodiment of the present disclosure; process cross-sectional views showing a reflow process of a semi-light-shielding region and a light-shielding region according to the eighth embodiment of the present disclosure; a plan view of a light-emitting element according to a ninth embodiment of the present disclosure; a process cross-sectional view showing a backside exposure process of a light-emitting element according to the ninth embodiment of the present disclosure; a plan view of a light-emitting element according to a tenth embodiment of the present disclosure; an enlarged view of a first reflecting member according to the tenth embodiment of the present disclosure; a waveform diagram showing the relationship between the distance from the center position of the first reflecting member of FIG. 26 and the aperture ratio of the region; a cross-sectional view of a light-emitting element according to an eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure; a plan view of a light-emitting element according to an eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure; a waveform diagram showing the reflectance distribution of the first reflecting member according to the eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure; a plan view of a light-emitting element according to a twelfth embodiment of the present disclosure; a plan view of a light-emitting element according to a thirteenth embodiment of the present disclosure; a plan view of a light-emitting element according to a fourteenth embodiment of the present disclosure; a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle control system; an explanatory diagram showing an example of installation positions of an outside vehicle information detection unit and an imaging unit;

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments of a light-emitting device and a manufacturing method thereof will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description will focus on the main components of the light-emitting device and the manufacturing method thereof, but the light-emitting device and the manufacturing method thereof may include components and functions that are not shown or described. The following description does not exclude components and functions that are not shown or described.

[0028] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a light-emitting element 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The light-emitting element 1 is, for example, a VCSEL element. The light-emitting element 1 in FIG. 1 includes a support substrate 2, a bonding layer 3, a first reflecting member (second light-shielding member) 4, a conductive layer 5, a light-emitting layer 9 having a current injection region 6, a substrate 7, a second reflecting member 8, a light-shielding member (first light-shielding member) 10, an insulating layer 11, and an electrode 12. The support substrate 2, the bonding layer 3, the first reflecting member 4, the conductive layer 5, the light-emitting layer 9, the substrate 7, and the second reflecting member 8 are stacked in this order.

[0029] The light-emitting element 1 emits emitted light (laser light) L1 through a support substrate 2. The light-emitting element 1 also has a concave second reflecting member 8 disposed on the opposite side of the support substrate 2. The second reflecting member 8 is formed by patterning using a photosensitive member. Exposure light L2 for patterning the photosensitive member is incident through the support substrate 2.

[0030] The support substrate 2 is made of, for example, sapphire. The support substrate 2 supports each layer of the light-emitting element 1. The upper surface of the support substrate 2 is the light-emitting surface and the incident surface of the exposure light L2. The support substrate 2 is a substrate that can transmit the emitted light L1 and the exposure light L2.

[0031] The support substrate 2 is bonded to the substrate 7 by the bonding layer 3. The bonding layer 3 is, for example, wax that is applied to the first reflecting member 4, the light blocking member 10, and the electrode 12.

[0032] The first reflecting member 4 reflects light that propagates in the emission direction of the emitted light L1, among the light emitted in the current injection region 6 of the light emitting layer 9. The first reflecting member 4 is a DBR (Distributed Bragg Reflector) in which high refractive index layers and low refractive index layers are alternately stacked over multiple layers. More specifically, the first reflecting member 4 is made of Ta ２ O ５ / SiO ２ , SiO ２ / SiN or SiO ２ / Nb ２ O ５ The first reflecting member 4 is a dielectric multilayer film having a layered structure including a p-side DBR. The first reflecting member 4 resonates light emitted from the current injection region 6 between itself and the second reflecting member 8, and transmits a portion of the resonated light.

[0033] The conductive layer 5 is made of a transparent conductive material such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), etc. The conductive layer 5 is used to electrically connect the electrode 12 to the current injection region 6.

[0034] The current injection region 6 is formed in a narrow region in a part of the light emitting layer 9, and generates light by injecting a current into the current injection region 6. The detailed configuration of the current injection region 6 will be described later.

[0035] The substrate 7 is made of, for example, an n-GaN substrate. The substrate 7 has a first main surface on which the light-emitting layer 9 is disposed and a second main surface on which the second reflecting member 8 is disposed. The second main surface of the substrate 7 also has a protrusion 7a disposed at a position corresponding to the current injection region 6. The second main surface of the substrate 7 may also have a protrusion 7b disposed in the same plane as the protrusion 7a. The protrusion 7b is disposed so as to surround the protrusion 7a. The protrusions 7a and 7b are approximately hemispherical members protruding toward the second main surface of the substrate 7.

[0036] The second reflecting member 8 reflects light generated in the light emitting layer 9 that propagates in the opposite direction to the emission direction of the emitted light L1. ２ O ５ / SiO ２ , SiO ２ / SiN or SiO ２ / Nb ２ O ５ The second reflecting member 8 is a dielectric DBR having a laminated structure such as the above. The second reflecting member 8 is also called an n-side DBR.

[0037] Boron (B++), chlorine, oxygen, or the like is injected into the region of the light-emitting layer 9 other than the current injection region 6 to increase its resistance. As a result, the current flowing through the light-emitting layer 9 is concentrated in the current injection region 6, and the current injection region 6 becomes the light-emitting point (light-emitting position). Cladding layers, which will be described later, may be disposed above and below the light-emitting layer 9, but are not shown in FIG. 1 .

[0038] The location and shape of the current injection region 6 are not limited to the location shown in FIG. 1 . Although modified examples of the current injection region 6 and the light emitting layer 9 will be described later, current confinement can also be achieved by arranging a buried tunnel junction layer in a layer different from the light emitting layer 9. In this case, the region of the light emitting layer 9 that overlaps with the buried tunnel junction layer in plan view becomes the current injection region. Alternatively, the substrate 7 may be oxidized from the outer periphery. In this case, the region that is not oxidized becomes the current injection region 6.

[0039] The light-shielding member 10 is disposed on, for example, the surface of the conductive layer 5. The light-shielding member 10 has a plurality of light-shielding bodies 13 disposed separately within the surface of the conductive layer 5. The plurality of light-shielding bodies 13 are used to pattern the photosensitive member by blocking the exposure light L2. The plurality of light-shielding bodies 13 may be electrically connected to the electrode 12, or may be in an indefinite (floating) state.

[0040] The light-shielding member 10 has an opening 14 where the light-shielding body 13 is not disposed. The opening 14 is disposed at a position corresponding to the current injection region 6. The first reflecting member 4 is also disposed in the opening 14. The opening 14 is used to emit the emitted light L1. The opening 14 is disposed at the center of gravity of the light-shielding member 10, for example.

[0041] The plurality of light blocking bodies 13 and the first reflecting member 4 are set so that the transmittance of the exposure light L2 is approximately 0%.

[0042] In the light-emitting element 1 according to the first embodiment, the center of gravity of the first reflecting member 4, the center of gravity of the second reflecting member 8, the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer 9, and the center of gravity of the light-blocking member 10 are all arranged to overlap in a plan view. Furthermore, these centers of gravity are arranged on the optical axis of the emitted light L1.

[0043] The insulating layer 11 is made of SiO ２ The insulating layer 11 is disposed on the first main surface side of the substrate 7.

[0044] The electrode 12 is one of the electrodes (for example, a p-type electrode) to which a voltage is applied to the light-emitting layer 9. In this specification, the electrode 12 may be referred to as a pad. Note that the other electrode (for example, an n-type electrode) to which a voltage is applied to the light-emitting layer 9 is not shown in FIG. 1. The electrode 12 is disposed so as to cover a portion of the conductive layer 5 and the insulating layer 11, and is electrically connected to the conductive layer 5.

[0045] The plurality of light shields 13 can be formed in the same process as the electrodes 12 and from the same conductive material.

[0046] FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view showing a first example of the light-emitting layer 9. The cross-sectional structure of FIG. 2A differs from that of FIG. 1 and is a cross-sectional view of a light-emitting element 100 according to a first reference example. In FIG. 2A, components common to those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals. The light-emitting element 100 in FIG. 2A has an electrode 12 and an electrode 21. The electrode 12 is one electrode (e.g., a p-type electrode) of the light-emitting element 100. The electrode 21 is the other electrode (e.g., an n-type electrode) of the light-emitting element 100. In the example of FIG. 2A, the electrode 21 is disposed on the first main surface A1 side of the substrate 7, but may also be disposed on the second main surface A2 side of the substrate 7.

[0047] 2A, a cladding layer 22, a light-emitting layer 9, and a cladding layer 23 are stacked in this order from the conductive layer 5 side between a conductive layer 5 and a substrate 7. A current injection region 6 into which boron or the like is not implanted is provided in the light-emitting layer 9 so as to be surrounded by a region that has been implanted with boron or the like to increase resistance.

[0048] The cladding layer 22 is, for example, a p-GaN cladding layer. The cladding layer 23 is, for example, an n-GaN cladding layer. The light-emitting layer 9 is a layer that generates light due to carrier recombination and is made of, for example, GaInN. The light-emitting layer 9 can have a multiple quantum well structure in which multiple quantum well layers and barrier layers are alternately stacked. The light-emitting layer 9 can also be any other layer that generates light due to carrier recombination.

[0049] In the light-emitting element 100, when a voltage is applied between the electrode (upper electrode) 12 and the electrode (lower electrode) 21, a current flows intensively in the current injection region 6. This current causes spontaneous emission of light in the light-emitting layer 9 near the current injection region 6. The spontaneous emission light contains various wavelength components, of which a component of a predetermined wavelength is resonated by the first reflecting member 4 and the second reflecting member 8 to form a standing wave, which is then amplified by the light-emitting layer 9. When the current flowing in the current injection region 6 exceeds a threshold value, the light forming the standing wave causes laser oscillation. The emitted light L1 thus generated passes through the first reflecting member 4 and is emitted from the light-emitting element 100.

[0050] Although the above description has been given of an example in which the light emitting element 1 is made of a GaN-based material, various III-V compound semiconductor materials such as GaAs and InP can also be used.

[0051] 2B is a cross-sectional view showing a second example of the light-emitting layer 9. FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of a light-emitting device 100a according to a second reference example. In FIG. 2B, components common to those in FIG. 2A are assigned the same reference numerals, and the following description will focus on the differences. In FIG. 2B, the current confinement portion 24 is provided in a layer separate from the light-emitting layer 9. In the light-emitting device 100a of FIG. 2B, a high-resistance region 25 in which boron or the like is implanted is provided in the cladding layer 22 so as to surround the current confinement portion 24. The region of the light-emitting layer 9 that overlaps with the current confinement portion 24 in a planar view becomes the current injection region 6.

[0052] The first reflecting member 4 and the second reflecting member 8 constitute a resonator 26. In this specification, the optical distance from the first reflecting member 4 to the second reflecting member 8 is referred to as the resonator length L OR In the light emitting device 1 using a GaN-based material, the cavity length L OR The cavity length L of the light emitting element 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is usually several times the wavelength of the emitted light L1. OR is, for example, 5 um or 10 um or more.

[0053] The second reflecting member 8 disposed on the convex portion 7 a constitutes a concave mirror 27. The concave mirror 27 confines an optical field in the plane direction to focus the reflected light onto the current injection region 6, thereby suppressing diffraction loss, which occurs when light emitted from the light-emitting layer 9 is diffracted and released outside the resonator 26.

[0054] As a comparative example, it is possible to use a planar second reflecting member. In this case, in order to focus the reflected light into the current injection region 6, it is necessary to control the distribution of the refractive index in the plane direction of the resonator 26, which complicates the design of the light-emitting element 1. The light-emitting element 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure does not require control of the distribution of the refractive index in the plane direction of the resonator 26, and the optical design can be simplified. In the light-emitting element 1 according to this embodiment, it is possible to use a resonator 26 having a refractive index distribution in the plane direction of 20% or less, 1% or less, 0.1% or less, or 0.01% or less in a region corresponding to 25% of the thickness of the resonator 26.

[0055] In order to obtain the above-mentioned effect of suppressing diffraction loss, the positional relationship between the center of gravity of the concave mirror 27, the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer 9, and the center of gravity of the first reflecting member 4 must be adjusted with high precision.

[0056] In order to suppress diffraction loss, it is desirable that the light reflected by the concave mirror 27 be collected at the position of the current injection region 6 or on the back side (light output surface side) of the current injection region 6. The radius of curvature R of the concave mirror 27 LENS is the resonator length L OR If the radius of curvature R is smaller than 1, the light reflected by the concave mirror 27 may be focused in front of the current injection region 6, causing diffraction loss. LENS is the resonator length L OR It is desirable that it is larger than

[0057] radius of curvature R DBR In the case of an ideal spherical surface, the diameter (lens diameter) D of the concave mirror 27 LENS , and the thickness T of the concave mirror 27 LENS In particular, the diameter D LENS If is fixed, the radius of curvature R LENS is the thickness T LENS The thickness T LENS The smaller the radius of curvature R DBR Since the resonator length L of the light-emitting element 1 becomes large, OR If you want to increase the thickness T LENS It is desirable to reduce the diameter D LENS Since affects the optical characteristics of the emitted light L1, it is desirable that it can be set arbitrarily.

[0058] However, the diameter D of the concave mirror 27 LENS , and thickness T LENS There are process limitations in setting the thickness T. Specifically, in the thermal reflow process described below, the concave mirror 27 is formed by utilizing the phenomenon in which the photosensitive material naturally forms a spherical shape due to surface tension (hereinafter also referred to as ball-up). To form a spherical shape, it is necessary to provide a sufficient thickness at the center of gravity of the sphere. However, the thickness T LENSIf the diameter D is small, the surface tension alone cannot provide a thickness at the center of gravity of the sphere, so the photosensitive material cannot be sufficiently balled up, and it becomes impossible to process it into the desired spherical shape, and as a result, it may not be possible to form the concave mirror 27. LENS When attempting to form a concave mirror 27 with a large diameter, part of the surface tension reduces the surface area of ​​the concave mirror 27 (i.e., the diameter D LENS Similarly, this may make it impossible to form the concave mirror 27. The light-emitting element 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is characterized by being able to solve this problem.

[0059] Fig. 3 is a plan view of the light-emitting element 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA' in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 illustrates a first reflecting member 4, a conductive layer 5, a light-shielding member 10, an insulating layer 11, and an electrode 12. The electrode 12 has a ring-shaped structure that is disposed so as to surround the conductive layer 5 and the light-shielding member 10.

[0060] The plurality of light blocking bodies 13 constituting the light blocking member 10 are arranged in a substantially annular shape so as to surround the opening 14. In Fig. 3, the diameter of the substantially annular region in which the plurality of light blocking bodies 13 are arranged is designated as Ds. The diameter Ds is the diameter D of the concave mirror 27 in Fig. 2A. LENS The diameter of the opening 14 is Dh. The opening 14 has a diameter D DBR In the light-emitting element 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the diameter Dh of the opening 14 and the diameter D of the first reflecting member 4 are DBR The diameter Ds is set to, for example, 20 μm. The diameters Dh and D DBR is set to, for example, 6 μm.

[0061] Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the light blocking member 10 of Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 4, the multiple light blocking bodies 13 are arranged to be separated from each other along a first direction X and a second direction Y that intersect with each other in the plane. The multiple light blocking bodies 13 are also arranged so that the areas of the multiple light blocking bodies 13 become smaller and the intervals between adjacent light blocking bodies 13 become wider as they move away from the opening 14.

[0062] In the example of FIG. 4 , the light-shielding member 10 is divided into a plurality of regions 30. The plurality of regions 30 are set to a size that matches the resolution of, for example, a stepper that emits the exposure light L2, and are, for example, square regions with sides of 1 μm. A light-shielding body 13, for example, having a square shape, is disposed in each of the plurality of regions 30. The light-shielding bodies 13 are disposed so that their areas become smaller with increasing distance from the opening 14, i.e., so that the aperture ratio of the region 30 to the exposure light increases. The smallest light-shielding body 13, disposed at the position farthest from the opening 14, has a side length of, for example, 0.4 μm. In this way, the light-shielding member 10 blocks more of the exposure light L2 closer to the opening 14 and transmits more of the exposure light L2 toward the outer periphery.

[0063] 5 is a waveform diagram showing the relationship between the distance from the center of gravity of the light blocking member 10 and the aperture ratio of the regions 30. The horizontal axis of Fig. 5 represents the distance from the center of gravity of the light blocking member 10, and the vertical axis represents the aperture ratio. The openings 14 are arranged up to a distance Dh / 2 from the center of gravity of the light blocking member 10. The aperture ratios of the multiple regions 30 located within a range at least a distance Dh / 2 from the center of gravity of the light blocking member 10 monotonically increase with increasing distance from the center of gravity.

[0064] The amount of exposure light L2 incident on the photosensitive member varies depending on the aperture ratio of the multiple regions 30. That is, the amount of light received by the photosensitive member increases at the edges of the light-shielding member 10, where the aperture ratio is high. The amount of light received by the photosensitive member decreases at the center of the light-shielding member 10, where the aperture ratio is low. The photosensitive member is patterned depending on the amount of light received. For example, if the photosensitive member is made of a positive-type photosensitive material, the greater the amount of light received, the greater the amount of etching removal. In this embodiment, the aperture ratio of the light-shielding member 10 to the exposure light varies in the radial direction, so the rate at which the photosensitive member is etched away varies in the radial direction. In this manner, the light-shielding member 10 functions as a mask pattern that changes the rate at which the photosensitive member is etched away in the radial direction. In this specification, the light-shielding member 10 may be referred to as a gray mask.

[0065] The shape, size, and number of the regions 30 are arbitrary. The shape and size of the light shielding bodies 13 arranged in the regions 30 are also arbitrary. It is sufficient that the light shielding bodies 13 are arranged more densely as they are closer to the openings 14 of the light shielding member 10, and more sparsely as they are arranged closer to the outer periphery.

[0066] 6A to 6G are cross-sectional views illustrating an outline of a manufacturing process for the light-emitting element 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6A illustrates a stacking process and an insulating process. First, a cladding layer 22, a light-emitting layer 9, and a cladding layer 23 are stacked in this order on a substrate 7. Each layer is formed by, for example, metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) or molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Ions such as boron are implanted into a portion of the light-emitting layer 9 to form a high-resistance region. The region of the light-emitting layer 9 surrounded by the high-resistance region becomes the current injection region 6. An insulating layer 11 is formed on the light-emitting layer 9 by a film formation method such as CVD, sputtering, or vacuum deposition. The insulating layer 11 is partially removed by photolithography or the like. A conductive layer 5 is formed in the region from which the insulating layer 11 has been removed by a film formation method such as CVD, sputtering, or vacuum deposition. The peripheral portion of the conductive layer 5 is removed by photolithography or the like.

[0067] 6B is a diagram showing an electrode formation step. In FIG. 6B, an electrode 12 and a light-shielding member 10 are formed on the conductive layer 5. For example, the light-shielding member 10 having a plurality of light-shielding bodies 13 and openings 14 is formed by photolithography using a photomask (not shown).

[0068] 6C is a diagram showing the steps of forming the first reflecting member 4, bonding the support substrate 2, and thinning the substrate 7. A dielectric multilayer film is formed in the openings 14 of the light-shielding member 10 by a CVD method, a sputtering method, a vacuum deposition method, or the like, and the portions other than the openings 14 are removed by a patterning method such as a wet etching method or a dry etching method, thereby forming the first reflecting member 4.

[0069] Next, wax, which is the material of the bonding layer 3, is applied to the upper surfaces of the electrode 12, the light-shielding member 10, and the first reflecting member 4, and the support substrate 2 is bonded to the substrate 7 via the bonding layer 3. Subsequently, the ground portion 41 on the second main surface A2 side of the substrate 7 is ground using, for example, a CMP (chemical mechanical polishing) device, to thin the substrate 7.

[0070] 6D is a diagram showing the backside exposure step and the exposed region removal step. First, a photosensitive layer 42 is laminated on the second main surface A2 of the substrate 7. The photosensitive layer 42 is made of a photosensitive material (e.g., a positive photoresist) whose solubility increases upon exposure.

[0071] Next, exposure light L2 is irradiated to expose the photosensitive layer 42. The exposure light L2 passes through the support substrate 2, the bonding layer 3, the conductive layer 5, the substrate 7, and the insulating layer 11 and is incident on the photosensitive layer 42. On the other hand, the exposure light L2 is blocked by the first reflecting member 4, the electrode 12, and the plurality of light shields 13. Therefore, the exposure light L2 is not incident on regions of the photosensitive layer 42 that overlap with the first reflecting member 4, the electrode 12, or the plurality of light shields 13 in a planar view.

[0072] The multiple light blocking bodies 13 constituting the light blocking member 10 are arranged densely on the side closer to the first reflecting member 4 and more sparsely as they move away from the first reflecting member 4, so that the closer to the area of ​​the photosensitive layer 42 that overlaps with the first reflecting member 4 in a planar view, the more the exposure light L2 is blocked, and the farther away from the area that overlaps with the first reflecting member 4, the more the exposure light L2 is incident. In other words, the proportion of the exposure light L2 incident on the area of ​​the photosensitive layer 42 that overlaps with the light blocking member 10 in a planar view changes depending on the distance from the position where it overlaps with the center of gravity of the first reflecting member 4.

[0073] The greater the amount of incident exposure light L2, the greater the amount of etching that is performed on the positive photosensitive layer 42. Therefore, the region of the photosensitive layer 42 that overlaps with the light blocking member 10 in a plan view has an outer shape that is close to a sphere after being etched away.

[0074] In the first embodiment of the present disclosure, exposure light L2 is irradiated from above the first reflecting member 4, the electrode 12, and the multiple light shields 13 to expose the photosensitive layer 42, and therefore the photosensitive layer 42 can be patterned into the desired spherical shape by self-alignment that reflects the external shapes of the first reflecting member 4, the electrode 12, and the multiple light shields 13.

[0075] The photosensitive layer 42 is formed with a semi-light-shielded region (transfer member) 42a where the exposure light L2 is partially blocked by the first reflecting member 4 and the light-shielding member 10, a light-shielded region 42b where the exposure light L2 is incident by the electrode 12, and an exposed region 42c where the exposure light L2 is incident. The exposed region 42c is dissolved and removed by a developer supplied to the photosensitive layer 42 in an exposed region removal step after the back surface exposure step.

[0076] The semi-light-shielding region 42a has an outer shape that follows the outer shapes of the first reflecting member 4 and the plurality of light shields 13. As described above, in the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the light shields 13 that make up the light shielding member 10 are arranged more densely the closer they are to the center of gravity of the first reflecting member 4 and more sparsely the farther they are from the first reflecting member 4, so that the photosensitive layer 42 can be processed to have a desired diameter and an outer shape that is close to a spherical shape.

[0077] The light-shielding region 42b has an outer shape that follows the outer shape of the electrode 12. Note that near the outer periphery of the light-shielding region 42b, the amount of exposure light L2 incident on the photosensitive layer 42 changes, resulting in a taper in the photosensitive layer 42. The taper gives the light-shielding region 42b a substantially trapezoidal shape.

[0078] The exposure device for the exposure light L2 is assumed to be a stepper that reduces and projects a photomask, but an aligner that projects the image of the photomask as is may also be used.

[0079] 6E is a diagram showing a reflow process of the semi-light-shielding region 42a and the light-shielding region 42b. The photosensitive layer 42 is heated to reflow (thermal reflow), and the semi-light-shielding region 42a and the light-shielding region 42b are balled up. As a result, the semi-light-shielding region 42a and the light-shielding region 42b have a desired diameter and an outer shape close to a sphere. As a result, the semi-light-shielding region 42a is formed in a shape similar to the radius of curvature R of FIG. 2A etc. LENS The outer shape has the following characteristics.

[0080] 6D, the semi-light-shielding region 42a can be processed into an outer shape that is even closer to a sphere in the reflow process. This allows the photosensitive layer 42 to be processed into an ideal spherical outer shape with a desired diameter without being affected by the restrictions on the thickness of the photosensitive layer 42 and the lens diameter.

[0081] 6F is a diagram showing a lens shape forming process. In FIG. 6F, the outer shapes of the balled-up semi-light-shielding region 42a and light-shielding region 42b are transferred to the substrate 7 to form the convex portions 7a and 7b. More specifically, the semi-light-shielding region 42a and light-shielding region 42b are used as an etching mask, and the substrate 7 is etched by RIE (reactive ion etching) or the like to form the convex portions 7a and 7b having outer shapes that match the outer shapes of the semi-light-shielding region 42a and light-shielding region 42b.

[0082] 6G is a diagram showing the process of forming the second reflecting member 8. The second reflecting member 8 is formed to follow the outer shape of the convex portions 7a and 7b. Like the first reflecting member 4, the second reflecting member 8 can be formed by combining a film formation process such as CVD, sputtering, or vacuum deposition with a patterning process such as wet etching or dry etching. This allows the formation of the concave mirror 27.

[0083] 6F may be omitted, and the semi-light-shielding region 42a and the light-shielding region 42b may be used as the convex portions 7a and 7b. In this case, the second reflecting member 8 is formed on the semi-light-shielding region 42a and the light-shielding region 42b.

[0084] The electrode 21 is formed in the same manner as the electrode 12, for example, in a step subsequent to the step of Fig. 6G. In the step subsequent to the step of Fig. 6G, the light-emitting element 1 is manufactured by performing processes such as polishing and mirror finishing of the concave mirror 27, insulating coating of the side surfaces and exposed surfaces of the light-emitting element 1, and packaging or sealing.

[0085] 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views showing a backside exposure process for a light-emitting element 101 according to a comparative example. Fig. 7 corresponds to the process of Fig. 6D. The light-emitting element 101 shown in Fig. 7 has a light-shielding portion 102 instead of the light-shielding member 10.

[0086] The light-shielding portion 102 is formed of a pad, similar to the electrode 12, and blocks the exposure light L2. The light-shielding portion 102 is arranged in a ring shape in a plan view so as to surround the first reflecting member 4. A light-shielding region 103 that is shielded from light by the light-shielding portion 102 is formed in the photosensitive layer 42. The light-shielding portion 102 differs from the light-shielding member 10 in that it has an integral structure and is not separated into multiple light-shielding bodies. Because the exposure light L2 incident on the light-shielding portion 102 is not incident on the photosensitive layer 42, the light-shielding region 103 has a substantially trapezoidal shape, similar to the light-shielding region 42b. In one comparative example, when the exposed region of the photosensitive layer 42 is etched away, the photosensitive layer 42 cannot be processed into an outer shape that is close to a spherical surface. In some cases, the outer shape of the photosensitive layer 42 can be made spherical by surface tension through a subsequent thermal reflow process, but to do so, it is necessary to satisfy the constraints of the thickness and lens diameter of the photosensitive layer 42, which limits the degree of freedom in processing the photosensitive layer 42.

[0087] 8A and 8B are diagrams showing the outer shape of the photosensitive layer 42 formed by the light-shielding region 103 according to a comparative example after processing. Fig. 8A shows the processed shape of the photosensitive layer 42 when the photosensitive layer 42 is thick, and Fig. 8B shows the processed shape of the photosensitive layer 42 when the photosensitive layer 42 is thin. The horizontal axis in Figs. 8A and 8B represents the radial distance of the photosensitive layer 42, and the vertical axis represents the height of the photosensitive layer 42 after processing. The contour line w1 in Fig. 8A and the contour line w3 in Fig. 8B are contour lines representing the measured shape of the photosensitive layer 42 after processing, and the contour line w2 in Fig. 8A and the contour line w4 in Fig. 8B are contour lines representing the ideal design shape.

[0088] When the photosensitive layer 42 is thick, the measured shape is nearly identical to the designed shape, as shown by the contour lines w1 and w2 in FIG. 8A. In other words, the photosensitive layer 42 is processed into an ideal spherical shape by the thermal reflow process. On the other hand, when the photosensitive layer 42 is thin, the contour line w3 representing the measured shape in FIG. 8B is significantly different from the contour line w4 representing the designed shape. When the photosensitive layer 42 is thin, the photosensitive layer 42 does not become spherical even after the thermal reflow process, and the radius of curvature does not increase. As a result, the semi-shading region 42a, which should have the maximum height near its center, is concave. Even if a semi-shading region 42a with such a processed shape is transferred to the substrate 7, an ideally shaped concave mirror 27 cannot be obtained.

[0089] 8B , the light-emitting element 101 according to the comparative example may not be able to form a concave mirror with a small thickness by the thermal reflow process. Similarly, the light-emitting element 101 according to the comparative example may not be able to form a concave mirror with a large diameter. As described above, the light-emitting element 101 according to the comparative example has limitations on the degree of freedom in forming the lens.

[0090] 6D , the light-emitting element 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure can form a semi-light-shielding region 42 a having an outline shape close to a sphere in the backside exposure process. This eliminates the need to process the photosensitive layer 42 from a flat surface shape to a spherical shape using surface tension in the thermal reflow process. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the photosensitive layer 42 can be processed into an ideal spherical shape with a desired diameter.

[0091] As described above, in the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the light-shielding member 10 having the multiple light-shielding bodies 13 can control the amount of exposure light L2 incident on the photosensitive layer 42 according to the distance from the center of gravity of the concave mirror 27. This allows the photosensitive layer 42 to be patterned into an outer shape that is close to a sphere. Therefore, even if the photosensitive layer 42 is thin, it can be processed into an ideal spherical shape with a desired diameter, and by transferring the photosensitive layer 42 to a substrate, a concave mirror 27 with a desired diameter can be formed.

[0092] According to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to easily form the concave mirror 27 having a thin lens thickness and a large radius of curvature. As a result, even in a light-emitting element having a long cavity length, by providing the concave mirror 27 having a large radius of curvature, it is possible to efficiently focus reflected light onto the light-emitting layer 9 and suppress diffraction loss. The first embodiment of the present disclosure is particularly effective for light-emitting elements having an extremely long cavity length, such as those made of GaN-based materials.

[0093] Furthermore, when the multiple light-shielding bodies 13 are made of pads similar to the electrodes 12, the light-shielding members 10 can be formed in the same process as the electrodes 12, thereby reducing the number of processes compared to when they are made of a material different from the electrodes 12.

[0094] Second Embodiment In the light-emitting element 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the diameter of the first reflecting member 4 is approximately equal to the diameter of the opening 14. A second embodiment of the present disclosure is characterized in that the diameter of the first reflecting member 4 is larger than the diameter of the opening 14. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a light-emitting element 1a according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the light-emitting element 1a according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 11 is an enlarged plan view of a light-blocking member 10 and a first reflecting member 4a according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. The light-emitting element 1a shown in Fig. 10 includes a first reflecting member 4a having a diameter larger than the diameter of the opening 14. The diameter Dh of the opening 14 is set to, for example, 6 µm. The diameter D of the first reflecting member 4a DBRa is set to, for example, 8 μm.

[0095] In the light-emitting element 1 according to the first embodiment, there is a risk that the opening 14 of the light-shielding member 10 may be misaligned with the light-emitting position (current injection region 6) of the light-emitting layer 9 in plan view due to manufacturing errors, etc. In this case, there is a risk that the center of gravity of the first reflecting member 4 provided in the opening 14 may be misaligned with the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer 9 and the center of gravity of the second reflecting member 8 in plan view.

[0096] Therefore, the light emitting element 1a according to the second embodiment is provided with a first reflecting member 4a having a diameter larger than the diameter of the opening 14. This ensures that light resonating between the first reflecting member 4a and the second reflecting member 8 passes through the current injection region 6, improving robustness against misalignment of the opening 14 of the first reflecting member 4a.

[0097] Third Embodiment As shown in FIG. 4 , the light blocking member 10 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of light blocking bodies 13, all of which have the same similar shape, more specifically, a plurality of square-shaped light blocking bodies 13. A light blocking member 10a according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure is characterized by including a plurality of light blocking bodies 13 having two or more types of similar shapes. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the light blocking member 10a according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. In the example of FIG. 10 , the light blocking member 10a includes a square-shaped light blocking body 13 and a plurality of circular light blocking bodies 13a. Similar to the plurality of light blocking bodies 13, the areas of the plurality of light blocking bodies 13a decrease with increasing distance from the opening 14, and the distance between adjacent light blocking bodies 13 and 13a increases. However, the light blocking member 10a may be configured by combining light blocking bodies of any two or more types of shapes. The shape of the light blocking body is arbitrary, and may be polygonal or non-polygonal, such as circular.

[0098] The circular light-shielding body 13a does not change shape due to rounding of corners caused by exposure, thereby stabilizing the pattern shape of the light-shielding member 10a. Furthermore, by using a light-shielding body with a polygonal shape other than a square, it is possible to form a light-shielding member 10a that can control the transmittance of the exposure light L2 with higher resolution, thereby enabling more precise control of the processed shape of the photosensitive layer 42 and increasing the design freedom for the lens shape that can be formed. Depending on the combination of light-shielding bodies, a spherical semi-light-shielding region 42a can be formed in the backside exposure process, thereby eliminating the thermal reflow process. The third embodiment can be applied to both the first and second embodiments.

[0099] (Fourth embodiment) The light blocking member 10 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is divided into a plurality of regions 30 arranged in a Cartesian coordinate system. The light blocking member 10 may also be divided into a plurality of regions arranged in a polar coordinate system. Fig. 13 is a plan view of a light emitting element 1b according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 14 is an enlarged plan view of a light blocking member 10b according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. The light blocking member 10b in Fig. 14 has a plurality of light blocking bodies 13b that are arranged separately from each other along a radial direction (first direction) L and a circumferential direction (second direction) P that intersect with each other in the plane.

[0100] The multiple light blocking bodies 13b are arranged so that the area of ​​each of the light blocking bodies 13b decreases and the interval between adjacent light blocking bodies 13b increases with increasing distance from the opening 14. For example, the light blocking member 10b is divided into multiple sector-shaped regions 30a having a predetermined deflection angle (e.g., 10 degrees). One light blocking body 13b is arranged in each of the multiple regions 30a. The multiple light blocking bodies 13b all have the same shape and size and extend in the radial direction L from the opening 14 as the center. Furthermore, the distance between two adjacent light blocking bodies 13b in the circumferential direction P increases with increasing distance from the opening 14.

[0101] 14, the light blocking body 13b has a curved outline, but the specific shape of the light blocking body 13b is arbitrary. Furthermore, the light blocking member 10b may have a plurality of light blocking bodies including two or more types of similar shapes arranged in a plurality of regions 30a.

[0102] In this specification, the region 30 shown in FIG. 4 and the region 30a shown in FIG. 14 where the light shielding bodies 13, 13b, etc. are arranged are also referred to as patterns. The light shielding member 10b has a smaller total number of patterns than the light shielding member 10 in FIG. 4, so the influence of pattern size deviation is reduced. This enables more accurate patterning of the photosensitive layer 42. The fourth embodiment can be applied to any of the first to third embodiments.

[0103] Fifth Embodiment Fig. 15 is a plan view of a light-emitting element 1c according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 16 is an enlarged plan view of a light-shielding member 10c according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure. The light-emitting element 1c according to the fifth embodiment has a light-shielding member 10c that is divided into a finer pattern than the light-shielding member 10 of Fig. 3.

[0104] The light blocking member 10c is divided into square regions 30 each having a side length of 0.5 μm, for example. The smallest light blocking body 13 located at the position farthest from the opening 14 has a side length of 0.1 μm, for example.

[0105] The light-shielding member 10c is intended to be formed by EB (Electron Beam) exposure, which has a higher resolution than a normal stepper. The light-shielding member 10c forms a gray mask with a higher resolution than the light-shielding member 10 of FIG. 3, which can further expand the lens conditions that can be formed. Furthermore, by increasing the resolution of the gray mask, the light-shielding member 10c can form a spherical semi-light-shielding region 42a in a backside exposure process, thereby eliminating the need for a thermal reflow process. The fifth embodiment can be applied to any of the first to fourth embodiments.

[0106] Sixth Embodiment In the first to fifth embodiments described above, a photosensitive material (e.g., positive photoresist) whose solubility increases upon exposure is used for the photosensitive layer 42. In contrast, in a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure, a photosensitive material (e.g., negative photoresist) whose solubility decreases upon exposure is used for the photosensitive layer 42. FIG. 17 is a plan view of a light-emitting element 1d according to a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 18 is an enlarged plan view of a light-shielding member 10d according to the sixth embodiment of the present disclosure. The light-emitting element 1d in FIG. 17 has a light-shielding member 10d in which the size and spacing of the light-shielding bodies 13 are reversed from those of the light-shielding member 10 in FIG. 3.

[0107] Specifically, in the light shielding member 10d, the multiple light shields 13 are arranged so that the area thereof increases and the spacing between adjacent light shields 13 decreases with increasing distance from the opening 14. FIG. 19 is a waveform diagram showing the relationship between the distance from the center of gravity of the light shielding member 10d and the aperture ratio of the light shielding member 10d. In FIG. 14, as in FIG. 5, the horizontal axis represents the distance from the center of gravity of the light shielding member 10d, and the vertical axis represents the aperture ratio. In the light shielding member 10d, the aperture ratio of the multiple regions 30 monotonically decreases as the distance from the center of gravity increases. That is, in the light shielding member 10d, the multiple light shields 13 are arranged so that the exposure amount of the photosensitive member (photosensitive layer 42) is high in the center and low at the edges.

[0108] 17 has a first reflecting member 4b arranged to cover the entire area surrounded by the electrode 12 (i.e., the entire area of ​​the light-shielding member 10d). DBRbis set to, for example, 24 μm. The first reflecting member 4b transmits a predetermined amount of the exposure light L2. The first reflecting member 4b is set to, for example, have a transmittance of approximately 50% for the exposure light L2.

[0109] In the sixth embodiment of the present disclosure, a first reflecting member 4b having a larger diameter than the first reflecting member 4 in Fig. 3 can be used. This simplifies the etching of the first reflecting member 4b and also eliminates the need for alignment with the opening 14. In other words, the sixth embodiment of the present disclosure can further simplify the manufacturing process of the light-emitting element 1d.

[0110] Furthermore, in a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure, most of the outer edge of the region surrounded by the electrode 12 is covered with a plurality of light shields 13. When the light shields 13 are electrically connected to the electrode 12, the current supplied from the electrode 12 flows to the current injection region 6 over a short distance via the light shields 13 and the conductive layer 5, allowing the current to flow efficiently in the current injection region 6 and improving the current characteristics. The sixth embodiment can be applied to the first and third to fifth embodiments.

[0111] Seventh Embodiment Fig. 20 is a plan view of a light-emitting element 1e according to a seventh embodiment of the present disclosure. The light-emitting element 1e in Fig. 20 is characterized by having a conductive member 51 that electrically connects the electrode 12 and the light-blocking member 10. Fig. 20 shows an example in which one conductive member 51 is disposed above, below, left, and right of the first reflecting member 4, but the connection locations and connection form of the conductive members 51 are arbitrary. The conductive members 51 are formed, for example, by pads, and are formed, for example, in the electrode formation step of Fig. 6B.

[0112] The conductive member 51 shortens the distance that the current supplied from the electrode 12 flows through the highly resistive conductive layer 5, preventing current loss and improving current characteristics. The seventh embodiment can be applied to any of the first to sixth embodiments.

[0113] Eighth Embodiment In the light-emitting element 1 according to the first to seventh embodiments of the present disclosure, it is assumed that the exposure light L2 is incident from the normal direction of the substrate 7 in the backside exposure process, but the exposure light L2 may be incident obliquely with respect to the substrate 7. Fig. 21 is a cross-sectional view of a light-emitting element 1f according to an eighth embodiment of the present disclosure. In the light-emitting element 1f of Fig. 21, when viewed in plan, the center of gravity of the light-shielding member 10e is disposed at a position that is shifted from the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer 9 (current injection region 6) in plan view.

[0114] 22 is a plan view of a light-emitting element 1f according to an eighth embodiment of the present disclosure. The light-emitting element 1f includes a light-shielding member 10e that is disposed at a different position from the light-shielding member 10 in FIG. 4. The light-shielding member 10e is disposed at a position corresponding to the angle of incidence of the exposure light L2. The opening 14a of the light-shielding member 10e is disposed at a position that overlaps the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer 9 and the center of gravity of the first reflecting member 4c in a planar view. As shown in FIG. 22, the opening 14a of the light-shielding member 10e is disposed near one end of the light-shielding member 10e, rather than at the center of the light-shielding member 10e. Note that depending on the location of the light-shielding member 10e, it may not overlap the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer 9 in a planar view. In this case, no opening is provided in the light-shielding member 10e.

[0115] 22 has a first reflecting member 4c arranged to cover a part of the electrode 12 and the entire light-emitting surface side of the light-shielding member 10e in a plan view. More specifically, the first reflecting member 4c is arranged to cover the entire area surrounded by the electrode 12. The diameter D of the first reflecting member 4c is DBRc is set to, for example, 40 μm. The first reflecting member 4c transmits a predetermined amount of the exposure light L2. The first reflecting member 4c is set to have a transmittance of 50% or more for the exposure light L2, for example.

[0116] 23A to 23D are cross-sectional views illustrating an outline of a manufacturing process for a light-emitting device 1f according to an eighth embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 23A illustrates an electrode formation process. In the pre-processing step shown in FIG. 23A, an insulating layer 11, a cladding layer 22, a light-emitting layer 9, and a cladding layer 23 are formed, similar to FIG. 6A. In FIG. 23A, an electrode 12 and a light-shielding member 10e are formed. As described above, the eighth embodiment of the present disclosure is characterized in that the center of gravity of the light-shielding member 10e is offset from the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer 9 (current injection region 6) in a planar view. An opening 14a is provided above the current injection region 6. Unlike the light-shielding member 10 shown in FIG. 6B, multiple light-shielding bodies 13, rather than an opening, are disposed at the center of gravity of the light-shielding member 10e.

[0117] 23B is a diagram showing a process of forming the first reflecting member 4c. In the previous process of FIG. 23B, the support substrate 2 is bonded in the same manner as in FIG. 6C. The first reflecting member 4c is formed so as to cover the entire area surrounded by the electrode 12.

[0118] 23C is a diagram showing a backside exposure step and an exposed region removal step. In the previous step shown in FIG. 23C , similar to FIGS. 6B and 6C , the substrate 7 is thinned and a photosensitive layer 42 is laminated. Subsequently, exposure light L2 is irradiated to expose the photosensitive layer 42. The exposure light L2 is incident from the light-emitting surface side at an angle tilted from the normal to the first main surface A1 according to the amount of deviation between the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer 9 and the center of gravity of the first reflecting member 4c when viewed in plan.

[0119] The exposure light L2 passes through the support substrate 2, the bonding layer 3, the first reflecting member 4c, the conductive layer 5, the substrate 7, and the insulating layer 11, and is incident on the photosensitive layer 42. On the other hand, the exposure light L2 is blocked by the electrode 12 and the plurality of light shielding members 13, and the exposure light L2 that is incident on the electrode 12 and the plurality of light shielding members 13 is not incident on the photosensitive layer 42. By performing a development process on the photosensitive layer 42 after exposure, the exposed region 42c onto which the exposure light L2 is incident is removed, and a semi-light-shielded region (transfer member) 42a in which the exposure light L2 is partially blocked by the light shielding member 10e and a light-shielded region 42b that is shielded by the electrode 12 are formed. The semi-light-shielded region 42a has a self-aligned spherical shape that reflects the shapes of the electrode 12 and the plurality of light shielding members 13. Although the exposure light L2 is not blocked by the opening 14a, the opening 14a is located at the end of the light blocking member 10e, and therefore has little effect on the shape of the semi-light blocking region 42a.

[0120] 23D is a diagram showing the reflow process of the semi-light-shielding region 42a and the light-shielding region 42b. As in FIG. 6E, the surface tension caused by the reflow causes the outer shape of the semi-light-shielding region 42a to become more spherical. The center of gravity of the semi-light-shielding region 42a (i.e., the second reflecting member 8) is offset from the center of gravity of the light-shielding member 10e in plan view, but is positioned so as to overlap the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer 9 (current injection region 6) and the center of gravity of the first reflecting member 4c in plan view.

[0121] In the light-emitting element 1f according to the eighth embodiment of the present disclosure, the center of gravity of the concave mirror 27 can be shielded by a plurality of light shields 13. Therefore, it is not necessary to control the amount of exposure light L2 incident on the vicinity of the center of gravity of the concave mirror 27 by the transmittance of the first reflecting member 4c. This allows for a larger margin of transmittance of the first reflecting member 4c for the exposure light L2, improving the design freedom of the first reflecting member 4c. Furthermore, highly accurate alignment of the center of gravity of the concave mirror 27 and the center of gravity of the first reflecting member 4c is not required. Furthermore, the diameter of the first reflecting member 4c can be increased, simplifying the manufacturing process. The eighth embodiment can be applied to any of the first to seventh embodiments.

[0122] Ninth Embodiment In the light-emitting element 1 according to the first to eighth embodiments of the present disclosure, the opening 14 is shielded from light by the first reflecting member 4 in the backside exposure process. In a light-emitting element 1g according to the ninth embodiment, the first reflecting member 4 is disposed so as to cover the entire area of ​​the light-shielding member 10 in a plan view, and a photomask is disposed above it. Fig. 24 is a plan view of the light-emitting element 1g according to the ninth embodiment of the present disclosure. The light-emitting element 1g in Fig. 24 has a first reflecting member 4d and a photomask 60.

[0123] The first reflecting member 4d is arranged so as to cover a part of the electrode 12 and the entire area of ​​the light emitting surface side of the light blocking member 10 in a plan view. More specifically, the first reflecting member 4d is arranged so as to cover the entire area surrounded by the electrode 12. The diameter D of the first reflecting member 4d is DBRd is set to, for example, 40 μm. The first reflecting member 4d is set to, for example, have a transmittance of 50% or less for the exposure light L2.

[0124] The photomask 60 is disposed above the first reflecting member 4d. The photomask 60 is intended to prevent the exposure light L2 from being incident on the vicinity of the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer 9 (current injection region 6). Since the first reflecting member 4d in this embodiment transmits a certain amount of light, the photomask 60 is provided to prevent the exposure light L2 from being incident on the region of the photosensitive layer 42 that overlaps with the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer 9 in plan view.

[0125] 25 is a process cross-sectional view showing a backside exposure step for a light-emitting element 1g according to the ninth embodiment of the present disclosure. In the backside exposure step, a photomask 60 is provided above a support substrate 2. The photomask 60 has a light-shielding portion 61 for shading the opening 14 and the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer 9 in a plan view. The light-shielding portion 61 is made of, for example, chromium.

[0126] In the light-emitting device 1g according to the ninth embodiment of the present disclosure, the center of gravity of the concave mirror 27 can be shielded by the light-shielding portion 61. Therefore, it is not necessary to control the amount of exposure light L2 incident near the center of gravity of the concave mirror 27 by the transmittance of the first reflecting member 4d. This increases the margin of transmittance of the first reflecting member 4d for the exposure light L2, improving the design flexibility of the first reflecting member 4d. Furthermore, by adjusting the transmittance of the first reflecting member 4d for the exposure light L2, a semi-light-shielding region 42a of a desired shape can be formed, improving the design flexibility of the concave mirror 27. Because the first reflecting member 4d is positioned to cover the entire light-shielding member 10, desired light can be emitted even if the center of gravity of the light-shielding member 10 is slightly offset from the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer 9 (current injection region 6). Therefore, precise alignment of the light-shielding member 10 is not required, simplifying the manufacturing process. The ninth embodiment can be applied to any of the first to eighth embodiments.

[0127] Tenth Embodiment Although the light-emitting element 1 according to the first to ninth embodiments of the present disclosure includes a first reflecting member 4 separate from the light-shielding member 10, the light-shielding member 10 may be omitted and the first reflecting member 4 may function as a gray mask. Fig. 26 is a plan view of a light-emitting element 1h according to the tenth embodiment of the present disclosure. The light-emitting element 1h of Fig. 26 includes a first reflecting member 4e having a plurality of reflectors 71 arranged separately in the plane. The diameter D of the first reflecting member 4e is DBRe is set to, for example, 20 μm. The second reflecting member 8, not shown in FIG. 26, has an outer shape that follows the outer diameter shape of the first reflecting member 4e.

[0128] The transmittance of the first reflecting member 4e for the exposure light L2 is set to, for example, approximately 0%. Because the first reflecting member 4e blocks the exposure light L2, in this specification, the first reflecting member 4e may be referred to as a light-blocking member, and the reflector 71 may be referred to as a light-blocking body.

[0129] 27 is an enlarged plan view of a first reflecting member 4e according to a tenth embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 27 , the plurality of reflectors 71 are arranged separately from each other along a first direction X and a second direction Y that intersect with each other within the plane. The plurality of reflectors 71 are arranged so that their areas become smaller and the intervals between adjacent reflectors 71 become wider as they move away from the center position of the first reflecting member 4e. More specifically, the plurality of reflectors 71 are arranged in a plurality of regions 30, each having a side length of 1 μm, for example.

[0130] 28 is a diagram showing the relationship between the distance from the center position of the first reflecting member 4e and the aperture ratio of the regions 30. The horizontal axis of FIG. 28 represents the distance from the center position of the first reflecting member 4e, and the vertical axis represents the aperture ratio. In the first reflecting member 4e, the aperture ratio of the multiple regions 30 increases monotonically as the distance from the center position increases. The smallest reflector 71 located at the end of the first reflecting member 4e has a side length of 0.4 μm, for example.

[0131] A light-emitting element 1h according to a tenth embodiment of the present disclosure is provided with a first reflecting member 4e having a plurality of reflectors 71, and the size and spacing of the plurality of reflectors 71 are adjusted, so that a concave mirror 27 having an outer shape similar to that of the first to ninth embodiments can be manufactured, and the light-shielding member 10 is not required. While the first to ninth embodiments require highly accurate alignment of the light-shielding member 10 and the first reflecting member 4, the tenth embodiment does not require this, and the manufacturing process can be simplified. The tenth embodiment can be applied to the first, third to sixth, and eighth embodiments.

[0132] Eleventh Embodiment In a light-emitting element 1h according to a tenth embodiment of the present disclosure, a gray mask of a first reflecting member 4e is formed by a plurality of reflectors 71 arranged separately within a plane. In contrast, an eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure is characterized by the use of a first reflecting member 4 having an integral structure. FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view of a light-emitting element 1i according to the eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure. The light-emitting element 1i of FIG. 29 includes a first reflecting member (light-shielding member) 4f having an integrally arranged partial curved body within a plane. The vertex (or center of gravity) of the partial curved body is arranged so as to overlap, for example, with the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer 9 and the center of gravity of the second reflecting member 8 in a planar view.

[0133] 30 is a plan view of a light-emitting element 1i according to an eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure. DBRf is set to, for example, 20 μm.

[0134] Figure 31 is a diagram showing the reflectance distribution of the first reflecting member 4f. The horizontal axis of Figure 31 represents the distance from the center of gravity of the first reflecting member 4f, and the vertical axis represents the reflectance for the exposure light L2. The thickness of the first reflecting member 4f in Figure 31 decreases as the distance from the center of gravity increases. Accordingly, the reflectance for the exposure light L2 also monotonically decreases as the distance from the center of gravity increases. As described above, the first reflecting member 4f functions as a gray mask whose reflectance changes depending on its thickness.

[0135] As described above, in the eleventh embodiment, the integrally structured first reflector 4f can form an ideal spherical semi-shading region 42a with a desired diameter. Therefore, the manufacturing process can be simplified compared to the tenth embodiment. Furthermore, since the first reflector 4f varies its thickness in the radial direction to monotonically change its reflectance, the semi-shading region 42a can be formed with accuracy comparable to or greater than that of the first reflector 4e of the tenth embodiment. Furthermore, by increasing the resolution of the gray mask, the spherical semi-shading region 42a can be formed in a backside exposure process, eliminating the need for a thermal reflow process. Furthermore, as with the first reflector 4e of FIG. 26 , alignment of the light-shielding member 10 and the first reflector 4 is not required.

[0136] 32 is a plan view of a light-emitting element 80 according to a twelfth embodiment of the present disclosure. The light-emitting element 80 in FIG. 32 includes a plurality of light-emitting portions 1j, a ring-shaped electrode 12 arranged to surround the plurality of light-emitting portions 1j, a conductive layer 5, and an insulating layer 11. The plurality of light-emitting portions 1j are arranged in a first direction X and a second direction Y. Each of the plurality of light-emitting portions 1j includes a light-shielding member 10, a first reflecting member 4, a second reflecting member 8, and a light-emitting layer 9. Note that the second reflecting member 8 and the light-emitting layer 9 are not shown in FIG. 32. Specifically, any of the light-emitting elements 1 to 1i according to the first to eleventh embodiments can be used as the plurality of light-emitting portions 1j.

[0137] In the light emitting device 80 according to the twelfth embodiment of the present disclosure, the light emitting portions 1j are arranged in a two-dimensional array, thereby enabling a narrower pitch.

[0138] 33 is a plan view of a light-emitting element 80a according to a twelfth embodiment of the present disclosure. The light-emitting element 80a in FIG. 33 differs from the light-emitting element 80 in FIG. 32 in that it includes a conductive member 51a. The conductive member 51a provides electrical continuity between the electrode 12 and the light-shielding member 10 of each of the plurality of light-emitting portions 1j. This improves the current characteristics of the light-emitting element 80a, similar to the light-emitting element 1e in FIG. 20.

[0139] 34 is a plan view of a light-emitting element 80b according to a fourteenth embodiment of the present disclosure. The light-emitting element 80b in Fig. 34 differs from the light-emitting element 80a in Fig. 33 in that it has a plurality of electrodes 12. Specifically, the light-emitting element 80b has a plurality of light-emitting unit groups 90 arranged in the second direction Y. Each of the plurality of light-emitting unit groups 90 has two or more light-emitting units 1j arranged in the first direction X.

[0140] An electrode 12 is arranged for each of the plurality of light-emitting unit groups 90. Fig. 34 shows an example in which electrodes 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d are arranged corresponding to four light-emitting unit groups 90, respectively. Each of the plurality of electrodes 12 (12a to 12d) has two electrodes 91a and 91b arranged on both ends of the light-emitting unit group 90. The two electrodes 91a and 91b are electrically connected to two or more conductive members 51a in the corresponding light-emitting unit group 90.

[0141] The light-emitting element 80b according to the fourteenth embodiment of the present disclosure can individually drive the corresponding light-emitting portion groups 90 using the plurality of electrodes 12. That is, the light-emitting element 80b can realize an active matrix type electrode arrangement. Furthermore, the light-emitting element 80b can narrow the pitch of the light-emitting portions 1j and improve the current characteristics, similar to the light-emitting element 80a of FIG.

[0142] (Application Examples) The technology according to the present disclosure can be applied to various products. For example, the technology according to the present disclosure may be realized as a device mounted on any type of moving body, such as an automobile, an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a motorcycle, a bicycle, personal mobility, an airplane, a drone, a ship, a robot, construction machinery, or agricultural machinery (tractor).

[0143] 35 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a vehicle control system 7000, which is an example of a mobile object control system to which the technology according to the present disclosure can be applied. The vehicle control system 7000 includes a plurality of electronic control units connected via a communication network 7010. In the example shown in FIG. 35 , the vehicle control system 7000 includes a drive system control unit 7100, a body system control unit 7200, a battery control unit 7300, an outside-vehicle information detection unit 7400, an inside-vehicle information detection unit 7500, and an integrated control unit 7600. The communication network 7010 connecting these multiple control units may be an in-vehicle communication network conforming to any standard, such as a Controller Area Network (CAN), a Local Interconnect Network (LIN), a Local Area Network (LAN), or FlexRay (registered trademark).

[0144] Each control unit includes a microcomputer that performs arithmetic processing according to various programs, a memory unit that stores the programs executed by the microcomputer or parameters used in various calculations, and a drive circuit that drives various controlled devices. Each control unit includes a network I / F for communicating with other control units via a communication network 7010, and a communication I / F for communicating with devices or sensors inside and outside the vehicle via wired or wireless communication. Figure 35 illustrates the functional configuration of the integrated control unit 7600, including a microcomputer 7610, a general-purpose communication I / F 7620, a dedicated communication I / F 7630, a positioning unit 7640, a beacon receiving unit 7650, an in-vehicle device I / F 7660, an audio / video output unit 7670, an in-vehicle network I / F 7680, and a memory unit 7690. The other control units also include a microcomputer, a communication I / F, a memory unit, and the like.

[0145] The drivetrain control unit 7100 controls the operation of devices related to the drivetrain of the vehicle in accordance with various programs. For example, the drivetrain control unit 7100 functions as a control device for a drive force generating device for generating drive force for the vehicle, such as an internal combustion engine or a drive motor, a drive force transmission mechanism for transmitting drive force to the wheels, a steering mechanism for adjusting the steering angle of the vehicle, and a braking device for generating braking force for the vehicle. The drivetrain control unit 7100 may also function as a control device for an ABS (Antilock Brake System) or an ESC (Electronic Stability Control), etc.

[0146] A vehicle state detection unit 7110 is connected to the drivetrain control unit 7100. The vehicle state detection unit 7110 includes at least one of a gyro sensor that detects the angular velocity of the axial rotational motion of the vehicle body, an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the vehicle, or a sensor that detects the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal, the amount of operation of the brake pedal, the steering angle of the steering wheel, the engine rotation speed, the rotation speed of the wheels, etc. The drivetrain control unit 7100 performs arithmetic processing using signals input from the vehicle state detection unit 7110, and controls the internal combustion engine, the drive motor, the electric power steering device, the brake device, etc.

[0147] The body system control unit 7200 controls the operation of various devices equipped in the vehicle body according to various programs. For example, the body system control unit 7200 functions as a control device for a keyless entry system, a smart key system, a power window device, or various lamps such as headlamps, backup lamps, brake lamps, turn signals, and fog lamps. In this case, radio waves transmitted from a portable device that serves as a key or signals from various switches can be input to the body system control unit 7200. The body system control unit 7200 receives these radio waves or signals and controls the vehicle's door lock device, power window device, lamps, etc.

[0148] The battery control unit 7300 controls the secondary battery 7310, which is the power supply source for the drive motor, in accordance with various programs. For example, information such as battery temperature, battery output voltage, or remaining battery capacity is input to the battery control unit 7300 from a battery device equipped with the secondary battery 7310. The battery control unit 7300 performs arithmetic processing using these signals, and controls the temperature regulation of the secondary battery 7310 or a cooling device or the like equipped in the battery device.

[0149] The outside vehicle information detection unit 7400 detects information outside the vehicle equipped with the vehicle control system 7000. For example, at least one of an imaging unit 7410 and an outside vehicle information detection unit 7420 is connected to the outside vehicle information detection unit 7400. The imaging unit 7410 includes at least one of a time-of-flight (ToF) camera, a stereo camera, a monocular camera, an infrared camera, and other cameras. The outside vehicle information detection unit 7420 includes at least one of an environmental sensor for detecting the current weather or climate, or a surrounding information detection sensor for detecting other vehicles, obstacles, pedestrians, etc. around the vehicle equipped with the vehicle control system 7000.

[0150] The environmental sensor may be, for example, at least one of a raindrop sensor that detects rain, a fog sensor that detects fog, a sunshine sensor that detects the degree of sunshine, and a snow sensor that detects snowfall. The surrounding information detection sensor may be at least one of an ultrasonic sensor, a radar device, and a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) device. The imaging unit 7410 and the outside vehicle information detection unit 7420 may each be provided as an independent sensor or device, or may be provided as a device in which multiple sensors or devices are integrated.

[0151] Here, Figure 36 shows an example of the installation positions of the imaging unit 7410 and the vehicle exterior information detection unit 7420. The imaging units 7910, 7912, 7914, 7916, and 7918 are provided, for example, at least one of the front nose, side mirrors, rear bumper, back door, and upper part of the windshield inside the vehicle cabin of the vehicle 7900. The imaging unit 7910 provided on the front nose and the imaging unit 7918 provided on the upper part of the windshield inside the vehicle cabin mainly acquire images of the front of the vehicle 7900. The imaging units 7912 and 7914 provided on the side mirrors mainly acquire images of the sides of the vehicle 7900. The imaging unit 7916 provided on the rear bumper or back door mainly acquires images of the rear of the vehicle 7900. The imaging unit 7918 provided on the upper part of the windshield inside the vehicle cabin is mainly used to detect leading vehicles, pedestrians, obstacles, traffic lights, traffic signs, lanes, etc.

[0152] 36 shows an example of the imaging ranges of the imaging units 7910, 7912, 7914, and 7916. Imaging range a indicates the imaging range of the imaging unit 7910 provided on the front nose, imaging ranges b and c indicate the imaging ranges of the imaging units 7912 and 7914 provided on the side mirrors, respectively, and imaging range d indicates the imaging range of the imaging unit 7916 provided on the rear bumper or back door. For example, by overlaying the image data captured by the imaging units 7910, 7912, 7914, and 7916, a bird's-eye view image of the vehicle 7900 viewed from above can be obtained.

[0153] The outside vehicle information detection units 7920, 7922, 7924, 7926, 7928, and 7930 provided on the front, rear, sides, corners, and above the windshield inside the vehicle cabin of the vehicle 7900 may be, for example, ultrasonic sensors or radar devices. The outside vehicle information detection units 7920, 7926, and 7930 provided on the front nose, rear bumper, back door, and above the windshield inside the vehicle cabin of the vehicle 7900 may be, for example, LIDAR devices. These outside vehicle information detection units 7920 to 7930 are mainly used to detect preceding vehicles, pedestrians, obstacles, etc.

[0154] Returning to FIG. 35 , the explanation continues. The outside-vehicle information detection unit 7400 causes the imaging unit 7410 to capture an image outside the vehicle and receives the captured image data. The outside-vehicle information detection unit 7400 also receives detection information from the connected outside-vehicle information detection unit 7420. If the outside-vehicle information detection unit 7420 is an ultrasonic sensor, a radar device, or a LIDAR device, the outside-vehicle information detection unit 7400 emits ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves and receives information on the received reflected waves. Based on the received information, the outside-vehicle information detection unit 7400 may perform object detection processing or distance detection processing for people, vehicles, obstacles, signs, or text on the road surface. Based on the received information, the outside-vehicle information detection unit 7400 may also perform environmental recognition processing for recognizing rainfall, fog, road conditions, etc. Based on the received information, the outside-vehicle information detection unit 7400 may also calculate the distance to an object outside the vehicle.

[0155] The outside vehicle information detection unit 7400 may also perform image recognition processing or distance detection processing to recognize people, vehicles, obstacles, signs, or characters on the road surface based on the received image data. The outside vehicle information detection unit 7400 may perform processing such as distortion correction or alignment on the received image data, and may also generate an overhead image or a panoramic image by combining image data captured by different image capturing units 7410. The outside vehicle information detection unit 7400 may also perform viewpoint conversion processing using image data captured by different image capturing units 7410.

[0156] The interior information detection unit 7500 detects information inside the vehicle. A driver state detection unit 7510 that detects the driver's state is connected to the interior information detection unit 7500, for example. The driver state detection unit 7510 may include a camera that captures an image of the driver, a biosensor that detects the driver's biometric information, or a microphone that collects sound from within the vehicle cabin. The biosensor is provided, for example, on the seat or steering wheel, and detects the biometric information of a passenger sitting in the seat or the driver gripping the steering wheel. The interior information detection unit 7500 may calculate the driver's level of fatigue or concentration based on the detection information input from the driver state detection unit 7510, or may determine whether the driver is dozing off. The interior information detection unit 7500 may perform processing such as noise canceling on the collected audio signal.

[0157] The integrated control unit 7600 controls the overall operation of the vehicle control system 7000 according to various programs. An input unit 7800 is connected to the integrated control unit 7600. The input unit 7800 may be implemented by a device that can be operated by a passenger, such as a touch panel, a button, a microphone, a switch, or a lever. Data obtained by voice recognition of a voice input through a microphone may be input to the integrated control unit 7600. The input unit 7800 may be, for example, a remote control device using infrared or other radio waves, or an externally connected device such as a mobile phone or a personal digital assistant (PDA) that can operate the vehicle control system 7000. The input unit 7800 may be, for example, a camera, in which case the passenger can input information using gestures. Alternatively, data obtained by detecting the movement of a wearable device worn by the passenger may be input. Furthermore, the input unit 7800 may include, for example, an input control circuit that generates an input signal based on information input by the passenger using the input unit 7800 and outputs the input signal to the integrated control unit 7600. Passengers and the like operate this input unit 7800 to input various data to the vehicle control system 7000 and to instruct processing operations.

[0158] The storage unit 7690 may include a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores various programs executed by the microcomputer, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that stores various parameters, calculation results, sensor values, etc. The storage unit 7690 may also be realized by a magnetic storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disc Drive), a semiconductor storage device, an optical storage device, a magneto-optical storage device, or the like.

[0159] The general-purpose communication I / F 7620 is a general-purpose communication I / F that mediates communication with various devices present in the external environment 7750. The general-purpose communication I / F 7620 may implement a cellular communication protocol such as GSM (Global System of Mobile communications), WiMAX (registered trademark), LTE (Long Term Evolution), or LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), or other wireless communication protocols such as a wireless LAN (also referred to as Wi-Fi (registered trademark)) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The general-purpose communication I / F 7620 may connect to a device (e.g., an application server or a control server) present on an external network (e.g., the Internet, a cloud network, or an operator-specific network) via, for example, a base station or an access point. In addition, the general-purpose communication I / F 7620 may connect to a terminal located near the vehicle (e.g., a terminal of a driver, pedestrian, or store, or an MTC (Machine Type Communication) terminal) using, for example, P2P (Peer To Peer) technology.

[0160] The dedicated communication I / F 7630 is a communication I / F that supports a communication protocol designed for use in vehicles. The dedicated communication I / F 7630 may implement a standard protocol such as WAVE (Wireless Access in Vehicle Environment), which is a combination of a lower layer IEEE 802.11p and an upper layer IEEE 1609, DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications), or a cellular communication protocol. The dedicated communication I / F 7630 typically performs V2X communication, which is a concept including one or more of vehicle-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, vehicle-to-home communication, and vehicle-to-pedestrian communication.

[0161] The positioning unit 7640 performs positioning by receiving, for example, GNSS signals from GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellites (for example, GPS signals from GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites), and generates position information including the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the vehicle. Note that the positioning unit 7640 may identify the current position by exchanging signals with a wireless access point, or may obtain position information from a terminal such as a mobile phone, PHS, or smartphone that has a positioning function.

[0162] The beacon receiving unit 7650 receives, for example, radio waves or electromagnetic waves transmitted from radio stations or the like installed on the road, and acquires information such as the current location, congestion, road closures, required travel time, etc. The function of the beacon receiving unit 7650 may be included in the dedicated communication I / F 7630 described above.

[0163] The in-vehicle device I / F 7660 is a communication interface that mediates connections between the microcomputer 7610 and various in-vehicle devices 7760 present in the vehicle. The in-vehicle device I / F 7660 may establish wireless connections using wireless communication protocols such as wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC (Near Field Communication), or WUSB (Wireless USB). Furthermore, the in-vehicle device I / F 7660 may establish a wired connection such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), or MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) via a connection terminal (and a cable, if necessary) not shown. The in-vehicle device 7760 may include, for example, at least one of a mobile device or a wearable device owned by a passenger, or an information device carried into or attached to the vehicle. The in-vehicle device 7760 may also include a navigation device that searches for a route to an arbitrary destination. The in-vehicle device I / F 7660 exchanges control signals or data signals with these in-vehicle devices 7760.

[0164] The in-vehicle network I / F 7680 is an interface that mediates communication between the microcomputer 7610 and the communication network 7010. The in-vehicle network I / F 7680 transmits and receives signals in accordance with a predetermined protocol supported by the communication network 7010.

[0165] The microcomputer 7610 of the integrated control unit 7600 controls the vehicle control system 7000 in accordance with various programs based on information acquired via at least one of the general-purpose communication I / F 7620, the dedicated communication I / F 7630, the positioning unit 7640, the beacon receiving unit 7650, the in-vehicle device I / F 7660, and the in-vehicle network I / F 7680. For example, the microcomputer 7610 may calculate control target values ​​for the driving force generating device, the steering mechanism, or the braking device based on the acquired information inside and outside the vehicle, and output control commands to the drivetrain control unit 7100. For example, the microcomputer 7610 may perform cooperative control aimed at realizing functions of an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), including vehicle collision avoidance or impact mitigation, following driving based on the following distance, vehicle speed maintenance driving, vehicle collision warning, vehicle lane departure warning, etc. In addition, the microcomputer 7610 may perform cooperative control for the purpose of autonomous driving, in which the vehicle travels autonomously without relying on driver operation, by controlling a driving force generating device, a steering mechanism, a braking device, etc. based on information acquired about the vehicle's surroundings.

[0166] The microcomputer 7610 may generate three-dimensional distance information between the vehicle and objects such as surrounding structures and people, and create local map information including information about the vicinity of the vehicle's current location, based on information acquired via at least one of the general-purpose communication I / F 7620, the dedicated communication I / F 7630, the positioning unit 7640, the beacon receiving unit 7650, the in-vehicle device I / F 7660, and the in-vehicle network I / F 7680. Furthermore, the microcomputer 7610 may predict dangers, such as a vehicle collision, the approach of a pedestrian, or entry into a closed road, based on the acquired information, and generate a warning signal. The warning signal may be, for example, a signal for generating a warning sound or turning on a warning lamp.

[0167] The audio / image output unit 7670 transmits at least one of audio and image output signals to an output device capable of visually or audibly notifying vehicle occupants or the outside of the vehicle of information. In the example of FIG. 35 , an audio speaker 7710, a display unit 7720, and an instrument panel 7730 are illustrated as output devices. The display unit 7720 may include, for example, at least one of an on-board display and a head-up display. The display unit 7720 may have an AR (Augmented Reality) display function. The output device may also be other devices, such as headphones, a wearable device such as an eyeglass-type display worn by the occupant, a projector, or a lamp. When the output device is a display device, the display device visually displays results obtained by various processes performed by the microcomputer 7610 or information received from other control units in various formats, such as text, images, tables, and graphs. When the output device is an audio output device, the audio output device converts audio signals, such as reproduced audio data or acoustic data, into analog signals and audibly outputs the analog signals.

[0168] In the example shown in FIG. 35 , at least two control units connected via the communication network 7010 may be integrated into a single control unit. Alternatively, each control unit may be composed of multiple control units. Furthermore, the vehicle control system 7000 may include another control unit not shown. In the above description, some or all of the functions performed by one of the control units may be performed by another control unit. In other words, as long as information is transmitted and received via the communication network 7010, predetermined arithmetic processing may be performed by one of the control units. Similarly, a sensor or device connected to one of the control units may be connected to another control unit, and multiple control units may transmit and receive detection information to and from each other via the communication network 7010.

[0169] In the vehicle control system 7000 described above, the light-emitting element 1 according to the present embodiment described with reference to Fig. 1 can be applied to the imaging unit 7410 of the application example shown in Fig. 35. For example, by providing the light-emitting element 1 as a light source for the imaging unit 7410, it is possible to suppress light diffraction loss and more clearly illuminate the imaging field of view, thereby improving the accuracy of imaging, etc.

[0170] The present technology may have the following configuration: (1) A light-emitting device comprising: a substrate having a first main surface disposed on a light-emitting surface side and a second main surface disposed on the opposite side of the first main surface; a light-emitting layer disposed on the first main surface side of the substrate; a light-shielding member disposed on the light-emitting surface side of the light-emitting layer, the light-shielding member having an opening and blocking exposure light incident from the light-emitting surface side; a first reflecting member disposed in the opening of the light-shielding member; and a second reflecting member disposed on the second main surface side of the substrate, the second reflecting member having a concave surface causing light emitted from the light-emitting layer to resonate between the first reflecting member and the first reflecting member, wherein the light-shielding member has a plurality of light-shielding bodies disposed separately in a plane. (2) The light-emitting device according to (1), wherein the plurality of light-shielding bodies are disposed separately along a first direction and a second direction intersecting each other in a plane, and the areas of the plurality of light-shielding bodies become smaller and the intervals between adjacent light-shielding bodies become wider with increasing distance from the opening. (3) The light-emitting element according to (1), wherein the plurality of light shields are arranged separately from each other along a first direction and a second direction intersecting each other in a plane, and the areas of the plurality of light shields become larger and the intervals between adjacent light shields become smaller with increasing distance from the opening. (4) The light-emitting element according to (2) or (3), wherein the plurality of light shields have the same similar shapes. (5) The light-emitting element according to (2) or (3), wherein the plurality of light shields include two or more types of similar shapes. (6) The light-emitting element according to (1), wherein the plurality of light shields have the same shape and size, and extend in a radial direction from the opening as a center, and the distance between two circumferentially adjacent light shields increases with increasing distance from the opening. (7) The light-emitting element according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the light-emitting layer, the second reflecting member, and the light-shielding member are arranged so that their light-emitting positions overlap in a planar view. (8) The light-emitting element according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer and the center of gravity of the second reflecting member are arranged to overlap when viewed in a plane, and the center of gravity of the light-shielding member is arranged to be shifted from the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer and the center of gravity of the second reflecting member when viewed in a plane.(9) The light-emitting element according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the first reflecting member is arranged to cover an entire surface of the light-shielding member on the light-emitting surface side in a plan view. (10) A light-emitting element comprising: a substrate having a first main surface arranged on the light-emitting surface side and a second main surface arranged on the opposite side of the first main surface; a light-emitting layer arranged on the first main surface side of the substrate; a first reflecting member arranged on the light-emitting surface side of the substrate rather than the light-emitting layer and blocking exposure light; and a second reflecting member arranged on the second main surface side of the substrate and causing light emitted from the light-emitting layer to resonate between the first reflecting member and the second reflecting member, wherein the second reflecting member has an outer shape that follows an outer diameter shape of the first reflecting member. (11) The light-emitting element according to (10), wherein the first reflecting member has a plurality of reflectors arranged separately within the plane. (12) The light-emitting element according to (11), wherein the plurality of reflectors are arranged separately from each other along a first direction and a second direction intersecting each other in a plane, and the areas of the plurality of reflectors become smaller and the intervals between adjacent reflectors become wider as the distance from a central position increases. (13) The light-emitting element according to (10), wherein the first reflecting member has a partially curved body with an integral structure arranged in a plane. (14) The light-emitting element according to any one of (1) to (13), comprising an annular electrode arranged to surround the light-shielding member and for passing a current to the light-emitting layer. (15) The light-emitting element according to (14), comprising a conductive member for electrically connecting the electrode and the light-shielding member. (16) The light-emitting element according to any one of (1) to (13), comprising a plurality of light-emitting sections each having the light-emitting layer, the light-shielding member, the first reflecting member, and the second reflecting member, and an annular electrode arranged to surround the plurality of light-shielding members. (17) The light-emitting element according to (16), further comprising a conductive member that electrically connects the electrode and the plurality of light-shielding members.(18) A light-emitting element described in any one of (1) to (13), comprising: a plurality of light-emitting sections each having the light-emitting layer, the light-shielding member, the first reflecting member, and the second reflecting member, and arranged in a first direction and a second direction that intersect with each other; and a plurality of electrodes each including two or more of the light-emitting sections arranged in the first direction, and arranged for each of a plurality of groups of light-emitting sections arranged in the second direction, wherein two of the electrodes are arranged on both ends of each of the plurality of groups of light-emitting sections in the first direction, and the two electrodes are electrically connected to two or more conductive members in the corresponding groups of light-emitting sections. (19) A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising: forming a light-emitting layer on a first main surface side of a substrate having a first main surface disposed on a light-emitting surface side and a second main surface disposed on an opposite side of the first main surface; forming a first light-shielding member that blocks exposure light and has an opening, or forming a second light-shielding member that functions as a first reflecting member that blocks exposure light and transmits a portion of light emitted by the light-emitting layer, on the light-emitting surface side of the light-emitting layer; if the first light-shielding member is formed, forming the first reflecting member that is disposed in the opening; irradiating exposure light from the light-emitting surface side using the first light-shielding member or the second light-shielding member as a mask to form a transfer member having an outer shape that follows the outer shape of the first light-shielding member or the second light-shielding member on the second main surface side of the substrate; and removing a portion of the second main surface side of the substrate along the outer shape of the transfer member to form a second reflecting member that resonates light emitted by the light-emitting layer between the transfer member and the first reflecting member, (20) The method for manufacturing a light-emitting element according to (19), wherein the step of forming the first light-shielding member or the second light-shielding member includes forming the first light-shielding member or the second light-shielding member having a plurality of light-shielding bodies separately arranged in a plane, or forming the second light-shielding member having a curved body of an integral structure arranged in a plane. (20) The method for manufacturing a light-emitting element according to (19), wherein the transfer member is formed by irradiating exposure light from a light-emitting oblique surface side at an angle tilted from a normal direction of the first main surface according to an amount of deviation between the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer and the center of gravity position of the first reflecting member in a plan view.

[0171] The aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to the individual embodiments described above, but include various modifications that may be conceived by those skilled in the art, and the effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described contents. In other words, various additions, modifications, and partial deletions are possible within the scope of the conceptual idea and spirit of the present disclosure, which is derived from the contents defined in the claims and their equivalents.

[0172] 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, 1h, 1i, 80, 80a, 80b, 100, 100a, 101 light emitting element, 1j light emitting portion, 2 support substrate, 3 bonding layer, 4, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f first reflecting member, 5 conductive layer, 6 current injection region, 7 substrate, 7a, 7b convex portion, 8 second reflecting member, 9 light emitting layer, 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e light shielding member, 11 insulating layer, 12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 21, 91a, 91b electrode, 13, 13a, 13b light shield, 14, 14a opening, 22, 23 cladding layer, 24 current confinement portion, 25 High resistance region, 26 resonator, 27 concave mirror, 30, 30a region, 41 ground portion, 42 photosensitive layer, 42a semi-light-shielding region, 42b, 103 light-shielding region, 42c exposed region, 51, 51a conductive member, 60 photomask, 61, 102 light-shielding portion, 71 reflector, 90 light-emitting portion group

Claims

1. A light-emitting element comprising: a substrate having a first main surface arranged on the light emission surface side and a second main surface arranged on the opposite side of the first main surface; a light-emitting layer arranged on the first main surface side of the substrate; a light-shielding member arranged on the light emission surface side of the light-emitting layer, blocking exposure light incident from the light emission surface side and having an opening; a first reflecting member arranged in the opening of the light-shielding member; and a second reflecting member arranged on the second main surface side of the substrate, having a concave surface that causes light emitted by the light-emitting layer to resonate between the first reflecting member and the second reflecting member, wherein the light-shielding member has a plurality of light shields arranged separately within its plane.

2. The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light-shielding bodies are arranged separately from each other along a first direction and a second direction that intersect with each other within a plane, and the areas of the plurality of light-shielding bodies become smaller and the intervals between adjacent light-shielding bodies become wider as they move away from the opening.

3. The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light-shielding bodies are arranged separately from each other along a first direction and a second direction that intersect with each other within a plane, and the areas of the plurality of light-shielding bodies become larger and the intervals between adjacent light-shielding bodies become narrower with increasing distance from the opening.

4. The light-emitting element according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of light-shielding bodies have the same similar shape.

5. The light-emitting element according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of light-shielding bodies include two or more types of similar shapes.

6. The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light-shielding bodies have the same shape and size, extend radially from the opening as a center, and the distance between two adjacent light-shielding bodies in the circumferential direction increases as the light-shielding bodies move away from the opening.

7. The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer, the center of gravity of the second reflecting member, and the center of gravity of the light-shielding member are arranged to overlap each other in a plan view.

8. The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer and the center of gravity of the second reflecting member are arranged to overlap when viewed in a plane, and the center of gravity of the light-shielding member is arranged to be shifted from the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer and the center of gravity of the second reflecting member when viewed in a plane.

9. The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the first reflecting member is arranged so as to cover the entire surface of the light-shielding member on the light-emitting surface side when viewed in a plane.

10. A light-emitting element comprising: a substrate having a first main surface arranged on the light emission surface side and a second main surface arranged on the opposite side of the first main surface; a light-emitting layer arranged on the first main surface side of the substrate; a first reflecting member arranged on the light emission surface side of the light-emitting layer and blocking exposure light; and a second reflecting member arranged on the second main surface side of the substrate and causing light emitted by the light-emitting layer to resonate between the first reflecting member and the second reflecting member, wherein the second reflecting member has an outer shape that follows the outer diameter shape of the first reflecting member.

11. The light-emitting element according to claim 10, wherein the first reflecting member has a plurality of reflectors arranged separately within a plane.

12. The light-emitting element described in claim 11, wherein the plurality of reflectors are arranged separately from each other along a first direction and a second direction that intersect with each other within a plane, and the areas of the plurality of reflectors become smaller and the intervals between adjacent reflectors become wider as they move away from a central position.

13. The light-emitting element according to claim 10, wherein the first reflecting member has an integral partially curved body disposed within a plane.

14. The light-emitting element according to claim 1, further comprising an annular electrode disposed so as to surround the light-shielding member and configured to pass a current through the light-emitting layer.

15. The light-emitting element according to claim 14, further comprising a conductive member for electrically connecting said electrode and said light-shielding member.

16. The light-emitting element according to claim 1, comprising: a plurality of light-emitting sections each having the light-emitting layer, the light-shielding member, the first reflecting member, and the second reflecting member; and a ring-shaped electrode arranged to surround the plurality of light-shielding members.

17. The light-emitting element according to claim 16, further comprising a conductive member for electrically connecting said electrode and said plurality of light-shielding members.

18. A light-emitting element as described in claim 1, comprising: a plurality of light-emitting sections each having the light-emitting layer, the light-shielding member, the first reflecting member, and the second reflecting member, and arranged in a first direction and a second direction that intersect with each other; and a plurality of electrodes each including two or more of the light-emitting sections arranged in the first direction, and arranged for each of a plurality of groups of light-emitting sections arranged in the second direction, wherein two of the electrodes are arranged on both ends of each of the plurality of groups of light-emitting sections in the first direction, and the two electrodes are conductive to two or more conductive members in the corresponding groups of light-emitting sections.

19. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: forming a light-emitting layer on a first main surface side of a substrate having a first main surface disposed on a light-emitting surface side and a second main surface disposed on an opposite side to the first main surface; forming a first light-shielding member that blocks exposure light and has an opening, or forming a second light-shielding member that functions as a first reflecting member that blocks exposure light and transmits a portion of light emitted by the light-emitting layer, on the light-emitting surface side of the light-emitting layer; if the first light-shielding member is formed, forming the first reflecting member that is disposed in the opening; irradiating exposure light from the light-emitting surface side using the first light-shielding member or the second light-shielding member as a mask to form a transfer member having an outer shape that follows the outer shape of the first light-shielding member or the second light-shielding member on the second main surface side of the substrate; and removing a portion of the second main surface side of the substrate along the outer shape of the transfer member to form a second reflecting member that resonates light emitted by the light-emitting layer between the transfer member and the first reflecting member, A method for manufacturing a light-emitting element, wherein in the step of forming the first light-shielding member or the second light-shielding member, the first light-shielding member or the second light-shielding member is formed having a plurality of light-shielding bodies arranged separately within a plane, or the second light-shielding member is formed having an integral curved body arranged within a plane.

20. The manufacturing method described in claim 19, wherein the transfer member is formed by irradiating exposure light from the light-emitting surface side at an angle tilted from the normal direction of the first main surface according to the amount of deviation between the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer when viewed in a plane and the center of gravity position of the first reflecting member.

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