Light-emitting array with bridge structures for current confinement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current light-emitting arrays, such as VCSELs, face challenges in efficiently spacing and connecting light-emitting elements with bridge structures to optimize light emission and electrical current confinement, leading to suboptimal performance in light emission and current confinement.

Innovation Solution

A light-emitting array design featuring a plurality of light-emitting elements spaced apart by bridge structures, where each element and bridge structure share the same epitaxial stack, with trenches and oxidation processes creating current confinement apertures to enhance light emission and electrical isolation, and a contiguous electrode structure for efficient current injection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If light-emitting elements are spaced apart to optimize light emission, then light emission efficiency is improved, but electrical isolation and current confinement become more difficult to achieve

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelight emission efficiencyVSAvoidelectrical isolation

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the semiconductor structure into multiple discrete light-emitting elements separated by trenches. Each element is electrically isolated through the trench structure, allowing independent current confinement while maintaining optimized spacing for light emission. The segmentation enables both improved light emission efficiency and reliable electrical isolation simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces bridge structures as intermediary elements between light-emitting elements. These bridges provide controlled electrical connections while maintaining spatial separation, acting as mediators that enable current confinement without compromising electrical isolation. The intermediary structures resolve the contradiction by providing a controlled pathway for current while preserving the benefits of spaced-apart elements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If bridge structures are used to connect light-emitting elements, then electrical connection is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrical connectionVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the bridge structure with the same epitaxial stack material composition as the light-emitting elements. This integration allows the bridges to be formed using the same fabrication processes, reducing device complexity while maintaining reliable electrical connections. The merging eliminates the need for separate heterostructure fabrication for connection elements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The bridge structures serve multiple functions: they provide electrical connection between elements, maintain mechanical support, and enable current confinement. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized structures, thereby reducing overall device complexity while improving electrical connection reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If trenches and oxidation processes are used for current confinement, then current confinement is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecurrent confinementVSAvoidmanufacturing process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs oxidation of the trench walls during the fabrication process before final electrode deposition. This preliminary oxidation creates the current confinement aperture structure in advance, simplifying subsequent manufacturing steps. The preliminary action of oxidation eliminates the need for additional complex confinement structure fabrication later in the process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes controlled oxidation parameters (temperature, time, atmosphere) to transform the trench wall material properties, creating insulating oxide layers that provide current confinement. By changing the chemical state of the material through oxidation, the patent achieves effective current confinement using standard semiconductor fabrication processes, maintaining ease of manufacture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The design improves light emission efficiency by ensuring proper spacing and electrical isolation between elements, enhancing current confinement and light output, while allowing for flexible electrode configurations to accommodate various element shapes and patterns.

Implementation Method 1

oxidation processes creating current confinement apertures

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectOxidation: Oxidation

Data Source

PatentUS9153944B2Light-emitting array

Publication Date: 2015.10.06 ENNOSTAR CORP

AI summary

A light-emitting array comprises a plurality of light-emitting elements, wherein each of the plurality of light-emitting elements comprises a first semiconductor stack; and a plurality of bridge structures connected to the plurality of light-emitting elements, wherein the plurality of light-emitting elements are spaced apart by the plurality of bridge structures, wherein each of the plurality of bridge structures comprise a second semiconductor stack which has the same epitaxial stack as the first semiconductor stack.