Micro-LED Wafer Slicing With Bonded Epitaxial Layer Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complex and costly manufacturing process of traditional light emitting diode (LED) chips, which involves stacking epitaxial layers on a substrate, requires a high cost and intricate process, making it inefficient for mass production of micro-LEDs.
Innovation Solution
A slicing micro-LED wafer is created by bonding epitaxial layer slices onto a driver circuit substrate using a bonding layer, simplifying the process and reducing costs by using a single bonding process to form micro-LEDs, which are then arranged side-by-side on the substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional stacking process is used to form LED chips, then reliable light emission is achieved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the manufacturing process by slicing the epitaxial wafer into individual layer slices after epitaxial growth, then transferring these slices to the driver circuit substrate. This segmentation allows each slice to be processed independently and simplifies the overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining reliable light emission through proper layer structure preservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary epitaxial growth of complete LED structures on a separate wafer before slicing and transfer. This preliminary action allows the complex epitaxial layers to be formed once in bulk, then replicated across multiple chips through slicing, reducing the overall manufacturing complexity and cost while ensuring reliable light emission through consistent layer quality.
2Reliability
If traditional stacking process is used to form LED chips, then functional LEDs are produced, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple manufacturing operations into a unified slicing and transfer process. By slicing the epitaxial wafer into multiple layers and transferring them collectively to the driver circuit substrate in a single process flow, the patent reduces manufacturing steps and associated costs while maintaining LED functionality through proper bonding layer formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates multiple identical LED structures by slicing the epitaxial wafer into uniform layers that are then transferred to the driver circuit substrate. This copying approach allows mass production of functional LEDs from a single epitaxial growth process, significantly reducing per-unit manufacturing cost while ensuring consistent LED functionality across all chips.
3Reliability
If epitaxial layers are stacked on substrate to form LEDs, then light emitting function is achieved, but chip thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary epitaxial layer slices from the full epitaxial wafer structure and transfers them to the driver circuit substrate. By taking out only the required light-emitting layers rather than stacking complete multi-layer structures, the patent achieves the light emitting function with reduced chip thickness, improving overall device profile while maintaining functionality.
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
This approach reduces the complexity and cost of producing micro-LED chips, resulting in a more efficient and cost-effective method for forming micro-LEDs with improved manufacturing efficiency and thinner chip thickness.
Implementation Method 1
a bonding layer, formed at bottoms of the plurality of epitaxial layer slices and on a top surface of the driver circuit substrate, for bonding the micro-LEDs and the driver circuit substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A slicing micro-light emitting diode (LED) wafer includes a driver circuit substrate, a plurality of micro-LEDs formed on the driver circuit substrate, the plurality of micro-LEDs being made from a plurality of epitaxial layer slices arranged side-by-side on the driver circuit substrate, and a bonding layer, formed at bottoms of the plurality of epitaxial layer slices and on a top surface of the driver circuit substrate, for bonding the micro-LEDs and the driver circuit substrate.