Micro-LED Template Structure Without Sidewall Etching

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Solution Overview

Problem

The production of micro-LEDs is hindered by low production yield rates and high manufacturing costs, primarily due to issues such as small wafer size, low transfer efficiency, warpage, poor wavelength uniformity, non-radiative recombination during etching, and high costs associated with traditional pixel transfer methods and RGB tri-color LED usage.

Innovation Solution

A light-emitting device structure and template are developed, featuring a substrate with a GaN-based semiconductor layer and a mask layer containing mask openings filled with the semiconductor layer. A sacrificial layer is added on the semiconductor layer, allowing for direct formation of light-emitting units on the template, avoiding sidewall etching and improving efficiency, while the sacrificial layer facilitates peeling and template reuse.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If traditional fetch and release methods are used to transfer core particles to the drive backplane, then pixel transfer can be achieved, but the preparation time is too long to meet industrialization requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepixel transfer efficiencyVSAvoidpreparation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The template is divided into multiple independent regions with mask openings arranged in arrays, allowing parallel processing of multiple micro-LEDs simultaneously. This segmentation enables high-throughput fabrication where many devices are prepared in one go rather than sequentially

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The GaN-based semiconductor layer is pre-formed and patterned with mask openings on the template before pixel transfer. This preliminary preparation of the semiconductor structure with predefined openings allows for rapid assembly of micro-LEDs without time-consuming in-situ fabrication during the transfer process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If etching is used to form light-emitting units, then pixel definition is achieved, but non-radiative recombination of sidewalls increases resulting in low luminous efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepixel definitionVSAvoidluminous efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of etching away material to form pixels, the invention extracts and removes only the sacrificial layer material that was temporarily used to define pixel positions. The actual light-emitting semiconductor structures are preserved without damaging etching, eliminating sidewall damage and non-radiative recombination

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

A sacrificial layer is introduced as an intermediary material to define pixel positions during fabrication. This sacrificial layer can be cleanly removed without affecting the surrounding light-emitting structures, avoiding the harmful effects of direct etching on the semiconductor sidewalls

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Volume of moving object

If small wafer size is used for epitaxy, then micro-LED miniaturization is achieved, but transfer efficiency decreases and warpage increases affecting subsequent chip processing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemicro-LED sizeVSAvoidtransfer efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention transitions from transferring individual small micro-LEDs to transferring an entire array of micro-LEDs mounted on a template. This dimensional shift from 1D/2D individual device handling to 2D/3D array transfer dramatically improves efficiency while maintaining small device dimensions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple micro-LEDs are merged into a collective array structure on the template, allowing them to be handled and transferred as a unified group. This combining of multiple small devices into an array enables efficient bulk transfer operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Illumination intensity

If RGB tri-color LED is used for full color display, then color performance is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecolor performanceVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The template enables different regions to be configured with different semiconductor layer compositions optimized for specific colors (red, green, blue). Each local region on the template can be independently optimized for its intended color output, allowing cost-effective production of colored micro-LEDs tailored to specific display requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS12349512B2Light-emitting device, template of light-emitting device and preparation methods thereof

Publication Date: 2025.07.01 ENKRIS SEMICON

AI summary

Disclosed are a light-emitting device, a template of the light-emitting device and preparation methods thereof. The template of the light-emitting device comprises a substrate; a GaN-based semiconductor layer and a mask layer provided on the substrate, where the mask layer comprises a plurality of mask openings provided at intervals, and the plurality of mask openings are filled with the GaN-based semiconductor layer; and a sacrificial layer provided on a surface of the GaN-based semiconductor layer away from the substrate and located in the plurality of mask openings provided at intervals.