Optoelectronic Semiconductor Chip Trench Contact Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optoelectronic semiconductor components, such as light-emitting diodes, face significant absorption losses due to metallic contact structures, which reduce the brightness of emitted radiation.
Innovation Solution
The design of an optoelectronic semiconductor chip with trench structures and contact finger configurations that minimize absorption losses, including a first trench structure passing through the second semiconductor layer and active region, and a second trench structure projecting into the first semiconductor layer, with contact finger structures electrically connected to the semiconductor layers in a three-dimensional manner to reduce electrical shorts and enhance radiation reflectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If metallic contact structures are used for lateral current introduction, then electrical contacting is achieved, but absorption losses increase and brightness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from planar (2D) contact structures to three-dimensional (3D) trench structures that extend vertically into the semiconductor layer. This dimensional change allows the contact to access the semiconductor layer at depth while minimizing lateral footprint, thereby reducing the contact surface area that causes absorption losses while maintaining effective electrical contacting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the contact function from the planar surface layer and relocates it to vertically extended trench structures. By taking the contact interface out of the radiation-emitting plane and placing it in subsurface trenches, the harmful absorption effect is separated from the useful light emission region.
2Illumination intensity
If contact finger structure extent is reduced to minimize absorption losses, then brightness increases, but contacting interface area decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent compensates for reduced lateral contact area by extending the contact structure vertically into the semiconductor layer through trenches. This 3D configuration maintains adequate contacting interface area through depth while minimizing lateral extent that would otherwise cause absorption losses and reduce brightness.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact finger structure is nested within the trench structures, placing the contact interface inside the vertically extended trenches. This nesting allows the contact to achieve sufficient interface area with the semiconductor layer at depth while maintaining a small lateral footprint that minimizes absorption losses.
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 configuration significantly reduces absorption losses and increases the efficiency and brightness of the semiconductor chip by providing a larger contacting interface with a smaller contact finger structure extent, while maintaining reliable electrical contacting.
Implementation Method 1
the first connection layer is in particular provided as a mirror layer for the radiation to be generated and/or to be received in the active region
Data Source
AI summary
An optoelectronic semiconductor chip may include a semiconductor layer sequence provided for generating and/or receiving radiation. The chip may further include a first trench structure and a second trench structure formed in the semiconductor layer sequence. A first contact finger structure may electrically conductively connect the second trench structure to a first semiconductor layer of the semiconductor layer sequence. The first contact finger structure may adjoin a first side surface and/or a second side surface of the second trench structure at least in places. A second contact finger structure may electrically conductively connect to a second semiconductor layer of the semiconductor layer sequence where the second contact finger may be arranged in the first trench structure.