Surface Activated Bonding for Light Emitting Device

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional light emitting devices with a sapphire growth substrate and GaN nucleation layer exhibit weak bonding strength, leading to potential detachment during use.

Innovation Solution

A light emitting device with a sapphire substrate and a wavelength converting member made of aluminum oxide, featuring regions with irregular atomic arrangements for direct bonding, utilizing a surface activated bonding technique to enhance bonding strength without the need for adhesives.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If thermal compression bonding is used to bond the sapphire growth substrate and GaN nucleation layer, then the bonding process is simple, but the bonding strength is weak leading to detachment during use

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebonding process simplicityVSAvoidbonding strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the bonding parameters from simple thermal compression to a more complex process involving surface activation, temperature control (50-200°C), and pressure application. This parameter change transforms the bonding mechanism to achieve much stronger bonding strength while maintaining reasonable manufacturing complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces the purely mechanical thermal compression bonding with a chemical-physical bonding mechanism involving surface activation. The surface activation creates reactive groups on the bonding surfaces, enabling chemical bonding in addition to mechanical bonding, thereby significantly enhancing the overall bonding strength

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Strength

If adhesive materials are used to bond the light emitting element and wavelength converting member, then the bonding strength can be improved, but the device complexity and potential optical loss increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebonding strengthVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and eliminates the adhesive material from the bonding structure. By directly bonding the light emitting element to the wavelength converting member through surface activation, the patent removes the intermediate adhesive layer, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining strong bonding strength

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges the light emitting element and wavelength converting member into a single bonded structure without intermediate materials. The direct bonding through surface activation combines these two components into an integrated assembly, reducing structural complexity and eliminating potential failure interfaces

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Strength

If adhesive materials are used for bonding, then bonding strength can be enhanced, but optical loss and reduced light extraction efficiency occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebonding strengthVSAvoidoptical loss
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and removes the adhesive material that causes optical loss. By achieving direct bonding between the light emitting element and wavelength converting member, the adhesive layer is eliminated, thereby removing the source of optical absorption and scattering that would reduce light extraction efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention addresses optical properties by creating a bonding interface that is transparent to the relevant wavelengths. The direct bonding without adhesive materials ensures that the optical path remains clear, maintaining high light extraction efficiency and preventing energy loss through the bonding interface

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color 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 solution provides a light emitting device with significantly improved bonding strength between the light emitting element and the wavelength converting member, reducing strain, stress, and optical loss, while enhancing light extraction efficiency and luminous flux.

Implementation Method 1

a step of bonding the light emitting element and the wavelength converting member by using a surface activated bonding technique

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSurface activated bonding:

Data Source

PatentEP3509113A1Method of manufacturing the light emitting device
Publication Date: 2019.07.10 NICHIA CORP
  • EP3509113A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3509113A1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3C
  • EP3509113A1 patent drawing

AI summary

Provided is a light emitting device having strong bonding strength between the light emitting element and the wavelength converting member is provided. In the light emitting device, a light emitting element and a wavelength converting member are bonded. Particularly, the light emitting element has, from the wavelength converting member side, a first region and a second region, the wavelength converting member has, from the light emitting element side, a third region and a fourth region. The first region has an irregular atomic arrangement compared with the second region, the third region has an irregular atomic arrangement compared with the fourth region, and the first region and the third region are directly bonded.