Wafer-Level Light Emitter Detection via Common Contacts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing light emitters face challenges in detecting abnormal emitters early in the manufacturing process, as they require individual electrical connections, which can damage contacts and reduce the reliability of the final device.
Innovation Solution
A method where a wafer with light emitting structures is configured with electrically connected first and second contacts on each face, allowing a single electrical connector to power all emitters, reducing contact damage and enabling early detection of defective emitters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If individual electrical connections are made to each emitter for detection, then detection capability is improved, but contact damage increases and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual electrical connections into a single common electrical connection that serves all light emitters simultaneously. The detection circuit is configured to electrically connect to multiple emitters through this single connection, eliminating the need for separate connections to each emitter. This reduces mechanical contact operations from multiple individual connections to a single connection event, thereby reducing contact damage while maintaining full detection capability across all emitters.
Solution Approach 2:
The single common electrical connection is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides electrical connection for detection purposes and can also serve as a reference electrode or signal return path. This universal connection structure eliminates the need for dedicated individual connections for each emitter, reducing the number of contact operations while maintaining comprehensive detection capability.
2Reliability
If detection is performed late in the manufacturing process, then contact damage is reduced, but manufacturing time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables detection to be performed earlier in the manufacturing process by establishing a common electrical connection structure during the wafer fabrication stage itself, before individual emitter packaging. The detection circuit can be integrated into the wafer processing equipment, allowing electrical testing to occur while emitters are still in wafer form, significantly reducing the time between manufacturing completion and defect detection without requiring individual connection operations.
3Measurement precision
If multiple individual connections are made to each emitter, then detection precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple connection functions into a single common electrical connection structure. The detection circuit uses this unified connection to access multiple emitters, reducing the physical number of connections while maintaining the ability to individually address and measure each emitter through selective electrical switching or multiplexing within the detection circuitry.
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 method simplifies the detection of abnormal emitters during manufacturing, improving the reliability of light emitters by reducing the need for individual connections and allowing for earlier identification of defects.
Implementation Method 1
each emitting structure being configured to emit a first radiation when an electric current flows through the emitting structure
Implementation Method 2
manufacturing a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact for each emitting structure... when an electrical potential difference is imposed between the first contact and the second contact, an electrical current flows through the emitting structure
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a set of light emitters each including a light emitting structure and an electrical contact, the method including the steps of:—providing a wafer carrying a set of light emitting structures, each emitting structure being configured to emit a first radiation when an electric current flows through the emitting structure, and—manufacturing, for each emitting structure, an electric contact, the contact being electrically insulated from each other. The manufacturing includes:—forming a first set of at least two first contacts and at least one conductor, the contact of the first set being electrically connected to each other first contact of the one or the conductor,—injecting, for each contact belonging to the first set, a electric current through the contact and the corresponding emitting structure, and—observing a radiation emitted in response to the injection.