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Title: Semiconductor light-emitting devices having concave microstructures providing improved light extraction efficiency and method for producing same

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1108717

A conventional semiconductor LED is modified to include a microlens layer over its light-emitting surface. The LED may have an active layer including at least one quantum well layer of InGaN and GaN. The microlens layer includes a plurality of concave microstructures that cause light rays emanating from the LED to diffuse outwardly, leading to an increase in the light extraction efficiency of the LED. The concave microstructures may be arranged in a substantially uniform array, such as a close-packed hexagonal array. The microlens layer is preferably constructed of curable material, such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and is formed by soft-lithography imprinting by contacting fluid material of the microlens layer with a template bearing a monolayer of homogeneous microsphere crystals, to cause concave impressions, and then curing the material to fix the concave microstructures in the microlens layer and provide relatively uniform surface roughness.

Research Organization:
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
FC26-08NT01581
Assignee:
Lehigh University (Bethlehem, PA)
Patent Number(s):
8,586,963
Application Number:
12/963,098
OSTI ID:
1108717
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (18)

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Enhancement of light extraction efficiency of InGaN quantum wells light emitting diodes using SiO2/polystyrene microlens arrays journal November 2007
GaN group semiconductor light-emitting element with concave and convex structures on the substrate and a production method thereof patent May 2006
Fabrication of reflective GaN mesa sidewalls for the application to high extraction efficiency LEDs journal June 2007
Optimization of Light Extraction Efficiency of III-Nitride LEDs With Self-Assembled Colloidal-Based Microlenses journal July 2009
Nitride based semiconductor light-emitting device patent December 2005
Light emitting diodes including transparent oxide layers patent September 2008
Ordering parameters of self-organized three-dimensional quantum-dot lattices determined from anomalous x-ray diffraction journal February 2004
Enhanced Light Extraction in GaInN Light-Emitting Diode With Pyramid Reflector journal January 2006
Efficient light extraction method and device patent December 2011

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