Method of making a light emitting semiconductor having a rear reflecting surface

Claim 1

A method for forming a light emitting semiconducting structure comprising the following steps: providing a substrate of appropriate semiconductive material, conductivity and crystallographic orientation; patterning a reflecting structure which overlays said substrate, said patterned reflecting structure comprising a reflecting layer disposed between two dielectric layers such that a first dielectric layer contacts said substrate, said reflecting structure being patterned so as to expose at least one region of said underlying substrate; epitaxially growing a material crystallographically compatible with said substrate from said substrate in said exposed region of said substrate to a height approximately equal to the thickness of said reflecting structure and then continuing epitaxial growth of said material laterally over said reflecting structure to form an active region; and providing appropriate components and metallic contacts over said active region so as to form the light emitting semiconducting structure.

Claim 2

A method for forming a light emitting semiconducting structure comprising the following steps: providing a substrate of appropriate semiconductive material, conductivity and crystallographic orientation; patterning a reflecting structure which overlays said substrate, said patterned reflecting structure comprising a reflecting layer disposed between two dielectric layers such that a first dielectric layer contacts said substrate, said reflecting structure being patterned so as to expose at least one region of said underlying substrate; epitaxially growing a material crystallographically compatible with said substrate from said substrate in said exposed region of said substrate to a height approximately equal to the thickness of said reflecting structure and then continuing epitaxial growth of said material laterally over said reflecting structure to form an active region; and providing appropriate components and metallic contacts over said active region so as to form the light emitting semiconducting structure.

Claim 3

A method for forming a light emitting semiconducting structure comprising the following steps: providing a substrate of gallium arsenide, silicon, or other material characterized by n-type conductivity; patterning a sandwiched reflecting structure which overlays said substrate, said patterned sandwiched reflecting structure comprising a gold reflecting layer disposed between two dielectric layers of silicon oxide, such that a first dielectric layer contacts said substrate, said sandwiched reflecting structure being patterned so as to expose at least one region of said underlying substrate; epitaxially growing a material chosen from the group consisting of boron, aluminum, indium, gallium, arsenic, phosphorus, nitrogen in the III-V family of light-emitting compounds, and other III-VI, IV, and IV-VI lighter emitters from said substrate in said exposed region of said substrate to a height roughly equal to the thickness of said sandwiched reflecting structure and then continuing said epitaxial growth in a lateral direction over said sandwiched reflecting structure to from an active region; and providing appropriate p-type conductivity contacts over said laterally grown active region.

Claim 4

A method for forming a light emitting semiconducting structure comprising the following steps: providing a substrate of gallium arsenide, silicon, or other material characterized by n-type conductivity; patterning a sandwiched reflecting structure which overlays said substrate, said patterned sandwiched reflecting structure comprising a gold reflecting layer disposed between two dielectric layers of silicon oxide, such that a first dielectric layer contacts said substrate, said sandwiched reflecting structure being patterned so as to expose at least one region of said underlying substrate; epitaxially growing a material chosen from the group consisting of boron, aluminum, indium, gallium, arsenic, phosphorus, nitrogen in the III-V family of light-emitting compounds, and other III-VI, IV, and IV-VI lighter emitters from said substrate in said exposed region of said substrate to a height roughly equal to the thickness of said sandwiched reflecting structure and then continuing said epitaxial growth in a lateral direction over said sandwiched reflecting structure to from an active region; and providing appropriate p-type conductivity contacts over said laterally grown active region.