BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to lighting techniques. More specifically, embodiments of the invention include techniques for manufacturing optical devices, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) using a separation process of thick gallium and nitrogen containing substrate members, such as GaN configured in polar crystalline orientations. In some embodiments, the gallium and nitrogen containing substrate is configured in a triangular shape or a diamond shape. The invention can be applied to applications such as white lighting, multi-colored lighting, general illumination, decorative lighting, automotive and aircraft lamps, street lights, lighting for plant growth, indicator lights, lighting for flat panel displays, and other optoelectronic devices.

In the late 1800's, Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. The conventional light bulb, commonly called the “Edison bulb,” has been used for over one hundred years. The conventional light bulb uses a tungsten filament enclosed in a glass bulb sealed in a base, which is screwed into a socket. The socket is coupled to an AC power or DC power source. The conventional light bulb can be found commonly in houses, buildings, and outdoor lightings, and other areas requiring light. Unfortunately, drawbacks exist with the conventional Edison light bulb. That is, the conventional light bulb dissipates more than 90% of the energy used as thermal energy. Additionally, the conventional light bulb routinely fails often due to thermal expansion and contraction of the filament element.

Solid state lighting techniques are known. Solid state lighting relies upon semiconductor materials to produce light emitting diodes, commonly called LEDs. At first, red LEDs were demonstrated and introduced into commerce. Red LEDs use Aluminum Indium Gallium Phosphide or AlInGaP semiconductor materials. Most recently, Shuji Nakamura pioneered the use of InGaN materials to produce LEDs emitting light in the blue color range for blue LEDs. The blue colored LEDs led to innovations such as solid state white lighting, the blue laser diode, which in turn enabled the Blu-Ray™ (trademark of the Blu-Ray Disc Association) DVD player, and other developments. Other colored LEDs have also been proposed.

High intensity UV, blue, and green LEDs based on GaN have been proposed and even demonstrated with some success. Efficiencies have typically been highest in the UV-violet, dropping off as the emission wavelength increases to blue or green. Unfortunately, achieving high intensity, high-efficiency GaN-based green LEDs has been particularly problematic. Additionally, GaN based LEDs have been costly and difficult to produce on a wide-scale in an efficient manner.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Conventional LED fabrication process typically employs a wafer scribing and breaking procedure to generate individual LED chips. These wafers are typically scribed along two substantially orthogonal axes, wherein these individual axes are respectively parallel to and co-planar with two non-equivalent crystal plane orientations of the wafer. For example, for an LED wafer comprising GaN on sapphire singulated into square or rectangular chips, the two orthogonal scribe axes are respectively parallel to and co-planar with m-plane and a-plane orientations of the sapphire wafer, wherein the m-planes and a-planes are not equivalent by definition.

In a specific embodiment, the present method includes a scribe and break process for bulk c-plane GaN wafers. The wafers are scribed along two or more non-orthogonal axes. These two or more axes are respectively parallel to and co-planar with equivalent crystal planes of the GaN wafer. For example, a bulk c-plane GaN wafer is scribed along three axes (with an angle of 60° between each of these three axes) wherein these three axes are respectively parallel to and co-planar with three m-plane orientations of the c-plane GaN wafer. In a specific embodiment, the three m-plane orientations are equivalent by definition. In one or more aspects, the present invention includes a method to fabricate a triangular-shaped or diamond-shaped chip geometry in the case of c-plane GaN wafers, which may have several advantages over conventional square or rectangular geometries. This present invention utilizes the in-plane 6-fold rotational symmetry and crystallography unique to c-plane GaN wafers—GaN has the Wurtzite crystal structure according to a specific embodiment. In an alternative preferred embodiment, the bulk c-plane GaN wafer may be scribed along three axes (with an angle of 60 degrees between each of these three axes) wherein these three axes are respectively parallel to and co-planar with three a-plane orientations of the c-plane GaN wafer, the three a-plane orientations being equivalent by definition.

In a specific embodiment, the present invention provides a gallium and nitrogen containing substrate configured in a triangular shape consisting of no more than five surface regions. Preferably, the five surface regions comprise three surface regions configured from respective first equivalent planes and two surface regions configured from second equivalent planes.

In alternative embodiments, the invention provides a diamond shape substrate consisting of no more than six surface regions. Preferably, the six surface regions comprise four surface regions configured from respective first equivalent planes and two surface regions configured from second equivalent planes. A first surface region configured in a c plane orientation and a second surface region configured in the c-plane orientation. The method also includes exposing at least a first m-plane region, a second m-plane region, and a third m-plane region. Moreover, the present invention provides a method of separating die from a gallium and nitrogen containing substrate. The invention also includes a gallium and nitrogen containing optical device. The device includes a gallium and nitrogen containing substrate having a base region and no more than three major planar side regions configured in a triangular arrangement provided from the base region.

In a preferred embodiment, the present method and structure can include one or more of the following elements that can include variations, modifications, and alternatives.

1. A bulk c-plane GaN wafer with an overlying LED epitaxial structure and with p-type and n-type metallizations is fabricated, such that there are ‘scribe streets’ along three directions (at 60° angles relative to each other) separating individual LED traces on the wafer. The scribe streets are aligned to be respectively parallel to three m-plane orientations of the c-plane GaN wafer, and are designed to intersect such that the triangle shape defined by three scribe lines is an equilateral triangle.

2. The LED wafer is laser-scribed on a first surface of the wafer, along a first ‘scribe street’ direction. The scribe depth in the scribed regions on the first surface is typically 20-50% of the thickness of the LED wafer.

3. The LED wafer is then laser-scribed on a first surface of the wafer, along a second ‘scribe street’ direction. The scribe depth in the scribed regions on the first surface is typically 20-50% of the thickness of the LED wafer.

4. The LED wafer is laser-scribed on a first surface of the wafer, along the third ‘scribe street’ direction. The scribe depth in the scribed regions on the first surface is typically 20-50% of the thickness of the LED wafer.

5. The scribe depth in the scribed regions on the second surface is typically 20-50% of the thickness of the LED wafer.

6. The scribed LED wafer is then broken using an anvil breaker setup along the three ‘scribe street’ orientations. Breaking occurs along the planes defined by scribed regions on the first surface of the wafer in a specific embodiment. Breaking along the third ‘scribe street’ orientation yields individual triangle-shaped LED chips.

In a specific embodiment, the invention provides for a method for singulation of thick c-plane GaN wafers into triangle-shaped LED chips defined by three equivalent m-plane oriented sidewalls. In one or more embodiments, the m-plane is a natural break plane, which easily cleaves, in the case of c-plane GaN wafers, and therefore, a singulation process involving breaking exclusively or predominately along a set of m-plane orientations will have a higher yield than a process involving breaking along both m-plane orientations and a-plane orientations. In another specific embodiment, the present invention provides for a method for singulation of c-plane GaN wafers into triangle-shaped LED chips defined by three equivalent m-plane oriented sidewalls. In one or more embodiments, break along the a-plane yields a characteristic surface texture which results in improved light extraction. I

The invention provides triangle-shaped chips characterized by improved light extraction when compared to conventional square- or rectangle-shaped chips, due to an increase in the per-pass probability of escape of in-plane emission arising from a decrease in the probability of total internal reflection at the sidewalls. Additionally, triangle-shaped chips provide fewer trapped trajectories of light than square or rectangle chips, so that the chip light extraction efficiency can be increased.

