MEET1 - 2

Invited

A new Approach for Fabricating High-Brightness GaN LED

Microdisplays with High Resolution and Very Small Pixel-pitch.
François Templier, Lamine Benaïssa, Ismaïl Degirmencioglu, Matthew Charles,
Sauveur Tirano and Anis Daami
CEA-LETI, Minatec Campus, Grenoble, France and III-V Lab, Grenoble, France

Keywords: microdisplay, high-brightness, GaN, augmented reality

ABSTRACT temperature constraints and differences in crystal

A new approach for fabricating high-brightness GaN orientation. Whatever the coupling technology is used,
microdisplays is proposed. The demonstration of an alignment must be made, individually or commonly,
feasibility is achieved with the production of 3 μm pixel between the microLEDs and the CMOS matrix
pitch microLED arrays on silicon. Such LEDs have consisting of the array of electrode pads. This alignment
interesting electrical characteristics. This technology is is limited in precision and as a consequence impacts the
therefore very promising for fabricating high brightness, pixel pitch. Therefore to allow a pixel pitch reduction of
ultra-high-resolution microdisplays needed for augmented GaN microdisplay, a solution needs to be found to avoid
reality. this alignment.

2.2 New concept

1. INTRODUCTION Here we propose a new approach for fabricating
The growing interest for wearable devices has high-brightness LED microdisplays (Figure 1). A GaN
highlighted the need for high-performance microdisplays. LED epilayer is grown on a substrate. This stack is
Self-emitting devices such as OLED microdisplays are transferred and bonded onto a CMOS active-matrix (b),
attractive, providing excellent image quality and low power and the first substrate is removed (c). The LED array is
consumption [1], but they have some limitations in then patterned and fabricated directly on the CMOS
brightness. Inorganic GaN LED based arrays are a very wafer (d). In this approach, the above-mentioned
promising technology for very high brightness alignment problem is avoided.
microdisplay [2]. Such microdisplays can be fabricated
either via (i) hybridization of a GaN array on sapphire with 2.3 Advantages
CMOS active matrix [3], or (ii) 3D parallel integration of The LED arrays are fabricated directly on the CMOS
GaN LEDs on a CMOS circuit [4]. Based on the first wafer, and can take advantage of the very small feature
approach, some prototypes have been fabricated using size available using the latest semiconductor
classical flip-chip hybridization technique and a pixel pitch manufacturing techniques. Therefore, with this approach
of 15 μm was reached [3]. More recently, it was very small pixel-pitch can be achieved.
demonstrated that using microtube hybridization This approach allows also a lot of versatility since GaN
technology it was possible to lower the pitch down to 10 epilayers can be grown on sapphire, on silicon or any
μm [5]. Using the 3D parallel integration approach, a other substrate. With silicon, 200 mm wafers can be
pixel-pitch of 10 μm pitch has been demonstrated [4]. used, which gives a big advantage since the stack can
However, for high-brightness LED microdisplays, there is be bonded to the same size CMOS active-matrix wafers.
a need of a much smaller pixel pitch, typically 5 μm or Also, the devices can be fully fabricated on a CMOS line,
even 2 μm. Therefore, a new integration strategy for which simplifies significantly the supply chain and paves
fabricating these GaN LED microdisplays is required. the way for future low cost, mass production of high
brightness GaN microdisplays.

2. NEW APPROACH
2.1 Present limits of GaN microdisplay fabrication: 3. RESULTS
One of the main limitation of existing GaN microdisplay 3.1 Applied process
prototypes is the pixel pitch. If we compare the main To evaluate the feasibility of this approach, we have
existing fabrication routes, namely hybridization and 3D applied the process shown on Figure 2. GaN-based LED
parallel integration, there is one common feature: in all layers were grown on 200 mm silicon wafers, oriented
cases, LED microLEDs are fabricated on one side, the (1-1-1) (Figure 2 (a)). A simple strain control structure
CMOS active matrix on another, then they are coupled. was used, with an AlN nucleation layer on silicon, AlGaN
This particularity comes from the fact that GaN layers buffer layers and a non-intentionally doped GaN layer.
cannot be grown directly on top of the CMOS wafer, due to These were followed by a classic LED structure of


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n-GaN, InGaN-GaN multi-quantum well, and finally pGaN from both GaN/Si and GaN/sapphire 5-μm sized LEDs.
as the final layer. The multi-quantum well was optimized GaN/Si LED shows a maximum emission at 476 nm
for blue light emission. whereas GaN/sapphire one is around 436 nm. We also
This epilayer was transferred and bonded onto a notice a broader spectrum arising from GaN/Si
200-mm silicon wafer covered with full-sheet metallization microleds (FWHM ~ 58nm) compared to sapphire grown
(b). This metallization includes ohmic contact layers, GaN leds (FWHM ~ 26 nm). This difference may be
diffusion barrier layers and metal bonding layers. Both related to the difference in the growth of the two samples
wafers were conditioned to fulfill the requirement of direct due to the different substrates used. Nevertheless the
bonding as reported in [6]. After thermal consolidation of devices fabricated with this new approach present highly
the bonded structure at 400°C, the growth substrate was interesting properties and characteristics for display
removed via a combination of a rough mechanical grinding applications.
and a plasma etching step. This strategy allows a fast
removal of the major part of the silicon growth substrate. 4. CONCLUSION
Next, thanks to the selectivity of plasma etching technique, This work demonstrates the feasibility of high-resolution
a soft removal of the epitaxial buffer layers is permitted and very-small pixel pitch high-brightness GaN
without affecting the GaN active layers (c). Figure 3 shows microdisplays. The achieved pixel-pitch of the GaN
acoustic and optical photographs of wafers at these microLED arrays, 3 μm, is the smallest ever reported to
different steps, and a scanning electron microscope the author’s knowledge. Also, using this novel process
(SEM) cross section. Subsequently, matrices of GaN integration, the devices are entirely fabricated using a
microLEDs with different size and spacing were patterned CMOS line, which simplifies significantly the supply
using classical lithography and dry etching (d). No chain and paves the way for future low cost, mass
post-metallization has been applied on these first samples. production of GaN-based microdisplays. This
At the end of the process, the n-type layer of the LED is on technology is very promising for fabricating
the top surface and the p-type layer is at the bottom side, high-brightness, ultra-high-resolution microdisplays,
in contact with the full-sheet metal layer which makes a which are necessary for new applications such as
common anode for the LEDs.Figure 4 shows a silicon wearable devices, advanced Head-up display (HUD)
wafer with GaN microLED arrays after such processing. systems and compact projectors.
Figure 5 shows an SEM image (right) of a 2-μm size,
3-μm pitch blue microLED array. Each microLED emits
bright blue light (left). In addition, arrays of bigger REFERENCES
microLEDs and pitch were fabricated, as shown in Figure [1] G. Haas, E. Marcellin-Dibon, Proc. of IDW/AD’12,
6. Japan (2012)
[2] S. X. Jin, J. Li, J. Z. Li, J. Y. Lin, and H. X. Jiang, Appl.
3.2 Electro-optical characterization Phys. Lett. 76, 631 (2000)
Figure 7 shows current-voltage characteristics of 2 [3] J. Day, J. Li, D. Y. C. Lie, C. Bradford, J. Y. Lin and H.
microleds (2-um size & 5-μm size) fabricated using this X. Jiang, Appl. Phys. Lett., 99, p031116 (2011)
new approach (GaN/Si), compared to a reference one (5 [4] H. El-Ghoroury, Z. Alpaslan, Proceedings of The
μm size) fabricated directly on sapphire and having both N International Display Workshops Volume 21,
and P-type metallizations. We can see that GaN/Si December 3, 2014
microleds show a comparable turn-on voltage of around [5] F. Templier, H. Bono, J.-M. Bethoux, F. Marion, I.-C.
2.5 V. The GaN/Si 5-μm size microled exhibits the same Robin, M.-A. di Forte-Poisson, The 21st
leakage current as the GaN/sapphire one. However, the International Display Workshops in conjunction with
2-μm diode has higher leakage current. This is interpreted Asia Display 2014 (IDW/AD’14), December 3-5
as peripheral leakage which is generally higher for very 2014, Niigata, Japan (2014)
small sized microleds. On the other hand, we observe that [6] F. Baudin, L. D. Cioccio, V. Delaye et al., Microsyst.
the 5-μm size GaN/Si microLEDs present a comparable Technol., 1–7, (2012)
current density level as the GaN/sapphire microLEDs up
to a high level of bias (J = 4 x103 mA/cm2 at 4.5V) despite
the absence of metal contact on the top N side of the LED
structures. Nevertheless we observe a current saturation
due to the lack of this metallization at higher voltages for
GaN/Si microleds. Indeed GaN/sapphire devices reach 1
mA (fixed current compliance) very rapidly at 8 V which is
not the case for both sizes of GaN/Si microled.
In Figure 8, we show normalized spectra of emission


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Fig. 1: Schematic of the new approach for

fabricating GaN microdisplays.

Fig. 4: 200 mm silicon wafer with GaN microLED.

Inset shows arrays with different microLED size and
pitches.

Fig. 2: Schematic of the process applied for this

demonstration of feasibility.

Fig. 5: (right) Scanning Electron Microscope of a

2-μm size, 3-μm pitch blue microLED array and (left)
one of the microLEDs switched on.

Fig. 3: (top left) Scanning Acoustic Microscopy

image revealing a good bonding quality of the
structure (defects appear in white), photos (top Fig. 6: Scanning Electron Microscope of a 5-μm size,
center) after growth substrate grinding and (top 6-μm pitch blue microLEDs.
right) after plasma etching of buffer layers, (bottom)
Scanning Electron Microscope cross section of the
GaN active layer transfer prior to buffer removal.


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10-6
Current (A)

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GaN on Si 2μm / 3μm
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GaN on Si 5μm / 8μm
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GaN/Sapphire 5μm / 10μm
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Voltage (V)

Fig. 8: Emission spectra of a GaN/Si microled

Fig. 7: Current-voltage characteristics of 2 GaN/Si compared to a GaN/sapphire one. Inset photo shows
microleds (2-μm size, 3-μm pitch and 5-μm size, light emission from GaN/Si microled.
8-μm pitch) compared to a reference GaN/sapphire
microled (5-μm size, 10-μm pitch). .


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