US Patent 7943942 Semiconductor light-emitting device with double-sided passivation

A light-emitting device includes a substrate, a first doped semiconductor layer situated above the substrate, a second doped semiconductor layer situated above the first doped layer, and a multi-quantum-well (MQW) active layer situated between the first and the second doped layers. The device also includes a first electrode coupled to the first doped layer and a first passivation layer situated between the first electrode and the first doped layer in areas other than an ohmic-contact area. The first passivation layer substantially insulates the first electrode from edges of the first doped layer, thereby reducing surface recombination. The device further includes a second electrode coupled to the second doped layer and a second passivation layer which substantially covers the sidewalls of the first and second doped layers, the MQW active layer, and the horizontal surface of the second doped layer.