Patent ID: 7615398

Claim:
A method for fabricating a light-emitting device (LED) comprising the steps of: fabricating a light-emitting device heterostructure, the device heterostructure comprising a first layer comprising a first semiconductor material having a first type of doping, a second layer comprising a second semiconductor material having a second type of doping, and a light-generating layer disposed between the first and second layers, wherein the first layer has an upper surface distal the light-generating layer and a lower surface proximate the light-generating layer and wherein light generated in the light-generating layer emerges from the LED structure through the upper surface of the first layer, wherein the light-emitting device heterostructure is fabricated using a flip-chip process, the flip-chip process including: forming the first layer on a substrate; forming the subsequent layers upon the first layer; and, removing the substrate to expose the first layer, forming an etch mask on the exposed first layer, the mask comprising islands of mask material at locations corresponding to a predetermined tiling arrangement, wherein the step of forming the mask comprises the steps of: depositing a layer of photoresist over the first layer; patterning the photoresist by exposure according to the predetermined tiling arrangement; and, removing unexposed photoresist to leave islands of photoresist at locations corresponding to the predetermined tiling arrangement; forming pyramidal or frustro-pyramidal projections of the first semiconductor material in the first layer at locations beneath the islands of mask material by anisotropically wet etching the first semiconductor material to a predetermined depth along predetermined crystal planes; and, removing the islands of mask material to leave behind the predetermined tiling arrangement of pyramidal or frustro-pyramidal projections, which in combination with a surrounding material of different refractive index comprise a photonic band structure.