Status of GaN-based green light-emitting diodes

GaN-based blue light emitting diodes(LEDs) have undergone great development in recent years,but the improvement of green LEDs is still in progress.Currently,the external quantum efficiency(EQE) of GaN-based green LEDs is typically30%,which is much lower than that of top-level blue LEDs.The current challenge with regard to GaN-based green LEDs is to grow a high quality In GaN quantum well(QW) with low strain.Many techniques of improving efficiency are discussed,such as inserting Al GaN between the QW and the barrier,employing prestrained layers beneath the QW and growing semipolar QW.The recent progress of GaN-based green LEDs on Si substrate is also reported:high efficiency,high power green LEDs on Si substrate with 45.2% IQE at 35 A/cm2,and the relevant techniques are detailed.     

p-AlGaN电子阻挡层Al组分对Si衬底绿光LED性能影响的研究

在Si(111)衬底上利用MOCVD方法生长了具有不同Al组分p-AlGaN电子阻挡层的绿光InGaN/GaN LED结构,并对其光电性能进行了研究.结果表明,不同Al组分样品的量子效率随电流密度的变化规律呈现多样性.在很低电流密度范围,LED量子效率随Al组分升高而下降;在较高电流密度范围,LED量子效率随Al组分升高而升高,即此时缓解了量子效率随电流密度增大而衰退的速率(即droop效应);但随着电流密度的进一步升高,反而加快了量子效率衰退的速率.这些现象解释为不同Al组分的p-AlGaN对空穴和电子 关键词： 氮化镓 p-AlGaN 绿光LED 量子效率     

Temperature-dependent efficiency droop behaviors of GaN-based green light-emitting diodes

The efficiency droop behaviors of GaN-based green light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are studied as a function of temperature from 300 K to 480 K. The overall quantum efficiency of the green LEDs is found to degrade as temperature increases, which is mainly caused by activation of new non-radiative recombination centers within the LED active layer. Meanwhile, the external quantum efficiency of the green LEDs starts to decrease at low injection current level (<1 A/cm2 ) with a temperature-insensitive peak-efficiency-current. In contrast, the peak-efficiency-current of a control GaN-based blue LED shows continuous up-shift at higher temperatures. Around the onset point of efficiency droop, the electroluminescence spectra of the green LEDs also exhibit a monotonic blue-shift of peak energy and a reduction of full width at half maximum as injection current increases. Carrier delocalization is believed to play an important role in causing the efficiency droop in GaN-based green LEDs.     

Efficiency droop suppression in GaN-based light-emitting diodes by chirped multiple quantum well structure at high current injection

Gallium nitride(Ga N) based light-emitting diodes(LEDs) with chirped multiple quantum well(MQW) structures have been investigated experimentally and numerically in this paper. Compared to conventional LEDs with uniform quantum wells(QWs), LEDs with chirped MQW structures have better internal quantum efficiency(IQE) and carrier injection efficiency. The droop ratios of LEDs with chirped MQW structures show a remarkable improvement at 600 m A/mm2,reduced down from 28.6%(conventional uniform LEDs) to 23.7%(chirped MQWs-a) and 18.6%(chirped MQWs-b),respectively. Meanwhile, the peak IQE increases from 76.9%(uniform LEDs) to 83.7%(chirped MQWs-a) and 88.6%(chirped MQWs-b). The reservoir effect of chirped MQW structures is the significant reason as it could increase hole injection efficiency and radiative recombination. The leakage current and Auger recombination of chirped MQW structures can also be suppressed. Furthermore, the chirped MQWs-b structure with lower potential barriers can enhance the reservoir effect and obtain further improvement of the carrier injection efficiency and radiative recombination, as well as further suppressing efficiency droop.     

硅衬底InGaN/GaN基蓝光发光二极管droop效应的研究

InGaN/GaN基阱垒结构LED当注入的电流密度较大时, LED的量子效率随注入电流密度增大而下降, 即droop效应.本文在Si (111)衬底上生长了 InGaN/GaN 基蓝光多量子阱结构的LED,通过将实验测量的光电性能曲线与利用ABC模型模拟的结果进行对比, 探讨了droop效应的成因.结果显示:温度下降会阻碍电流扩展和降低空穴浓度, 电子在阱中分布会越来越不平衡,阱中局部区域中因填充了势能越来越高的电子而溢出阱外, 从而使droop效应随着温度的降低在更小的电流密度下出现且更为严重, 不同温度下实验值与俄歇复合模型模拟的结果在高注入时趋势相反.这此结果表明,引起 droop效应的主因不是俄歇非辐射复合而是电子溢出,电子溢出的本质原因是载流子在阱中分布不均衡.     

InGaN蓝光与CdTe纳米晶基白光LED

报道了倒装焊InGaN蓝光LED与黄光CdTe纳米晶的复合结构。利用蓝光作为CdTe纳米晶的激发源,通过光的下转换机制,将部分蓝光转化为黄光,复合发射出白光。室温下正向驱动电流为10mA时,发光色品坐标为x=0.29,y=0.30。实验表明,该复合结构白光LED的一大优点在于,复合光的色品坐标几乎不随正向驱动电流大小变化,颜色稳定。     

It's not easy being green: Strategies for all‐nitrides,all‐colour solid state lighting

The design strategy presently employed to obtain ‘white’ light from semiconductors combines the emission of an InGaN blue or UV light‐emitting diode (LED) with that of one or more yellow‐orange phosphors. While commercially successful, this approach achieves good colour rendering only by increasing the number and spectral range of the phosphors used; compared to the alternative of combining ‘true’ red, green and blue (RGB) sources, it is intrinsically inefficient. The two major roadblocks to the RGB approach are 1. the green gap in the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of LEDs; 2. the diode droop in the efficiency of LEDs at higher current densities. The physical origin of these effects, in the case of III‐nitrides, is generally thought to be a combination of Quantum Confined Stark Effect (QCSE) and Auger Effect (AE). These effects respectively reduce the electron–hole wave‐ function overlap of In‐rich InGaN quantum wells (QW), and provide a non‐radiative shunt for electron–hole recombination, particularly at higher excitation densities. SORBET, a novel band gap engineering strategy based upon quantum well intermixing (QWIM), offers solutions to both of the roadblocks mentioned above. In this introduction to SORBET, its great potential is tested and confirmed by the results of simulations of green InGaN diodes performed using the TiberCAD device modelling suite, which calculates the macroscopic properties of real‐world optoelectronic and electronic devices in a multiscale formalism. An alternative approach to the realisation of RGB GaN‐based LEDs through doping of an active layer by rare earth (RE) ions will also be briefly described. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Auger carrier leakage in III‐nitride quantum‐well light emitting diodes

Auger induced leakage is shown to be a contributing factor for the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) droop in III‐nitride quantum‐well light emitting diodes (LEDs). The mechanism is based on leakage current from carrier spill‐out of the well originating from energy transfer during Auger recombination. Adding this leakage reduces the Auger coefficient by 50% when compared to a standard Auger model with cubic density dependence. As reference, experimental data of a green quantum‐well LED are taken. Direct leakage due to non‐ideal carrier capture and re‐emission out of the well affects the IQE at current densities much larger than the maximum IQE point. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Si(110)和Si(111)衬底上制备InGaN/GaN蓝光发光二极管

分别在Si(110)和Si(111)衬底上制备了In Ga N/Ga N多量子阱结构蓝光发光二极管(LED)器件.利用高分辨X射线衍射、原子力显微镜、室温拉曼光谱和变温光致发光谱对生长的LED结构进行了结构表征.结果表明,相对于Si(111)上生长LED样品,Si(110)上生长的LED结构晶体质量较好,样品中存在较小的张应力,具有较高的内量子效率.对制备的LED芯片进行光电特性分析测试表明,两种衬底上制备的LED芯片等效串联电阻相差不大,在大电流注入下内量子效率下降较小;但是,相比于Si(111)上制备LED芯片,Si(110)上LED芯片具有较小的开启电压和更优异的发光特性.对LED器件电致发光(EL)发光峰随驱动电流的变化研究发现,由于Si(110)衬底上LED结构中阱层和垒层存在较小的应力/应变而在器件中产生较弱的量子限制斯塔克效应,致使Si(110)上LED芯片EL发光峰随驱动电流的蓝移量更小.     

Variation of efficiency droop with quantum well thickness in In GaN/GaN green light-emitting diode

In GaN/GaN multiple quantum well(MQW) green light-emitting diodes(LEDs) with varying In GaN quantum well layer thickness are fabricated and characterized. The investigation of luminescence efficiency versus injection current reveals that several physical mechanisms may jointly influence the efficiency droop, resulting in a non-monotonic variation of droop behavior with increasing quantum well(QW) thickness. When the QW is very thin, the increase of In GaN well layer thickness makes the efficiency droop more serious due to the enhancement of polarization effect. When the QW thickness increases further, however, the droop is alleviated significantly, which is mainly ascribed to the enhanced nonradiative recombination process and the weak delocalization effect.     

Study on GaN-based light emitting diode with InGaN/GaN/InGaN multi-layer barrier

The current study investigates GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with InGaN/GaN/InGaN multi-layer barrier (MLB). Simulation results show that GaN-based LEDs with MLB have better performance than conventional GaN-based LEDs with only one GaN barrier because of the enhancement in hole injection into the quantum well and decrease in electron leakage current.     

混合量子点QLED结构性能研究

为研究基于混合量子点的QLED结构与性能,利用红光量子点以及绿光量子点两种材料制备了橙光QLED器件,并对其性能进行了表征。实验制备的器件结构为ITO/PEDOT∶PSS/poly-TPD/混合QDs/Zn O/Al,其中发光层采用了3种混合量子点的混合结构方案。方案一先旋涂红光量子点层,后旋涂绿光量子点层;方案二先旋涂绿光量子点层,后旋涂红光量子点层;方案三将红光、绿光量子点1∶1混合后制备为发光层。实验结果表明:方案一制备的器件电流密度最大,发光亮度最低,且只有红光谱;方案二制备的器件具有最小的电流密度,同时具有红、绿光谱,在8 V电压下,电流效率约为4.69 cd/A;方案三制备的器件同时具有红、绿光谱,电流密度与发光特性介于方案一与方案二之间。实测数据与理论分析是一致的,方案二制备的器件存在双能量陷阱,能够将注入的空穴以及电子同时限制在红光量子点层内。通过调节各功能层厚度使得载流子注入平衡,可进一步增大发光电流,提高器件效率。     

Enhanced carrier injection in InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells LED with polarization-induced electron blocking barrier

In this report, we designed a light emitting diode (LED) structure in which an N-polar p-GaN layer is grown on top of Ga-polar In_0.1Ga_0.9N/GaN quantum wells (QWs) on an n-GaN layer. Numerical simulation reveals that the large polarization field at the polarity inversion interface induces a potential barrier in the conduction band, which can block electron overflow out of the QWs. Compared with a conventional LED structure with an Al_0.2Ga_0.8N electron blocking layer (EBL), the proposed LED structure shows much lower electron current leakage, higher hole injection, and a significant improvement in the internal quantum efficiency (IQE). These results suggest that the polarization induced barrier (PIB) is more effective than the AlGaN EBL in suppressing electron overflow and improving hole transport in GaN-based LEDs.     

InGaN/GaN多量子阱蓝光发光二极管老化过程中的光谱特性

系统地研究了小注入电流(＜4 mA)下InGaN/GaN多量子阱结构蓝光发光二极管的发光光谱特性在老化过程中的变化。对比老化前后的电致发光(EL)光谱,发现在注入电流1 mA下的峰值波长(peak wavelength)和半高宽(FWHM)随老化时间增加而减小,变化过程分两个阶段：前期(＜100 h)减小速度较快,而后逐渐变缓,呈现出与LEDs的发光光功率一致的变化规律,说明LEDs的等效极化电场在老化过程中减弱,这一变化和量子阱内缺陷的增加有明确的关系。通过电学特性测量发现同一结电压(V_j=1.8 V)下的结电容C_j和由交流小信号I—V方法计算得到的注入电流1 mA下的结电压V_j随老化时间增加而增大,明确了在同等小注入电流下量子阱内的载流子浓度随老化过程增加。分析表明在老化过程中InGaN/GaN 多量子阱结构蓝光发光二极管量子阱内的缺陷及其束缚的载流子数量增加,形成了增强的极化电场屏蔽效应,减弱的等效极化电场导致了量子阱的能带倾斜变小,带边辐射复合能量增大,能态密度增多,对应的发光过程的峰值波长变短(蓝移),半高宽变窄。     

3D simulation of InGaN/GaN micro-ring light-emitting diodes

We employed the APSYS software to perform 3D electrical and ray-tracing simulations on micro-ring light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to verify previous experimental findings that they have higher extraction efficiency than micro-disk and broad area LEDs. 3D ray-tracing indicates the importance of inter-ring optical interactions. Furthermore we found that the higher light extraction efficiency is at the expense of reduced internal quantum efficiency (IQE) as injection current is increased.     

Blue InGaN light-emitting diodes with dip-shaped quantum wells

InGaN based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with dip-shaped quantum wells and conventional rectangular quantum wells are numerically investigated by using the APSYS simulation software. It is found that the structure with dip-shaped quantum wells shows improved light output power, lower current leakage and less efficiency droop. Based on numerical simulation and analysis, these improvements on the electrical and the optical characteristics are attributed mainly to the alleviation of the electrostatic field in dip-shaped InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs).     

In组分渐变提高InGaN/GaN多量子阱发光二极管发光性能

利用金属有机物化学气相沉积系统在蓝宝石衬底上通过有源层的变温生长,得到In组分渐变的量子阱结构,从而获得具有三角形能带结构的InGaN/GaN多量子阱发光二极管(LED)(简称三角形量子阱结构LED).变温光致发光谱结果表明,相对于传统具有方形能带结构的量子阱LED(简称方形量子阱结构LED),三角形量子阱结构有效提高了量子阱中电子和空穴波函数的空间交叠,从而增加了LED的内量子效率;电致发光谱结果表明,三角形量子阱结构LED器件与传统结构LED器件相比,明显改善了发光峰值波长随着电流的蓝移现象.通过以上     

Investigation of GaN-based dual-wavelength light-emitting diodes with p-type barriers and vertically stacked quantum wells

Designs of p-doped in quantum well (QW) barriers and specific number of vertically stacked QWs areproposed to improve the optical performance of GaN-based dual-wavelength light-emitting diodes (LEDs).Emission spectra, carrier concentration, electron current density, and internal quantum efficiency (IQE)are studied numerically. Simulation results show that the efficiency droop and the spectrum intensityat the large current injection are improved markedly by using the proposed design. Compared with the conventional LEDs, the uniform spectrum intensity of dual-wavelength luminescence is realized when aspecific number of vertically stacked QWs is adopted. Suppression of electron leakage current and the promotion of hole injection efficiency could be one of the main reasons for these improvements.     

Effect of AlGaN interlayer on luminous efficiency and reliability of GaN-based green LEDs on silicon substrate

The effect of AlGaN interlayer in quantum barrier on the electroluminescence characteristics of GaN-based green light emitting diodes(LEDs)grown on silicon substrate was investigated.The results show that AlGaN interlayer is beneficial to improve the luminous efficiency of LED devices and restrain the phase separation of In GaN.The former is ascribed to the inserted AlGaN layers can play a key role in determining the carrier distribution and screening dislocations in the active region,and the latter is attributed to the increased compressive stress in the quantum well.However,when the electrical stress aging tests were performed at a current density of 100 A/cm^2,LED devices with AlGaN interlayers are more likely to induce the generation/proliferation of defects in the active region under the effect of electrical stress,resulting in the reduced light output power at low current density.     

Effects of strain on the characteristics of InGaN–GaN multiple quantum-dot blue light emitting diodes

In this study, Raman spectra were measured in the backscattering geometry at temperatures from 100 K to 298 K. Samples with the InGaN self-assembled quantum dot (SAQD) structures of high strain show a strong compressive stress in InGaN epilayer by Raman measurement. Furthermore, we have applied the dots-in-a-well (DWELL) structure to nitride-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs). It was found that EL peak variation of the LED with DWELL structure is more sensitive to the amount of injection current, as compared with the MQW LEDs.