III‐nitride quantum dots for ultra‐efficient solid‐state lighting

III‐nitride light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes (LDs) are ultimately limited in performance due to parasitic Auger recombination. For LEDs, the consequences are poor efficiencies at high current densities; for LDs, the consequences are high thresholds and limited efficiencies. Here, we present arguments for III‐nitride quantum dots (QDs) as active regions for both LEDs and LDs, to circumvent Auger recombination and achieve efficiencies at higher current densities that are not possible with quantum wells. QD‐based LDs achieve gain and thresholds at lower carrier densities before Auger recombination becomes appreciable. QD‐based LEDs achieve higher efficiencies at higher currents because of higher spontaneous emission rates and reduced Auger recombination. The technical challenge is to control the size distribution and volume of the QDs to realize these benefits. If constructed properly, III‐nitride light‐emitting devices with QD active regions have the potential to outperform quantum well light‐emitting devices, and enable an era of ultra‐efficient solid‐state lighting.

     

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)     

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)     

Efficiency droop in light‐emitting diodes: Challenges and countermeasures

Efficiency droop, i.e. the loss of efficiency at high operating current, afflicts nitride‐based light‐emitting diodes (LEDs). The droop phenomenon is currently the subject of intense research, as it retards the advancement of solid‐state lighting which is just starting to supplant fluorescent as well as incandescent lighting. Although the technical community does not yet have consented to a single cause of droop, this article provides a summary of the present state of droop research, reviews currently discussed droop mechanisms, and presents a recently developed theoretical model for the efficiency droop. In the theoretical model, carrier leakage out of the active region caused by the asymmetry of the pn junction, specifically the disparity between electron and hole concentrations and mobilities, is discussed in detail. The model is in agreement with the droop's key behaviors not only for GaInN LEDs but also for AlGaInP LEDs.     

Enhanced Device Performances of Blue‐Emitting PLEDs Coupled with Silver‐Nanoicosahedrons

Silver‐nanoicosahedron particles (AgNIPs) are produced by chemical reduction and photochemical methods and doped into the hole transport layer (HTL) or emissive layer (EML) of blue‐emitting polymer light‐emitting diodes (PLEDs) to improve their luminous efficiency. The optimal distributed‐densities of the AgNIPs are determined from current density–voltage–luminance measurements at different doping concentrations. The AgNIP dopant doses that maximize the average luminous efficiency of the proposed PLED are 6.71 µg cm^?2 in EML (achieving 3.48 cd A^?1) and 6.88 µg cm^?2 in HTL (achieving 3.35 cd A^?1). Although the luminous efficiencies of the blue‐emitting PLEDs fabricated by both doping methods are not significantly different, the maximum plasmonic enhancement (around 30‐fold) of the blue‐emitting PLED with AgNIPs in EML is red‐shifted to the green region (≈530 nm in the electroluminescence spectrum), seriously degrading the luminescent monochromaticity of the blue‐emitting PLED. The maximum plasmonic enhancement (around 33‐fold) of blue‐emitting PLED with AgNIPs in HTL occurred at 430 nm, overlapping the localized surface‐plasmon resonance extinctions of the AgNIPs in HTL (425 nm), thus favoring the enhancement of fluorescence emission. Therefore, to enhance the large‐area emission of blue‐emitting PLEDs, the AgNIPs should be doped in the HTL rather than the EML.     

Internal quantum efficiency drop induced by the heat generation inside of light emitting diodes （LEDs）

The reasons for low output power of AlGaInP Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) have been analysed. LEDs with AlGaInP material have high internal but low external quantum efficiency and much heat generated inside especially at a large injected current which would reduce both the internal and external quantum efficiencies. Two kinds of LEDs with the same active region but different window layers have been fabricated. The new window layer composed of textured 0.5 μm GaP and thin Indium-Tin-Oxide film has shown that low external quantum efficiency (EQE) has serious impaction on the internal quantum efficiency (IQE), because the carrier distribution will change with the body temperature increasing due to the heat inside, and the test results have shown the evidence of LEDs with lower output power and bigger wavelength red shift.     

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.     

Spectral dependence of light extraction efficiency of high‐power III‐nitride light‐emitting diodes

Using the recently suggested method of processing the data on external quantum efficiency as a function of output optical power, we have estimated the dependence of light extraction efficiency of high‐power light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) on their emission wavelength varied between 425 nm and 540 nm. The extraction efficiency is found to increase with the wavelength from ～80% to ～85% in this spectral range and to correlate with the wavelength dependence of reflectivity of the large‐area p‐electrode being the essential unit of the LED chip design. The correlation found identifies the incomplete reflection of emitted light from the electrode as the major mechanism eventually controlling the spectral dependence of the efficiency of light extraction from the LEDs.

     

Research challenges to ultra‐efficient inorganic solid‐state lighting

Solid‐state lighting is a rapidly evolving, emerging technology whose efficiency of conversion of electricity to visible white light is likely to approach 50% within the next several years. This efficiency is significantly higher than that of traditional lighting technologies, giving solid‐state lighting the potential to enable significant reduction in the rate of world energy consumption. Further, there is no fundamental physical reason why efficiencies well beyond 50% could not be achieved, which could enable even more significant reduction in world energy usage. In this article, we discuss in some detail: (a) the several approaches to inorganic solid‐state lighting that could conceivably achieve “ultra‐high,” 70% or greater, efficiency, and (b) the significant research questions and challenges that would need to be addressed if one or more of these approaches were to be realized.     

Excitation dependent quenching of luminescence in LED phosphors

Droop, the decrease of efficiency with increased power density, became a major topic with InGaN LEDs, after its introduction in 2007. This paper provides insight into droop in localized center luminescence phosphors, exemplified here by Eu²⁺ doped materials. This topic is of increasing importance, as high brightness blue LEDs have reached outputs >1 W/mm². The nonlinearities in phosphor quantum efficiency result in drive‐dependent color point shift and reduction of overall efficiency of phosphor converted white LEDs which utilize Eu²⁺ activated phosphors. The efficiency quenching can be traced back to two processes, well‐known in laser physics, excited state absorption or/and cross relaxation by Foerster/Dexter transfer. Both processes lead to reduction in phosphor efficiency, but they can be differentiated. Understanding the root cause of efficiency quenching opens ways to minimize the practical consequences. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Simplified hybrid white organic light‐emitting diodes with efficiency/efficiency roll‐off/color rendering index/color‐stability trade‐off

A high‐performance hybrid white organic light‐emitting diode (WOLED) based on a simple structure has been developed. The resulting device exhibits a maximum total current efficiency and power efficiency of 35.7 cd/A and 30.6 lm/W, respectively. Even at a high luminance of 1000 cd/m², a current efficiency of 32.0 cd/A and a power efficiency of 19.4 lm/W are obtained, suggesting that the device exhibits a low efficiency roll‐off. Besides, the device shows excellent color‐stability during a wide range of luminance and a high color rendering index (CRI) of 83 is obtained. Moreover, the origin of the superior properties is explored comprehensively. Such achieved results demonstrate that high efficiency, low efficiency roll‐off, stable color and high CRI can be simultaneously realized in a simplified hybrid WOLEDs. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Efficiency enhancement of an InGaN light-emitting diode with a p-AlGaN/GaN superlattice last quantum barrier

In this study,the efficiency droop of an InGaN light-emitting diode(LED)is reduced significantly by using a pAlGaN/GaN superlattice last quantum barrier.The reduction in efficiency droop is mainly caused by the decrease of electron current leakage and the increase of hole injection efficiency,which is revealed by investigating the light currents,internal quantum efficiencies,energy band diagrams,carrier concentrations,carrier current densities,and radiative recombination efficiencies of three LED structures with the advanced physical model of semiconductor device(APSYS).     

Impact of surface recombination on efficiency of III‐nitride light‐emitting diodes

The paper considers surface recombination at the free active region surface as the mechanism of carrier losses which has not yet been discussed with regard to III‐nitride LEDs despite of its evident importance for AlGaInP‐based light emitters. Using advanced thin‐film and triangular volumetric chip designs reported in literature as prototypes, we have demonstrated by simulation a noticeable impact of surface recombination on the wall‐plug efficiency of InGaN‐based LEDs. Various types of LEDs whose efficiency may be especially affected by surface recombination are discussed. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A facile method for flexible GaN‐based light‐emitting diodes

Flexible GaN‐based light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates are demonstrated. The process uses commercial LEDs on patterned sapphire substrates, laser lift‐off (LLO), wet etching for additional surface roughening, and mounting of the freestanding LED on a PET substrate. Electrical and optical properties from the free‐standing LLO‐LEDs mounted on the flexible PET substrates were characterized. The process is scalable to large wafer diameters. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

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.     

ITO‐free top emitting organic light emitting diodes with enhanced light out‐coupling

Bottom emitting organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) can suffer from lower external quantum efficiencies (EQE) due to inefficient out‐coupling of the generated light. Herein, it is demonstrated that the current efficiency and EQE of red, yellow, and blue fluorescent single layer polymer OLEDs is significantly enhanced when a MoO_x(5 nm)/Ag(10 nm)/MoO_x(40 nm) stack is used as the transparent anode in a top emitting OLED structure. A maximum current efficiency and EQE of 21.2 cd/A and 6.7%, respectively, was achieved for a yellow OLED, while a blue OLED achieved a maximum of 16.5 cd/A and 10.1%, respectively. The increase in light out‐coupling from the top‐emitting OLEDs led to increase in efficiency by a factor of up to 2.2 relative to the optimised bottom emitting devices, which is the best out‐coupling reported using solution processed polymers in a simple architecture and a significant step forward for their use in large area lighting and displays.     

Yield analysis of large‐area high‐power single‐chip GaN‐based light‐emitting diodes with network design

In this Letter, a GaN‐based high‐power (HP) single‐chip (SC) large‐area LED with parallel and series network structure is fabricated. The optical characteristics of the HP‐SC LED is investigated. Driven at 600 mA, the optical output power of the HP‐SC LED chip is measured to be 9.7 W, corresponding to an EQE of 26.4%, which is 19.6% lower than that of the standard small LED cell due to both the lateral light‐extraction efficiency degradation and the self‐heating effect. A statistical analysis was carried out to investigate the yield of the fabricated HP‐SC LEDs, the experimental results agree with the theoretical calculations very well, validating the feasibility of this design on the production yield for the large‐area LEDs.

     

Pivotal role of ballistic and quasi-ballistic electrons on LED efficiency

Significant progress in the power conversion efficiency and brightness of InGaN-based light emitting diodes (LEDs) has paved the way for these devices to be considered for LED lighting. In this realm, however, the efficiency must be retained at high injection levels in order to generate the lumens required. Unfortunately, LEDs undergo a monotonic efficiency degradation starting at current densities even lower than 50 A/cm² which would hinder LED insertion into the general lighting market. The physical origins for the loss of efficiency retention are at present a topic of intense debate given its enormous implications. This paper reviews the current status of the field regarding the mechanisms that have been put forward as being responsible for the loss of efficiency, such as Auger recombination, electron overflow (spillover), current crowding, asymmetric injection of electrons and holes, and poor transport of holes through the active region, the last one being applicable to multiple quantum well designs. While the Auger recombination received early attention, increasing number of researchers seem to think otherwise at the moment in that it alone (if any) cannot explain the progressively worsening loss of efficiency reduction as the InN mole fraction is increased. Increasing number of reports seems to suggest that the electron overflow is one of the major causes of efficiency degradation. The physical driving force for this is likely to be the relatively poor hole concentration and transport, and skewed injection favoring electrons owing to their relatively high concentration. Most intriguingly there is recent experimental convincing evidence to suggest that quasi-ballistic electrons in the active region, which are not able to thermalize within the residence time and possibly longitudinal optical phonon lifetime, contribute to the carrier overflow which would require an entirely new thought process in the realm of LEDs.     

Performance improvement of InGaN blue light-emitting diodes with several kinds of electron-blocking layers

The performance of InGaN blue light-emitting diodes(LEDs) with different kinds of electron-blocking layers is investigated numerically.We compare the simulated emission spectra,electron and hole concentrations,energy band diagrams,electrostatic fields,and internal quantum efficiencies of the LEDs.The LED using AlGaN with gradually increasing Al content from 0% to 20% as the electron-blocking layer(EBL) has a strong spectrum intensity,mitigates efficiency droop,and possesses higher output power compared with the LEDs with the other three types of EBLs.These advantages could be because of the lower electron leakage current and more effective hole injection.The optical performance of the specifically designed LED is also improved in the case of large injection current.     

Effects of Mg doping in the quantum barriers on the efficiency droop of GaN based light emitting diodes

The effects of Mg doping in the quantum barriers(QBs) on the efficiency droop of GaN based light emitting diodes(LEDs) were investigated through a duel wavelength method. Barrier Mg doping would lead to the enhanced hole transportation and reduced polarization field in the quantum wells(QWs), both may reduce the efficiency droop. However,heavy Mg doping in the QBs would strongly deteriorate the crystal quality of the QWs grown after the doped QB. When increasing the injection current, the carriers would escape from the QWs between n-GaN and the doped QB and recombine non-radiatively in the QWs grown after the doped QB, leading to a serious efficiency droop.