Enhancing light extraction of GaN-based blue light-emitting diodes by a tuned nanopillar arrayEnhancing light extraction of GaN-based blue light-emitting diodes by a tuned nanopillar array

Surface patterning of p-GaN to improve the light extraction efficiency of GaN-based blue light-emitting diodes （LEDs） has been investigated. Periodic nanopillar arrays on p-GaN have been fabricated by polystyrene （PS） nanosphere lithog- raphy; the diameter of the nanopillars can be tuned to optimize the electrical and optical properties of the LEDs. The electroluminescence intensity of the nanopillar-patterned LEDs is better than that of conventional LEDs; the greatest en- hancement increased the intensity by a factor of 1.41 at a 20 mA injection current. The enhancements can be explained by a model of bilayer film on a GaN substrate. This method may serve as a practical approach to improve the efficiency of light extraction from LEDs.     

Tuning a nano-pillar array for enhancing the photoluminescence extraction efficiency of GaN-based light-emitting diodes

We demonstrate the fabrication of hexagonal nano-pillar arrays at the surface of GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) by nanosphere lithography. By varying the oxygen plasma etching time, we could tune the size and shape of the pillar. The nano-pillar has a truncated cone shape. The nano-pillar array serves as a gradual effective refractive index matcher, which reduces the reflection and increases light cone. It is found that the patterned surface absorbs more pumping light. To compare extraction efficiencies of LEDs, it is necessary to normalize the photoluminescence power spectrum with total absorption rate under fixed pumping power, then we could obtain the correct enhancement factor of the photoluminescence extraction efficiency and optimized structure. The highest enhancement factor of the extraction efficiency is 10.6.     

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 of a blue organic light-emitting diode enhanced by inserting charge control layers into the emission region

We demonstrate high current efficiency of a blue fluorescent organic light-emitting diode (OLED) by using the charge control layers (CCLs) based on Alq3 . The CCLs that are inserted into the emitting layers (EMLs) could impede the hole injection and facilitate the electron transport, which can improve the carrier balance and further expand the exciton generation region. The maximal current efficiency of the optimal device is 5.89 cd/A at 1.81 mA/cm2 , which is about 2.19 times higher than that of the control device (CD) without the CCL, and the maximal luminance is 19.660 cd/m2 at 12V. The device shows a good color stability though the green light emitting material Alq3 is introduced as the CCL in the EML, but it has a poor lifetime due to the formation of cationic Alq3 species.     

Improved light extraction of GaN-based light-emitting diodes with surface-textured indium tin oxide electrodes by nickel nanoparticle mask dry-etching

GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with surface-textured indium tin oxide (ITO) as a transparent current spreading layer were fabricated.The ITO surface was textured by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching technology using a monolayer of nickel (Ni) nanoparticles as the etching mask.The luminance intensity of ITO surface-textured GaN-based LEDs was enhanced by about 34% compared to that of conventional LED without textured ITO layer.In addition,the fabricated ITO surface-textured GaN-based LEDs would present a quite good performance in electrical characteristics.The results indicate that the scattering of photons emitted in the active layer was greatly enhanced via the textured ITO surface,and the ITO surface-textured technique could have a potential application in improving photoelectric characteristics for manufacturing GaN-based LEDs of higher brightness.     

Numerical model of multilayer organic light-emitting devices

A numerical model of multilayer organic light-emitting devices is presented in this article. This model is based on the drift-diffusion equations which include charge injection, transport, space charge effects, trapping, heterojunction interface and recombination process. The device structure in the simulation is ITO/CuPc (20 nm)/NPD (40 nm)/Alq3 (60 nm)/LiF/Al. There are two heterojunctions which should be dealt with in the simulation. The I--V characteristics, carrier distribution and recombination rate of a device are calculated. The simulation results and measured data are in good agreement.     

White organic light-emitting diodes based on electroplex from polyvinyl carbazole and carbazole oligomers blends

White organic light-emitting diodes with a blue emitting material fluorene-centred ethylene-liked carbazole oligomer (Cz6F) doped into polyvinyl carbazole (PVK) as the single light-emitting layer are reported. The optical properties of Cz6F, PVK, and PVK:Cz6F blends are studied. Single and double layer devices are fabricated by using PVK: Cz6F blends, and the device with the configuration of indium tin oxide (ITO)/PVK:Cz6F/ tris(8-hydroxyquinolinate)aluminium (Alq₃)/LiF/Al exhibits white light emission with Commission Internationale de l'éclairage chromaticity coordinates of (0.30, 0.33) and a brightness of 402~cd/m². The investigation reveals that the white light is composed of a blue--green emission originating from the excimer of Cz6F molecules and a red emission from an electroplex from the PVK:Cz6F blend films.     

Highly efficient polymer phosphorescent light-emitting devices based on a new polyfluorene derivative as host

Several highly efficient iridium-complex polymer light-emitting devices (PLEDs) are fabricated,with a newly synthesized blue conjugated polymer,poly[(9,9-bis(4-(2-ethylhexyloxy)phenyl)-fluorene)-co-(3,7-dibenziothiene-S,S-dioxide15)] (PPF-3,7SO15),chosen as host.High luminous efficiencies of 7.4 cd·A 1 and 27.4 cd·A 1 are achieved in red and green PLEDs,respectively,by optimizing the doping concentrations of red phosphorescent dye iridium bis(1-phenylisoquinoline) (acetylacetonate) (Ir(piq)) and green phosphorescent dye iridium tris(2-(4-tolyl)pyridinato-N,C 2) (Ir(mppy) 3).Furthermore,highly efficient white PLEDs (WPLEDs) with the Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.35,0.38) are successfully produced by carefully controlling the doping concentration of the irid-ium complex.The obtained WPLEDs show maximal efficiencies of 14.4 cd·A 1 and 10.1 lm·W 1,which are comparable to those of incandescent bulbs.Moreover,the electroluminescent spectrum of the white device with an initial luminance of about 1000 cd·m 2 is stable,subject to constant applied current stress,indicating that good device stability can be obtained in this system.     

Improved efficiency droop characteristics in an InGaN/GaN light-emitting diode with a novel designed last barrier structure

<正>In this study,the characteristics of nitride-based light-emitting diodes with different last barrier structures are analysed numerically.The energy band diagrams,electrostatic field near the last quantum barrier,carrier concentration in the quantum well,internal quantum efficiency,and light output power are systematically investigated.The simulation results show that the efficiency droop is markedly improved and the output power is greatly enhanced when the conventional GaN last barrier is replaced by an AlGaN barrier with Al composition graded linearly from 0 to 15% in the growth direction.These improvements are attributed to enhanced efficiencies of electron confinement and hole injection caused by the lower polarization effect at the last-barrier/electron blocking layer interface when the graded Al composition last barrier is used.     

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.     

Improved light extraction of organic light emitting diodes with a nanopillar pattering structure

We have investigated the properties of organic light emitting diodes(OLEDs)with a nanopillar patterning structure at organic–metal or organic–organic interfaces.The results demonstrate that the introduction of a nanopillar structure can improve the light extraction efficiency greatly.We also find that the number,height,and position of nanopillars all affect the light extraction of OLEDs.The maximum power efficiency of a device with an optimized nanopillar patterning mode can be improved to 2.47 times that of the reference device.This enhancement in light extraction originates from the improved injected carriers,the broadened charge recombination zone,and the intensified wave guiding effects.     

Enhanced light emission from InGaN/GaN quantum wells by using surface plasmonic resonances of silver nanoparticle array

The effect of silver nanostructures prepared by nanosphere lithography on the photoluminescence（PL） properties of blue-emitting In Ga N/Ga N quantum wells（QWs） is studied. Arrays of silver nanoparticles are fabricated to yield a collective surface plasmonic resonance（SPR） near to the QWs emission wavelength. A large enhancement in peak PL intensity is observed, when the induced SPR wavelength of the nanoparticles on the QWs sample matches the QWs emission wavelength. The study proves that the SPRs could enhance the light emission efficiency of semiconductor material.     

无序光子晶体提高GaN基蓝光发光二极管光提取效率的研究

亚波长尺度光子晶体结构可有效提升发光二极管(LED)的光提取效率(LEE),然而在制造过程中会存在缺陷或无序.利用时域有限差分法对理想方形光子晶体结构进行了优化,在此基础上对三种无序光子晶体结构进行了仿真,研究了光子晶体结构参数的无序变化对GaN基蓝光LED LEE的影响.结果表明,光子晶体空气孔位置和半径的无序变化使优化的80 nm光子晶体LED的LEE下降,而可使非优化的60nm光子晶体LED的LEE增加;当光子晶体空气孔位置和半径的无序变化量从0到士20 nm之间变化时,LEE最大会产生53.8％的浮动;光子晶体刻蚀深度的无序变化对LEE影响较小,一般可以忽略,研究结果为高性能蓝光光子晶体LED的设计制作提供了重要的理论参考.     

Current spreading in GaN-based light-emitting diodes

We have investigated the factors affecting the current spreading length(CSL) in GaN-based light-emitting diodes(LEDs) by deriving theoretical expressions and performing simulations with APSYS.For mesa-structure LEDs,the effects of both indium tin oxide(ITO) and n-GaN are taken into account for the first time,and a new Q factor is introduced to explain the effects of different current flow paths on the CSL.The calculations and simulations show that the CSL can be enhanced by increasing the thickness of the ITO layer and resistivity of the n-GaN layer,or by reducing the resistivity of the ITO layer and thickness of the n-GaN layer.The results provide theoretical support for calculating the CSL clearly and directly.For vertical-structure LEDs,the effects of resistivity and thickness of the CSL on the internal quantum efficiency(IQE) have been analyzed.The theoretical expression relating current density and the parameters(resistivity and thickness)of the CSL is obtained,and the results are then verified by simulation.The IQE under different current injection conditions is discussed.The effects of CSL resistivity play a key role at high current injection,and there is an optimal thickness for the largest IQE only at a low current injection.     

GaN基多量子阱蓝光LED的γ辐照效应

本文用4×104Ci(1Ci=3.7×1010Bq)的60Co源(剂量率2×105rad(Si)/h)对GaN基InGaN/GaN多量子阱蓝光LED进行5种剂量的γ射线的辐照实验.通过辐照前后蓝光LED的波长、色纯度、最大半峰宽(FWHM)和电流-电压(I-V)、电流-光通量(I-F)等电光学特性分析,得到γ射线对GaN基LED器件的辐照效应.结果发现,辐照后LED器件的发光一致性和均匀性变差,在20mA工作电流下,最大剂量下器件发光强度衰减近90%,光通量衰减约40%,并得到器件的抗辐照能力的参数τ0Kγ为4.039×10-7rad.s-1,发现较低的正向偏压下(小于2.6V)器件的饱和电流随辐照总剂量增大而增大.     

The enhancement of light-emitting efficiency using GaN-based multiple quantum well light-emitting diodes with nanopillar arrays

The quest for higher modulation speed and lower energy consumption has inevitably promoted the rapid development of semiconductor-based solid lighting devices in recent years. GaN-based light-emitting diodes （LEDs） have emerged as promising candidates for achieving high efficiency and high intensity, and have received increasing attention among many researchers in this field. In this paper, we use a self-assembled array-patterned mask to fabricate InGaN/GaN multi- quantum well （MQW） LEDs with the intention of enhancing the light-emitting efficiency. By utilizing inductively coupled plasma etching with a self-assembled Ni cluster as the mask, nanopillar arrays are formed on the surface of the InGaN/GaN MQWs. We then observe the structure of the nanopillars and find that the V-defects on the surface of the conventional structure and the negative effects of threading dislocation are effectively reduced. Simultaneously, we make a comparison of the photoluminescence （PL） spectrum between the conventional structure and the nanopillar arrays, achieved under an experimental set-up with an excitation wavelength of 325 mm. The analysis demonstrates that MQW-LEDs with nanopillar arrays achieve a PL intensity 2.7 times that of conventional LEDs. In response to the PL spectrum, some reasons are proposed for the enhancement in the light-emitting efficiency as follows： 1） the improvement in crystal quality, namely the reduction in V-defects; 2） the roughened surface effect on the expansion of the critical angle and the attenuated total reflection; and 3） the enhancement of the light-extraction efficiency due to forward scattering by surface plasmon polariton modes in Ni particles deposited above the p-type GaN layer at the top of the nanopillars.