Analysis on electrical characteristics of high-voltage GaN-based light-emitting diodes

<正>In order to investigate their electrical characteristics,high-voltage light-emitting-diodes(HV-LEDs) each containing four cells in series are fabricated.The electrical parameters including varying voltage and parasitic effect are studied. It is shown that the ideality factors(IFs) of the HV-LEDs with different numbers of cells are 1.6,3.4,4.7,and 6.4.IF increases linearly with the number of cells increasing.Moreover,the performance of the HV-LED with failure cells is examined.The analysis indicates that the failure cell has a parallel resistance which induces the leakage of the failure cell.The series resistance of the failure cell is 76.8Ω,while that of the normal cell is 21.3Ω.The scanning electron microscope(SEM) image indicates that different metal layers do not contact well.It is hard to deposit the metal layers in the deep isolation trenches.The fabrication process of HV-LEDs needs to be optimized.     

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.     

Simulation of current spreading for GaN-based light-emitting diodes

Uniform current spreading is crucial for the performance of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). It has been reported that the reliability and light distribution are affected by non-uniform current spreading. In this paper, the impact of different electrode patterns on the performance of LED chips is investigated. A hybrid modeling method is employed to analyze the electrical and thermal characteristics of LEDs with two different electrode mesa structures. Corresponding experiments are also carried out to validate the calculation results. It is found that increasing amount of p-electrodes in interdigitated electrode patterns is effective in improving the performance of LEDs.     

有机电致发光器件的动态电学特性

利用交流阻抗谱技术，研究了有机发光二极管ITO/Alq₃(90 nm)/Al的载流子传导机理.根据器件对不同频率的响应曲线及其等效电路模型，该器件可看作是由并联的电阻R_p和电容C_p再与电阻R_s串联而成，并根据实验数据求出了R_p，C_p和R_s的数值.实验结果表明器件的载流子传输机理属于指数分布式的陷阱电荷限制电流，其介电弛豫时间随偏压的增加而逐渐减小. 关键词： 3')" href="#">Alq₃ 陷阱电荷限制电流 交流阻抗谱 有机发光二极管     

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.     

Design of patterned sapphire substrates for GaN-based light-emitting diodes

A new method for patterned sapphire substrate(PSS) design is developed and proven to be reliable and cost-effective.As progress is made with LEDs' luminous efficiency,the pattern units of PSS become more complicated,and the effect of complicated geometrical features is almost impossible to study systematically by experiments only.By employing our new method,the influence of pattern parameters can be systematically studied,and various novel patterns are designed and optimized within a reasonable time span,with great improvement in LEDs' light extraction efficiency(LEE).Clearly,PSS pattern design with such a method deserves particular attention.We foresee that GaN-based LEDs on these newly designed PSSs will achieve more progress in the coming years.     

Electron leakage effects on GaN-based light-emitting diodes

Nitride-based light-emitting diodes suffer from a reduction (droop) of the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) with increasing injection current. Using advanced device simulation, we investigate the impact of electron leakage on the IQE droop for different properties of the electron blocker layer (EBL). The simulations show a strong influence of the EBL acceptor density on the droop. We also find that the electron leakage decreases with increasing temperature, which contradicts common assumptions.     

Effects of the passivation layer deposition temperature on the electrical and optical properties of GaN-based light-emitting diodes

In this paper, silicon oxynitride is deposited through plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) to serve as an antireflection passivation layer. We have studied the effects of the deposition temperature (from 100 to 300 °C) on the electrical and optical performances of GaN-LEDs. It is found that the light output of GaN-LEDs improves greatly after the deposition of SiON antireflection passivation layer at 200 °C and is better than that of GaN-LEDs whose layers are deposited at 100 and 300 °C. The electrical properties of GaN-LED do not degrade at 100 and 200 °C, but degrade significantly at 300 °C.     

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.     

Improved light extraction of GaN-based light-emitting diodes with surface-patterned ITO

The surface patterning of the indium tin oxide (ITO) transparent current layer has been investigated to improve the light extraction efficiency of GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LEDs with periodic micro-hexagon patterned ITO have been fabricated utilizing standard lithography techniques and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) technology. The luminance intensity of the LED chips with patterned ITO following 160 s ICP etching was enhanced by about 50% compared to the LED chips with unpatterned ITO. Detailed processing parameters are provided. scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) are used to examine the micro-structures. The results indicate that the surface-patterned ITO technique could have potential applications in high-power GaN-based LEDs.     

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.     

量子点发光二极管稳定性提高策略

量子点发光二极管(QLEDs)由于具有独特的光电特性,可应用于照明和显示行业,其外量子效率(EQEs)正迅速接近商业化要求.然而,器件的稳定性和工作寿命仍然是QLEDs商业化应用面临的关键问题.本文将影响QLEDs寿命的主要因素分为功能层材料的稳定性和电荷注入不平衡两大方面,从提高量子点、电荷传输层(CTLs)的稳定性...     

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.     

Coherence characteristics of light-emitting diodes

We report the measurement of coherence characteristics of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Experiments were performed using red and green color LEDs directly illuminating the Young's double slit kept in the far-zone. Fourier transform fringe analysis technique was used for the measurement of the visibility of interference fringes from which the modulus of degree of spectral coherence was determined. Low degree of spectral coherence, typically 0.4 for red and 0.2 for green LED with double-slit separation of 400 μm was observed. A variable slit was then kept in front of the LEDs and the double slit was illuminated with the light coming out of the slit. Experiments were performed with various slit sizes and the visibility of the interference fringes was observed. It was found that visibility of the interference fringes changes drastically in presence of variable slit kept in front of LEDs and a high degree of spectral coherence, typically 0.85 for red and 0.8 for green LED with double-slit separation of 400 μm and rectangular slit opening of 500 μm was observed. The experimental results are compared with the theoretical counterparts. Coherence lengths of both the LEDs were also determined and it was obtained 5.8±2 and 24±4 μm for green and red LEDs, respectively.     

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.     

Improved electrical and thermal properties of Ag contacts for GaN-based flip-chip light-emitting diodes by using a NiZn alloy capping layer

We investigate the effect of a 100 nm-thick NiZn alloy (10 wt% Zn) capping layer on the thermal and electrical properties of Ag reflectors (200 nm) for flip-chip light-emitting diodes (LEDs). It is shown that the introduction of the NiZn capping layer minimizes the formation of interfacial voids and surface agglomeration. Furthermore, LEDs fabricated with the NiZn-capping-layer-combined contacts produce better output power as compared to those with the Ag only reflectors. For example, the LEDs with the 400 ^°C-annealed Ag/NiZn contacts give higher output power by ∼36% than those with the 400 ^°C-annealed Ag only contacts. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy measurements are performed to understand the improved electrical properties of the LEDs fabricated with the NiZn-capping-layer-combined Ag contacts.     

Double superlattice structure for improving the performance of ultraviolet light-emitting diodes

The novel AlGaN-based ultraviolet light-emitting diodes(UV-LEDs) with double superlattice structure(DSL) are proposed and demonstrated by numerical simulation and experimental verification. The DSL consists of 30-period Mg modulation-doped p-AlGaN/u-GaN superlattice(SL) and 4-period p-AlGaN/p-GaN SL electron blocking layer, which are used to replace the p-type GaN layer and electron blocking layer of conventional UV-LEDs, respectively. Due to the special effects and interfacial stress, the AlGaN/GaN short-period superlattice can reduce the acceptor ionization energy of the ptype regions, thereby increasing the hole concentration. Meanwhile, the multi-barrier electron blocking layers are effective in suppressing electron leakage and improving hole injection. Experimental results show that the enhancements of 22.5%and 37.9% in the output power and external quantum efficiency at 120 m A appear in the device with double superlattice structure.     

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.     

电极结构优化对大功率GaN基发光二极管性能的影响

在台面结构的GaN基发光二极管(LED)里，电流要侧向传输，当尺寸与电流密度加大之后，由于n型GaN层和下限制层的横向电阻不能忽略，造成了横向电流分布不均匀.通过优化电极结构，以减小电流横向传输距离，制作出两种不同电极结构的大功率GaN基倒装LED.通过比较这两种不同电极结构的GaN基倒装大功率LED的电、光性能，发现在350mA正向电流下，插指电极结构的倒装大功率GaN基LED的正向电压为3.35V，比环形插指电极结构的倒装大功率GaN基LED高0.15V.尽管环形插指电极结构GaN基LED的发光面积略小于插指电极结构GaN基LED，但在大电流下，环形插指电极结构倒装GaN基LED的光输出功率比插指电极结构的倒装大功率LED的光输出功率大.并且在大电流下，环形插指电极结构的倒装大功率LED光输出功率饱和速度慢，而插指电极结构的倒装大功率LED光输出功率饱和明显.这说明优化电极结构能提高电流扩展均匀性，减小焦耳热的产生，改善GaN基LED的性能.     

Design of near-unity transmittance dielectric/Ag/ITO electrodes for GaN-based light-emitting diodes

We designed a near-unity transmittance dielectric/Ag/ITO electrode for high-efficiency GaN-based light-emitting diodes by using the scattering matrix method. The transmittance of an ultrathin metal layer, sandwiched between a dielectric layer and an ITO layer, was investigated as a function of the thickness and the optical constant of each constituent layer. Three different metals (Ag, Au, and Al) were examined as the metal layer. The analytical simulation indicated that the transmittance of a dielectric/metal/ITO multilayer film is maximized with an approximately 10-nm-thick Ag layer. Additionally, the transmittance also tends to increase as the refractive index of the upper dielectric layer increases. By tailoring the thickness of the dielectric layer and the ITO layer, the dielectric/Ag/ITO structure yielded a transmittance of 0.97, which surpasses the maximum transmittance (0.91) of a single ITO film. Furthermore, this extraordinary transmittance was present for other visible wavelengths of light, including violet and green colors. A complex phasor diagram model confirmed that the transmittance of the dielectric/metal/ITO multilayer film is influenced by the interference of reflected partial waves. These numerical findings underpin a rational design principle for metal-based multilayer films that are utilized as transparent electrodes for the development of efficient light-emitting diodes and solar cell devices.