Enhancing 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 lithography; 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 enhancement 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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Functional imprinting structures on GaN-based light-emitting diodes for light pattern modulation and light extraction efficiency enhancement

In this study, we demonstrated a simple method that can be used to simultaneously modulate the far field pattern and enhance the light extraction of GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs). In this method, microstructures were imprinted on a reliable spin-on-glass surface on top of a transparent conductive layer. The far-field pattern was modulated using microoptical structures, and at the same time, the light extraction was enhanced owing to the small refractive index difference and surface roughness. There was no decrease in the electrical performance of these devices. The peak intensity shifted from 0 to 22° in one-dimensional (1D) asymmetrically blazed periodic structures, and a flattened distribution with a uniform intensity within a span of 110° was observed in two-dimensional (2D) symmetrically periodic structures. This method achieved 13 and 40% light enhancements for 1D and 2D structures, respectively.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Degradation behaviors of high power GaN-based blue light emitting diodes

The degradation mechanism of high power InGaN/GaN blue light emitting diodes(LEDs)is investigated in this paper.The LED samples were stressed at room temperature under 350-mA injection current for about 400 h.The light output power of the LEDs decreased by 35%during the first 100 h and then remained almost unchanged,and the reverse current at 5 V increased from 10 9A to 10 7A during the aging process.The power law,whose meaning was re-illustrated by the improved rate equation,was used to analyze the light output power-injection current(L–I)curves.The analysis results indicate that nonradiative recombination,Auger recombination,and the third-order term of carriers overflow increase during the aging process,all of which may be important reasons for the degradation of LEDs.Besides,simulating L–I curves with the improved rate equation reveal that higher-than-third-order terms of carriers overflow may not be the main degradation mechanism,because they change slightly when the LED is stressed.     

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.     

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.     

GaN基蓝光发光二极管的波长稳定性研究

尽管GaN基蓝绿光发光二极管（LED）已进入大规模商品化阶段，但其发光波长随注入电流的变化仍是一个尚未解决的关键技术难题.同时，蓝绿光LED电注入发光光谱的半高全宽多为25nm以上.通过优化LED器件材料的生长条件和总应变量，获得了高质量的InGaN/GaN多量子阱LED外延片.由此制作的LED器件在0—120?mA的注入电流下，发光波长变化小于1nm.在20mA的正向电流下，其光谱半高全宽只有18nm，且随注入电流变化较小. 关键词： GaN 发光二极管 波长稳定性     

Enhanced light extraction of GaN-based light-emitting diodes with periodic textured SiO_2 on Al-doped ZnO transparent conductive layer

We report an effective enhancement in light extraction of Ga N-based light-emitting diodes(LEDs) with an Al-doped Zn O(AZO) transparent conductive layer by incorporating a top regular textured SiO_2 layer. The 2 inch transparent throughpore anodic aluminum oxide(AAO) membrane was fabricated and used as the etching mask. The periodic pore with a pitch of about 410 nm was successfully transferred to the surface of the SiO_2 layer without any etching damages to the AZO layer and the electrodes. The light output power was enhanced by 19% at 20 m A and 56% at 100 m A compared to that of the planar LEDs without a patterned surface. This approach offers a technique to fabricate a low-cost and large-area regular pattern on the LED chip for achieving enhanced light extraction without an obvious increase of the forward voltage.     

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.     

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.     

Simulation of the light extraction efficiency of nanostructure light-emitting diodes

The light extraction efficiencies have been calculated for various InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well nanostructure light-emitting diodes including nanopillar,nanorough of P-GaN surface,coreshell and nano-interlayer structure.From the calculated results we can see that the light extraction efficiency is remarkably improved in the nanostructures,especially those with an InGaN or AlGaN nano-interlayer.With a 420-nm luminescence wavelength,the light extraction efficiency can reach as high as 65% for the InGaN or AlGaN nano-interlayer structure with appropriate In or Al content while only 26% for the planar structure.     

Enhancement of the light extraction of GaN-based green light emitting diodes via nanohybrid structures

Improvement in the light extraction efficiency (LEE) of GaN-based green light emitting diodes (LEDs) with ZnO nanostructures synthesized by a hydrothermal method is reported. Formation of ZnO nanorods, hemispheres, and cones was controlled by varying the pH of the aqueous synthesis solution. The shape of the ZnO nanostructures integrated onto the LEDs shows a strong relationship with the LEE characteristics of GaN-based green LEDs. The electroluminescence (EL) intensity of LEDs covered by ZnO nanostructures increased compared to conventional LEDs. In terms of LEE, LEDs with surface-textured ZnO hemispheres showed the highest EL intensity, which can be attributed to an increase in the effective critical angle, the escape cone, and multiple scattering. Finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation was conducted to theoretically confirm the experimental results.     

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.     

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.