Optical properties of InGaN-based LEDs investigated using high hydrostatic pressure dependent techniques

Abstract

High pressure electroluminescence (EL) measurements were carried out on blue and green emitting InGaN-based light emitting diodes (LEDs). The weak pressure coefficient of the peak emission energy of the LEDs is found to increase with increasing injection current. Such behaviour is consistent with an enhancement of the piezoelectric fields under high pressure which become increasingly screened at high currents. A subsequent increase in the quantum confined Stark effect (QCSE) is expected to cause a reduction of the light output power as pressure is applied at a fixed low current density (∼10Acm). A similar proportional reduction of light output power as pressure is applied at a fixed high current density (260Acm) suggests that there is a non-radiative loss process in these devices which is relatively insensitive to pressure. Such behaviour is shown to be consistent with a defect-related recombination process which increases with increasing injection. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.