Flip-chip Light-emitting Diodes Research Articles

Correction to: Design of a GaN-based flip chip light emitting diode (FC-LED) with Au bumps & Thermal analysis with different sizes and adhesive materials for performance considerations

Correction to: Design of a GaN-based flip chip light emitting diode (FC-LED) with Au bumps & Thermal analysis with different sizes and adhesive materials for performance considerations

32 × 32 Pixelated High-Power Flip-Chip Blue Micro-LED-on-HFET Arrays for Submarine Optical Communication.

This work proposes the use of integrated high-power InGaN/GaN multiple-quantum-well flip-chip blue micro light-emitting diode (μ-LED) arrays on an AlGaN/GaN-based heterojunction field-effect transistor (HFET), also known as a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT), for various applications: underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) and smart lighting. Therefore, we demonstrate high-power μ-LED-on-HEMT arrays that consist of 32 × 32 pixelated μ-LED arrays and 32 × 32 pixelated HEMT arrays and that are interconnected by a solder bump bonding technique. Each pixel of the μ-LED arrays emits light in the HEMT on-state. The threshold voltage, the off-state leakage current, and the drain current of the HEMT arrays are −4.6 V, <~1.1 × 10−9 A at gate-to-source voltage (VGS) = −10 V, and 21 mA at VGS = 4 V, respectively. At 12 mA, the forward voltage and the light output power (LOP) of μ-LED arrays are ~4.05 V and ~3.5 mW, respectively. The LOP of the integrated μ-LED-on-HEMT arrays increases from 0 to ~4 mW as the VGS increases from −6 to 4 V at VDD = 10 V. Each pixel of the integrated μ-LEDs exhibits a modulated high LOP at a peak wavelength of ~450 nm, showing their potential as candidates for use in UWOC.

Design of a GaN-Based Flip Chip Light Emitting Diode (FC-LED) with au Bumps &amp; Thermal Analysis with Different Sizes and Adhesive Materials for Performance Considerations

Design of a GaN-Based Flip Chip Light Emitting Diode (FC-LED) with au Bumps &amp; Thermal Analysis with Different Sizes and Adhesive Materials for Performance Considerations

Issue of spatial coherence in MQW based micro-LED simulation.

In existing flip-chip LED simulations, the light extraction efficiency is related to the multiple quantum well (MQW) to metal reflector distance because of optical interference. We calculate the contrast using several typical light intensity distributions among the several QWs in MQW. The coherence is obtained analytically. When the luminosity of each QW is equal, the contrast is ∼0, meaning the light is incoherent, contrary to traditional studies. The spatial coherence is important only when the light emission comes from just one QW. As the MQW has a not negligible thickness, the traditional single-dipole model is no longer accurate.

Improving the External Quantum Efficiency of High-Power GaN-Based Flip-Chip LEDs by Using Sidewall Composite Reflective Micro Structure.

For high-power applications, it is important to improve the light extraction efficiency and light output of the vertical direction of LEDs. Flip-chip LEDs (FCLEDs) with an Ag/SiO2/distributed Bragg reflector/SiO2 composite reflection micro structure (CRS) were fabricated. Compared with the normal Ag-based FCLEDs, the light output power of the CRS-FCLEDs was increased by 6.3% at an operational current of 1500 mA, with the corresponding external quantum efficiency improved by 6.0%. Further investigation proved that the CRS structure exhibited higher reflectance compared with the commonly used Ag-mirror reflective structure, which originates from the increased reflective area in the sidewall and partial area of the n-GaN contact orifices. It exhibited markedly smaller optical degradation and thus higher device reliability as compared to normal Ag-based FCLED. Moreover, the light emission intensity distributions and far-field angular light emission measurements show that the CRS-FCLED has a strengthened light output in the vertical direction, which shows great potential for applications in high-power fields, such as headlamps for automobiles.

Improved Reliability of AlGaN-Based Deep Ultraviolet LED With Modified Reflective N-Type Electrode

Cr/Al/Ti/Au stacks with two thicknesses of Al layers were employed as reflective n-type electrodes for 274 nm AlGaN-based flip-chip deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (DUV LEDs). Large bulges arose in the annealed n-type electrode with 120-nm-thick Al layer, resulting in cracks within the upper rugged SiO2 passivation layer after burn-in test. Sn atoms from solder paste migrated along the cracks and served as leakage current channels, which accelerated device degradation. In contrast, the annealed n-type electrode with 60-nm-thick Al layer retained uniform morphology. And the DUV LEDs with such n-type electrode exhibited good reliability and normalized optical power of 86.8% after burn-in test of 1000 h. This study provides insight into electrode defects related degradation behavior and helps to improve the reliability of AlGaN-based flip-chip DUV LEDs with reflective electrode.

Extraction efficiency simulation in deep ultraviolet AlGaN light emitting diodes

A ray tracing model is developed to study the light extraction efficiency (LEE) of the nitride wide band gap semiconductor deep ultraviolet light emitting diodes (DUV-LEDs). The basic device structure is flip-chip LED device with dome shape encapsulation. Various device parameters such as reflecting p-metal, absorption coefficient of the AlN layer, sapphire surface roughness etc have been examined. We have found that the transparency of the AlGaN/AlN epitaxial layers as well as the encapsulation material play key roles in improving the LEE and spatial intensity distribution. To verify the transparency of the epi-layers, highly doped n-type Al\(_{0.61}\)Ga\(_{0.39}\)N on AlN template are grown on sapphire substrate by high-temperature metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (HT-MOCVD), then the crystal and optical properties are measured and analyzed. The calculated the absorption coefficient of the AlN is below 10\(^{3}\)cm\(^{-1}\), which paves the way to achieve high extraction efficiency DUV LEDs.

Enhanced light extraction efficiency via double nano-pattern arrays for high-efficiency deep UV LEDs

This work reports on the packaging structure of double-layer nano-pattern arrays (NPAs) for AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet (DUV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which can significantly enhance the light extraction efficiency (LEE), a major device performance bottleneck. The double-layer NPAs were fabricated on the surface of the flip-chip DUV LED by etching sapphire and coating the fluoropolymer resin, which can alleviate the total internal reflection (TIR) at the top interfaces and enhance light extraction on sidewalls, leading to the great improvement of both TE and TM-polarized light. As a result, the 273 nm DUV LED with double-layer NPAs realized 28.3% enhancement in light output power (LOP) compared with the reference device without the NPA at large current of 100 mA. High peak external quantum efficiency (EQE) and wall-plug efficiency (WPE) of 5.19% and 4.38% were demonstrated, respectively. Combined with the finite element analysis (FEA), it is further confirmed that the double-layer NPAs have higher external coupling efficiency to enhance LEE. The proposed LEE enhancement strategy comes from the combination of nanostructured materials and packaging technology, which is cost-effective and meets mass production, providing efficient value in practical applications of UV devices.

Influence of Soldering Temperature on Microstructure and Thermal Properties of FC-LED Filaments Soldered with SAC0307

The influence of the soldering temperature on the performance of flip-chip light-emitting diodes (FC-LED) filaments soldered with SAC0307 has been investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, void rates, shearing force, junction temperature, steady-state voltage, blue light luminous flux, and luminous efficiency were measured to characterize the filament performance. The microstructure of the fracture surface after shear failure of the FC-LED filament joints soldered at 250°C and 270°C showed the lowest percentage of voids and was smoother than for the other groups. The shearing force of the FC-LED filament solder joints formed at 250°C and 270°C was higher than that for the other three groups, but the shearing force of all five groups of solder joints exceeded 200 gf. The steady-state voltage and junction temperature of the 250°C and 270°C FC-LED filaments were lower than those of the other three groups, and the blue light luminous flux of the 250°C and 270°C FC-LED filaments was higher than for the other three groups. In conclusion, the FC-LED filaments exhibited good photoelectric performance and thermal reliability when using soldering temperatures between 250°C and 270°C.

Reliability of Flip-Chip Filaments with Different Color Temperatures

Light-emitting diode (LED) lamps with different color temperatures have been widely used for various applications. Compared with LED filaments having formal vertical structures, flip-chip LED filaments have a simple structure, better heat dissipation effects, and can be formed into various shapes. In this regard, to investigate the difference in the reliability of flip-chip LED filaments with different color temperatures, this study designed and conducted three aging tests (a xenon lamp aging test, a high temperature–high humidity test, and a thermal cycling test) to simulate the application of the filaments in three outdoor environments. The luminous efficacy, CIE chromaticity coordinates, color temperature, and other indicators of the filaments were obtained before and after aging. The results showed that the high temperature–high humidity environment had the greatest impact on the filament. Particularly, the filaments with color temperatures of 4000 K and 5000 K experienced significant changes under various indicators, confirming their sensitivity to this environment. Meanwhile, the filament with a color temperature of 2700 K exhibited the best reliability. After three kinds of aging tests, the luminous efficacy of the 2700 K filaments decreased by 1.9%, 15.15%, and 0.3%, respectively, with minimal changes in various indicators, indicating their suitability for a wide range of applications.

Improved Reliability of 278 nm Deep Ultraviolet AlGaN-Based Flip-Chip Light Emitting Diodes by Using ITO/Al Contact

We investigated the electrical and optical performance and reliability of 278 nm deep ultraviolet (DUV) AlGaN-based flip-chip light-emitting diodes (FCLEDs) fabricated with ITO/Al and reference Ni/Au contacts. The DUV FCLEDs with the Ni/Au and ITO/Al contacts yielded forward voltages of 6.52 and 6.65 V at 50 A cm−2 and light output of 6.36 and 10.06 mW at 50 A cm−2, respectively. The ITO/Al-based FCLEDs produced higher Wall plug efficiency (WPE) (3.04% at 50 A cm−2) than the Ni/Au-based samples (1.96%). The ITO/Al-based FCLEDs revealed 55% higher WPE at 50 A cm−2 than the Ni/Au-based sample. For both of the samples, the output power decreased with increasing operation time at 100 A cm−2. For example, after 2000 h, the Ni/Au and ITO/Al-based FCLEDs showed a reduction in the output power by 37% and 22%, respectively. Despite the good output characteristics, the ITO/Al contact-based FCLEDs exhibited higher forward bias voltages than the Ni/Au-based sample. Based on the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) depth profiles, high-angle annular dark field (HAADF), and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) results, reason for the increase in the forward voltage of ITO/Al-based FCLEDs is described and discussed.

Analysis of the Light-Extraction Efficiency of Flip-Chip Deep-Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diodes with Embedded Photonic Crystals

In the present study, embedded photonic crystals were introduced into the p-GaN contact layer of light-emitting diodes to increase the light-extraction efficiency of flip-chip deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes. As demonstrated by performing three-dimensional finite-difference time domain simulation, the embedded photonic crystals could be designed to increase the total reflectivity on the p-GaN contact layer, thereby increasing the light-extraction efficiency. In addition, the effects of the embedded photonic crystals configurations on the light-extraction efficiency of deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes were examined. Light-extraction efficiency over 21% for transverse magnetic polarized emission could be generally expected by rigorously optimizing the active layer position, as well as the depth, period, and filling factor of photonic crystals. Moreover, an investigation was conducted on the light-extraction efficiency over the whole ultraviolet spectrum, and more light-extraction efficiency harvest on a broadband ultraviolet spectrum has been achieved as compared with flip-chip planar deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes. The optimized structure will be promising for increasing the light-extraction efficiency of AlGaN-based flip-chip deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes.

Optimization of Ni/Ag-Based Reflectors to Improve the Performance of 273 nm Deep Ultraviolet AlGaN-Based Light Emitting Diodes

We optimized Ni/Ag-based p-type reflectors for the improvement of efficiency of 273 nm deep ultraviolet (DUV) AlGaN-based flip-chip light emitting diodes (FCLEDs). The Ni(3 nm)/Ag(5–15 nm)/Al/Ni and Ni(25–50 nm)/Ag/Ni contacts exhibited higher reflectance (36.4–39.5%) at 273 nm than reference Ni(5 nm)/Au(5 nm)/Al/Ni contact (26.1%). The Ni(3 nm)/Ag/Al(200 nm)/Ni(20 nm) and Ni/Ag(200 nm)/Ni(20 nm)-based FCLEDs gave forward voltages in the rage of 6.93–7.11 V and 5.5–6.28 V at 20 mA, respectively, whereas the Ni/Au-based sample showed 6.35 V. Further, the Ni(3 nm)/Ag(10 nm)/Al/Ni-based and Ni(50 nm)/Ag(200 nm)/Ni-based samples exhibited 4.85% and 13.4% larger output power at 1.2 W than the reference sample. The Ni(3 nm)/Ag(10 nm)-based and Ni(50 nm)/Ag(200 nm)/Ni-based samples produced 5.6% and 8.5% higher peak external quantum efficiency than the reference sample. It was further shown that the Ni(3 nm)/Ag(10 nm)/Al/Ni-based and Ni(50 nm)/Ag(200 nm)/Ni-based samples experienced less efficiency droop (namely, 27.9 and 26.4%, respectively) than the reference sample (31.4%). Based on the scanning transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy results, the ohmic formation mechanism is described and discussed.

Effect of Solder Particle Size on the Mechanical and Thermal Reliability of Au/Sn Ag Cu/Cu Solder Joints

This paper investigates the effect of solders with different grain sizes (5–15 μm, 2–15 μm, 2–11 μm) on the mechanical and thermal reliability of flip-chip LED chip Au/Sn Ag Cu/Cu solder joints during reflow soldering. The lead-free solder SAC305 was selected as the solder. The microstructure of the IMC interface and the inferred surface of the solder joint is observed, and the microstructure evolution of the solder joint is analyzed. The void ratio of the solder joints under different grain sizes is tested to characterize the influence of the contact area between the chip and the solder joints on the shear stress. In addition, the solder joints were aged for 1000 h under a relative humidity of 85 °C/85%. The photoelectric thermal performance of the FC-LED filament and the influence of high temperature and high humidity aging on the reliability of the filament were tested and analyzed. The results show that when the size of the solder paste is small and the uniformity is poor within a certain range of solder size, the voids in the flux layer are large and concentrated, and the void ratio is significantly higher, which leads to a decrease in the mechanical reliability of the solder joints. The thermal resistance test results show that the cavity will cause excessive thermal resistance, poor heat dissipation, a significant increase in junction temperature, and a decrease in thermal reliability, which in turn leads to severe light aging and ultimately changes in photoelectric performance. When the grain size is 5–15 μm, the uniformity of the particle size is good. After the filament is aged for 1000 h at high temperature and humidity, the light maintenance rate remains at 65.6%, and the filament performance is stable and reliable. It has certain reference value in the actual production process.

High-Reflectivity Mg/Al Ohmic Contacts on n-GaN

This work reports a Mg (130 nm)/Al (50 nm) bilayer to realize high-reflectivity ohmic contact for n-GaN. The contact resistivity of 3.75 × 10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">-4</sup> Ω·cm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> with Mg/Al contact was achieved after annealing at 250 °C in ambient Ar for 1 min. The specific contact resistivity was found to change moderately when the annealing temperature was below 400 °C, but the ohmic characteristics deteriorated significantly when the annealing temperature was above 450 °C. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy revealed that the Ga 3d (Ga-N) peak decreased by 0.28 eV with the increase of the annealing temperature from 250 to 450 °C, which can increase the metal-semiconductor contact barrier height, leading to deteriorated current-voltage characteristics. The reflectivity of the samples was found to decrease with the increase of the annealing temperature, and decreased greatly when the temperature exceeded 350 °C. When the annealing temperature is below 300 °C, the reflectivities of the samples are greater than 90% for wavelengths from 350 to 550 nm. Mg/Al is therefore a promising candidate to serve as a reflective n-GaN electrode for GaN-based flip-chip LEDs to improve the light extraction efficiency.

Size-Dependent Quantum Efficiency of Flip-Chip Light-Emitting Diodes at High Current Injection Conditions

Versatile applications call for InGaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to operate at ultra-high current densities with high quantum efficiency. In this work, we investigated the size-dependent effects of the electrical and optical performance of LEDs as increasing the current density up to 100 A/cm2, which demonstrated that mini-strip flip-chip LEDs were superior option to achieve better performance. In detail, at a current density of 100 A/cm2, the light output power density of these mini-strip LEDs was improved by about 6.1 W/cm2, leading to an improvement in the wall-plug efficiency by 4.23%, while the operating temperature was reduced by 11.3 °C, as compared with the large-sized LEDs. This could be attributed to the increase in the sidewall light extraction, alleviated current crowding effect, and improved heat dissipation. This work suggests an array of mini-strip LEDs would provide an option in achieving higher luminescent efficiency at ultrahigh current injection conditions for various applications.

Laser Lift-Off of the Sapphire Substrate for Fabricating Through-AlN-Via Wafer Bonded Absorption Layer Removed Thin Film Ultraviolet Flip Chip LED

In this study we report chip fabrication process that allows the laser lift-off of the sapphire substrate for the transfer of the GaN based thin film flip chip to the carrier wafer. The fabrication process includes 365-nm ultraviolet flip chip LED wafer align bonding with through-AlN-via wafer and sapphire laser lift-off. n-holes with the diameter of 100 µm were etched on the GaN epilayers for accessing n-type GaN. Through-AlN-via size was 110-µm and filled by Cu electroplating method for the electrical connection. Mechanical stabilization to prevent the GaN epilayers cracking and fragmentation during laser lift-off was achieved by utilizing epoxy based SU-8 photoresist support.

Different scattering effect of nano-patterned sapphire substrate for TM- and TE-polarized light emitted from AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes

In this work, the scattering mechanism by nano-patterned sapphire substrate (NPSS) for flip-chip AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (DUV LEDs) has been investigated systematically via three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (3D FDTD) method. It is found that for the conventional DUV LED with a thick p-GaN layer, the NPSS structure can enhance the light extraction efficiency (LEE) for the transverse magnetic (TM)-polarized light because the TM-polarized light with large incident angles can be scattered into escape cones. However, the LEE for the transverse electric (TE)-polarized light is suppressed by NPSS structure because NPSS structure scatters some TE-polarized light out of the escape cones. Moreover, the highly absorptive p-GaN layer also seriously restricts the scattering efficiency of NPSS structure. Therefore, to reduce the optical absorption, meshed p-GaN structure is strongly proposed to greatly enhance the LEEs for both TM- and TE-polarized light of DUV LEDs grown on NPSS. Compared to the DUV LED with only NPSS structure and that with only meshed p-GaN layer, the LEE for the TE-polarized (TM-polarized) light for DUV LEDs with the combination of NPSS structure and meshed p-GaN structure can be enhanced by 124% (5 times) and 112% (4 times), respectively.

Effect of Soldering Temperature on the Reliability of Sn-Ag-Cu Lead-Free Solder Joints

This paper investigates the effect of soldering temperature on solder joint voids and reliability of flip-chip LED chips during reflow soldering. Lead-free solder SAC305 was used as solder paste. The void ratio of the flip-chip LED solder joint at 250°C, 260°C, 270°C, 280°C, and 290°C reflow soldering temperatures was detected by x-ray detector. Shear tests were conducted to evaluate the influence of interfacial reactions on the mechanical reliability of solder joints. The distribution of voids in the shear section was observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Next, the photoelectric and thermal properties of FC-LED filament were tested and analyzed. Finally, a high-temperature and high-humidity aging experiment was carried out to test the reliability of the LED filament. The results show that the void ratio of the LED filament soldering joint is the lowest when the soldering temperature is 270°C. The small void ratio of the solder joints results in lower steady-state voltage and junction temperature of the flip-chip LED filament. As the void density in the solder joint decreases, the shear strength of the solder joint increases. At this time, the shear resistance and mechanical reliability are the highest.

Uniformity of Light Emission in Micro-area on Mesa of High-power Flip-chip LED Devices with Ceramic Packaging

Uniformity of Light Emission in Micro-area on Mesa of High-power Flip-chip LED Devices with Ceramic Packaging