Light Output Power Research Articles

High-power GaN-based Blue Laser Diodes with 7.5 W of Light Output Power Under Continuous-wave Operation（Invited）

High-power GaN-based Blue Laser Diodes with 7.5 W of Light Output Power Under Continuous-wave Operation（Invited）

Superior Optoelectronic Performance of N-Polar GaN LED to Ga-Polar Counterpart in the “Green Gap” Range

The low luminous efficiency of indium gallium nitride (InGaN) light-emitting diodes (LED) in the “green gap” range has been a long unsettled issue confounding the researchers. One of the main obstacles comes from the intrinsic polarization field in the incumbent Ga-polar LEDs (Ga-LEDs), where the polarization field will bend the energy band thus reducing the radiative recombination efficiency. The scenario will become different when we reverse the polarization field with the adoption of N-polar GaN, which should be a promising candidate to obtain LEDs with high luminous efficiency in the “green gap” range. In this study, the optical and electronic performances of InGaN LEDs in the “green gap” range with N- and Ga-polar have been numerically investigated. The results demonstrate that the light-output power of N-polar LED (N-LED) is ~1.69-fold higher than that of Ga-LED at a current density of 1250 A/cm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> , thus leading to a significantly improved internal quantum efficiency. Meanwhile, the turn-on voltage of N-LED is lowered by ~17.3% compared to that of Ga-LED. As revealed by the energy band diagram, the superior optoelectronic performance of N-LED is mainly attributed to the stronger carrier confinement in the active region and the lower carrier injection barriers. This study suggests the prospective realization of high luminous efficiency InGaN LEDs in the “green gap” range by the implementation of N-LEDs.

Review of Low-Frequency Noise Properties of High-Power White LEDs during Long-Term Aging.

Low-frequency noise investigation is a highly sensitive and very informative method for characterization of white nitride-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as well as for the evaluation of their degradation. We present a review of quality and reliability investigations of high-power (1 W and 3 W) white light-emitting diodes during long-term aging at the maximum permissible forward current at room temperature. The research was centered on the investigation of blue InGaN and AlInGaN quantum wells (QWs) LEDs covered by a YAG:Ce3+ phosphor layer for white light emission. The current-voltage, light output power, and low-frequency noise characteristics were measured. A broadband silicon photodetector and two-color (blue and red) selective silicon photodetectors were used for the LED output power detection, which makes it possible to separate physical processes related to the initial blue light radiation and the phosphor luminescence. Particular attention was paid to the measurement and interpretation of the simultaneous cross-correlation coefficient between electrical and optical fluctuations. The presented method enables to determine which part of fluctuations originates in the quantum well layer of the LED. The technique using the two-color selective photodetector enables investigation of changes in the noise properties of the main blue light source and the phosphor layer during the long-term aging.

Using Modified-Intake Plasma-Enhanced Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition System to Grow Gallium Doped Zinc Oxide.

We have used a modified-intake plasma-enhanced metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MIPEMOCVD) system to fabricate gallium-doped zinc oxide (GZO) thin films with varied Ga content. The MIPEMOCVD system contains a modified intake system of a mixed tank and a spraying terminal to deliver the metal–organic (MO) precursors and a radio-frequency (RF) system parallel to the substrate normal, which can achieve a uniform distribution of organic precursors in the reaction chamber and reduce the bombardment damage. We examined the substitute and interstitial mechanisms of Ga atoms in zinc oxide (ZnO) matrix in MIPEMOCVD-grown GZO thin films through crystalline analyses and Hall measurements. The optimal Ga content of MIPEMOCVD-grown GZO thin film is 3.01 at%, which shows the highest conductivity and transmittance. Finally, the optimal MIPEMOCVD-grown GZO thin film was applied to n-ZnO/p-GaN LED as a window layer. As compared with the indium–tin–oxide (ITO) window layer, the n-ZnO/p-GaN LED with the MIPEMOCVD-grown GZO window layer of the rougher surface and higher transmittance at near UV range exhibits an enhanced light output power owing to the improved light extraction efficiency (LEE).

Enhanced Light Extraction of DUV LEDs by Using a Quartz Lens With Three-Dimensional Structure

AlGaN based deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (DUV LEDs) have wide applications in many fields, such as air and water purification, disinfection, and biochemical inspection. However, the wall plug efficiency (WPE) of DUV LEDs is relatively low for these applications, which is due to the low light extraction efficiency (LEE) yielding limited light output from LED package. In this work, we proposed a quartz lens with three-dimensional (3D) structure to enhance the light extraction of DUV LEDs. The optical models of DUV LEDs were established and the optical performances of DUV LEDs were investigated by using optical simulation. The DUV LEDs with the 3D quartz lens exhibit higher light efficiency than those with traditional quartz lens structure. Compared with the traditional structure, the light output power of the 3D lens structure is enhanced by 25.93% at the current of 140 mA and the packaged DUV LED can achieve a wide light angle of 153.2°. It is attributed to the significant light extraction enhancement of the sidewall emission from DUV LED chip.

Semipolar {202¯1} GaN Edge-Emitting Laser Diode on Epitaxial Lateral Overgrown Wing

Edge-emitting laser diodes (LDs) were fabricated on a reduced dislocation density epitaxial lateral overgrown (ELO) wing of a semipolar {202¯1} GaN substrate, termed an ELO wing LD. Two types of facet feasibility studies were conducted: (1) “handmade” facets, wherein lifted-off ELO wing LDs were cleaved manually, and (2) facets formed on wafers through reactive ion etching (RIE). Pulsed operation electrical and optical measurements confirmed the laser action in the RIE facet LDs with a threshold current of ~19 kAcm−2 and maximum light output power of 20 mW from a single uncoated facet. Handmade facet devices showed spontaneous, LED-like emission, confirming device layers remain intact after mechanical liftoff.

Enhanced performance of GaN-based visible flip-chip mini-LEDs with highly reflective full-angle distributed Bragg reflectors

High-efficiency GaN-based visible flip-chip miniaturized-light emitting diodes (FC mini-LEDs) are desirable for developing white LED-backlit liquid crystal displays. Here, we propose a full-angle Ti3O5/SiO2 distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) for blue and green FC mini-LEDs to enhance the device performance. The proposed full-angle Ti3O5/SiO2 DBR is composed of different single-DBR stacks optimized for central wavelength in blue, green, and red light wavelength regions, resulting in wider reflective bandwidth and less angular dependence. Furthermore, we demonstrate two types of GaN-based FC mini-LEDs with indium-tin oxide (ITO)/DBR and Ag/TiW p-type ohmic contacts. Experimental results exhibit that the reflectivity of full-angle DBR is higher than that of Ag/TiW in the light wavelength range of 420 to 580 nm as the incident angle of light increases from 0° to 60°. As a result, the light output powers (LOPs) of blue and green FC mini-LEDs with ITO/DBR are enhanced by 7.7% and 7.3% in comparison to blue and green FC mini-LEDs with Ag/TiW under an injection current of 10 mA. In addition, compared with FC mini-LED with Ag/TiW, light intensity of FC mini-LED with ITO/DBR is improved in side direction, which is beneficial to mix light in backlight system of liquid crystal displays (LCDs).

High quality AlN with uniform in-plane strain on nano-patterned AlN templates achieved by preset strain modulation

High-quality AlN with uniform in-plane strain has been attempted with preset strain modulation on nano-patterned AlN templates (NPATs). It is found that this strain preset frame can effectively improve both the tilt and twist features of AlN on NPATs, further greatly decreasing threading dislocation density. More importantly, the AlN epilayer after completing coalescence can maintain the in-plane uniform compressive strain. Adopting AlN templates achieved in this scheme, the chip-on-wafer light output power (LOP) of AlGaN light-emitting diode (LED) reaches 10.2 mW at 100 mA with single emission peak at 280 nm, which increases by 22.3% than the LOP of LED device without adopting this strain preset frame.

Enhanced Optoelectronic Performance of Yellow Light-Emitting Diodes Grown on InGaN/GaN Pre-Well Structure.

InGaN-based long-wavelength light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are indispensable components for the next-generation solid-state lighting industry. In this work, we introduce additional InGaN/GaN pre-wells in LED structure and investigate the influence on optoelectronic properties of yellow (~575 nm) LEDs. It is found that yellow LED with pre-wells exhibits a smaller blue shift, and a 2.2-fold increase in light output power and stronger photoluminescence (PL) intensity compared to yellow LED without pre-wells. The underlying mechanism is revealed by using Raman spectra, temperature-dependent PL, and X-ray diffraction. Benefiting from the pre-well structure, in-plane compressive stress is reduced, which effectively suppresses the quantum confined stark effect. Furthermore, the increased quantum efficiency is also related to deeper localized states with reduced non-radiative centers forming in multiple quantum wells grown on pre-wells. Our work demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of a pre-well structure for obtaining efficient LEDs towards long wavelengths.

Effects of activation method and temperature to III-nitride micro-light-emitting diodes with tunnel junction contacts grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

The optical and electrical characteristics of InGaN blue and green micro-light-emitting diodes (μLEDs) with GaN tunnel junction (TJ) contacts grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) were compared at different activation temperatures among three activation methods from the literature, namely, sidewall activation, selective area growth (SAG), and chemical treatment before sidewall activation. The devices with chemical treatment before activation resulted in uniform electroluminescence and higher light output power, compared to the devices with sidewall activation and SAG. Moreover, the green μLEDs showed greater optical degradation at elevated activation temperatures, whereas the blue μLEDs yielded trivial difference with activation temperatures from 670 to 790 °C. The 5 × 5 μm2 devices with chemical treatment before activation and SAG yielded almost identical voltage at 20 A/cm2, and the voltage penalty significantly decreased with activation temperature in the case of devices with sidewall activation. The devices with chemical treatment before activation resulted in higher external quantum efficiency (EQE) and wall-plug efficiency (WPE) in low current density range compared to the devices with SAG. The enhancements in EQE and WPE were observed in different μLED sizes, suggesting that chemical treatment before sidewall activation enables the use of TJ contacts grown by MOCVD and is advantageous for applications that require high brightness and efficiency.

Ultrasmall and ultradense InGaN-based RGB monochromatic micro-light-emitting diode arrays by pixilation of conductive p-GaN

We describe 5 μm squircle InGaN-based red, green, and blue (RGB) monochromatic micro-light-emitting diodes (μLEDs) with an interpitch of 4 μm by pixilation of conductive p-GaN using a H 2 -plasma treatment. The p-GaN was passivated by H 2 plasma and prevented the current’s injection into the InGaN quantum wells below. We observed that InGaN-based red μLEDs exhibited a broader full width at half-maximum and larger peak wavelength blueshift at 11.5 – 115 A / cm 2 than the green/blue μLEDs. The on-wafer light output power density of the red μLEDs at a wavelength of 632 nm at 115 A / cm 2 was approximately 936 mW/ cm 2 , the highest value reported thus far for InGaN-based red μLEDs. This value was comparable with that of the green/blue μLEDs at 11.5 A / cm 2 , indicating that the red μLEDs can satisfy the requirement of high brightness levels for specific displays. The color gamut based on InGaN RGB μLEDs covered 83.7% to 75.9% of the Rec. 2020 color space in the CIE 1931 diagram at 11.5 to 115 A / cm 2 .

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.

Effective Modulation of GaN-on-Si LED via Indigenous MOSFET Engineering

In this article, we realize an effective modulation of GaN-on-Si light-emitting diode (LED) via an indigenous MOSFET based on a standard commercial LED epitaxial (epi) wafer. With the benefit of no epi regrowth, the MOSFET was directly fabricated on the LED epi layer, providing a facile method of cost-effective fabrication. The drain of the MOSFET was connected to the cathode of the LED by sharing the n-GaN layer to lessen parasitic effects. A tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution was used to smoothen the sidewall of the gate-recess. The measurements showed that the MOSFET effectively modulated the output current, light output power (LOP), and the peak value of the light intensity of the integrated LED. We anticipate that such an approach could have potential applications for visible light communication (VLC) and micro-LED display.

The flexible LED fabrication by transferring epitaxial film onto PET

Flexible AlGaInP-based red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) hold tremendous potential to revolutionize wearable displays. In this work, we propose a method of preparing thin film red LEDs on the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. We reversed the normal process by bonding the wafer onto the PET and peeling off the GaAs substrate before the device fabrication. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images showed the root-mean-square (RMS) roughness of 0.155 nm after removing the substrate. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra indicated an 8 nm red shift after bending the thin film, but only a 3 nm raised full width at half maximum (FWHM) from 12 nm to 15 nm. Electroluminescence (EL) spectra exhibited a 10% decreased light output power (LOP) and an increased threshold voltage from 1.5 V to 4 V due to the lack of rapid thermal annealing. This reverse process could save some tedious steps such as massive transfers, which would benefit the micro-LED fabrication. Furthermore, the multi-film stack and multi-LED integrate could realize by several selective etching with this reversed process. • This is the first time that a flexible LED can be obtained by transferring the substrate before the device is fabricated. • The PL test results show that there is almost no introduced damage in the LED preparation. • This reverse process could save some tedious steps such as massive transfers, which would benefit the micro-LED fabrication.

Enhanced external quantum efficiencies of AlGaN-based deep-UV LEDs using reflective passivation layer.

In this study, deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (DUV-LEDs) with a reflective passivation layer (RPL) were investigated. The RPL consists of HfO2/SiO2 stacks as distributed Bragg reflectors, which are deposited on two DUV-LEDs with different p-GaN thicknesses. The RPL structure improved the external quantum efficiency droops of the DUV-LEDs with thick and thin p-GaN, thereby increasing their light output power by 18.4% and 39.4% under injection current of 500 mA and by 17.9% and 37.9% under injection current of 1000 mA, respectively. The efficiency droops of the DUV-LEDs with and without the RPL with thick p-GaN were 20.1% and 19.1% and with thin p-GaN were 18.0% and 15.6%, respectively. The DUV-LEDs with the RPL presented improved performance. The above results demonstrate the potential for development of the RPLs for DUV-LED applications.

Development of highly efficient ultraviolet LEDs on hybrid patterned sapphire substrates.

A hybrid patterned sapphire substrate (HPSS) aiming to achieve high-quality Al(Ga)N epilayers for the development of GaN-based ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UV LEDs) has been prepared. The high-resolution X-ray diffraction measurements reveal that the Al(Ga)N epilayers grown on a HPSS and conventional patterned sapphire substrate (CPSS) have similar structural quality. More importantly, benefiting from the larger refractive index contrast between the patterned silica array and sapphire, the photons can escape from the hybrid substrate with an improved transmittance in the UV band. As a result, in comparison with the UV LEDs grown on the CPSS, the LEDs grown on the HPSS exhibit a significantly enhanced light output power by 14.5% and more than 22.9% higher peak external quantum efficiency, owing to the boost of the light extraction efficiency from the adoption of the HPSS which can be used as a promising substrate to realize high-efficiency and high-power UV LEDs of the future.

Observation of Highly Durable Silicone Resin for Encapsulating AlGaN-Based UVB Light-Emitting Diodes

In this paper, we report an AlN-based ceramic lead frame (LF) with encapsulating silicone between the surface of an AlGaN-based ultraviolet-B light-emitting diode (UVB-LED) chip and a quartz glass cover; the light output power (LOP) of this structure was 13.8% greater than that of the corresponding packaging structure without encapsulating silicone. Another packaging structure in which the silicone fully filled the cavity of the AlN-based ceramic LF included covering with quartz glass; in this case, the enhancement of the LOP was 11.7%. Reliability tests performed over a period of 3500 h at a forward current (If) of 100 mA revealed that the LOPs of these two silicone-containing packaging types decreased to 45.3 and 48.6%, respectively, of their initial values. The different degradation rates of these UVB-LEDs were not, however, correlated with the appearance of cracks in the encapsulating silicone during long-term operation. Excluding any possible mechanisms responsible for degradation within the UVB-LED chips, we suggest that the hermetic cover should be removed to avoid the appearance of cracks. Moreover, the main mechanism responsible for the slow degradation rates of LOPs in these proposed packaging structures involves the encapsulated silicone, after cracks have appeared, undergoing further deterioration by the UVB irradiation.

Improved Performance of GaN-Based Ultraviolet LEDs with the Stair-like Si-Doping n-GaN Structure

A method to improve the performance of ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) with stair-like Si-doping GaN layer is investigated. The high-resolution X-ray diffraction shows that the UV-LED with stair-like Si-doping GaN layer possesses better quality and a lower dislocation density. In addition, the experimental results demonstrate that light output power and wall plug efficiency of UV-LED with stair-like Si-doping GaN are significantly improved. Through the analysis of the experimental and simulation results, we can infer that there are two reasons for the improvement of photoelectric characteristics: reduction of dislocation density and alleviating of current crowding of UV-LEDs by introduced stair-like Si-doping GaN.

Ultra-small InGaN green micro-light-emitting diodes fabricated by selective passivation of p-GaN.

Here, we proposed fabricating ultra-small InGaN-based micro-light-emitting diodes (µLEDs). The selective p-GaN areas were intentionally passivated using a H2 plasma treatment and served as the electrical isolation regions to prevent the current from injecting into the InGaN quantum wells below. Three kinds of green µLEDs, two squircle shapes with widths of 5 and 4 µm and one circular shape with a diameter of 2.7 µm, were successfully realized. The current-voltage characteristics indicate that the series resistance and the turn-on voltage increase as the dimension of the µLED decreases. This originates from the diffusion of the hydrogen atoms into the unexpected conductive p-GaN area. The light output power density and the calculated external quantum efficiency of the µLEDs from a 5-µm-squircle to a 2.7-µm-circle were enhanced by 10-20% when compared to 98×98µm2 µLEDs that were fabricated using mesa etching.

P-AlInN electron blocking layer for AlGaN-based deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diode

Commonly, the Al-rich AlGaN layer acts as electron blocking layer (EBL) to block the overflow of electrons from the active region in conventional AlGaN deep-ultraviolet (DUV) light-emitting diode (LED). However, the Al-rich AlGaN layer leads to the disadvantages of severe electron overflow and hole blocking effect. Herein, we proposed a new AlInN-based EBL to improve the optoelectronic characteristics of AlGaN-based DUV LED. The calculated results show that conventional (fixed Al composition) AlInN EBL has superior hole injection, reduced electron overflow, and lower electric field as compared to conventional AlGaN EBL. By using AlInN EBL, internal quantum efficiency (IQE) drop is reduced by 20%, and light output power improved by 165.30%. It was noticed that conventional AlInN EBL has a 28% IQE drop which can further be minimized by employing AlInN/AlInN superlattice EBL structure. It is found that superlattice EBL improved carrier distribution and reduced electric field resulting in a higher electron-hole wave-function overlap of 55% within multiple quantum wells (MQW) which elevate radiative recombination rate. AlInN superlattice EBL LED has drop-free 93% IQE, twice light output power, and spontaneous emission rate compared to conventional AlInN EBL LED.