Alec M. Fischer

Improvement of peak quantum efficiency and efficiency droop in III-nitride visible light-emitting diodes with an InAlN electron-blocking layer

InAlN electron-blocking layers (EBLs) are shown to improve the emission intensity and to mitigate the efficiency droop problem in III-nitride-based visible light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Using an In0.18Al0.82N EBL in blue LEDs, we have achieved a significant improvement in the electroluminescence emission intensity and a mitigated efficiency droop compared to similar LEDs without an EBL or with an Al0.2Ga0.8N EBL. This indicates that an In0.18Al0.82N EBL is more effective in electron confinement and reduces the efficiency droop possibly caused by carrier spill-over than conventional AlGaN EBLs.

Improvement of quantum efficiency by employing active-layer-friendly lattice-matched InAlN electron blocking layer in green light-emitting diodes

Improvement of the internal quantum efficiency in green-light emitting diodes has been achieved using lattice-matched InAlN electron-blocking layers. Higher electroluminescence intensities have been obtained due to better electron confinement in the device active region. The device efficiency has also been found to significantly depend on the InAlN growth temperature. Optimized InAlN growth at ∼840 °C results in a lower growth rate and longer growth times than at ∼780 °C. The observed reduction in emission efficiency for InAlN layers grown at higher temperatures is possibly attributed to thermal damage in the green active region.

Efficiency droop due to electron spill-over and limited hole injection in III-nitride visible light-emitting diodes employing lattice-matched InAlN electron blocking layers

Data and analysis are presented for the study of efficiency droop in visible III-nitride light-emitting diodes (LEDs) considering the effects of both electron spill-over out of active region and hole injection into the active region. Performance characteristics of blue LEDs with lattice-matched In0.18Al0.82N electron-blocking layers (EBLs) with different thicknesses were measured in order to exclude the effects of strain and doping efficiency of the EBL, and the quantum efficiencies were analyzed taking account of the electron spill-over current and the relative hole concentration. The results suggest that the highest efficiency in LEDs with a 15-nm In0.18Al0.82N EBL is due to relatively lower hole-blocking effect, hence higher hole injection than in LEDs with a 20-nm EBL, while providing a higher potential barrier for reduced electron spill-over than in LEDs with thinner EBLs. This study suggests that the EBL hole-blocking and electron-confinement effects should be considered in order to achieve higher l...

Misfit Strain Relaxation by Stacking Fault Generation in InGaN Quantum Wells Grown on

InGaN quantum wells, grown on non-polar m-plane GaN and emitting light at 560 nm, experience lattice mismatch strain relaxation by the generation of stacking faults. Each stacking fault terminates a basal plane from the substrate side, generating misfit dislocations that have a Burgers vector with a 1/2[0001] component. The structural and optical properties of such thin film structures are reported.

m

A correlation between the structural and optical properties of GaN thin films grown in the [112¯0] direction has been established using transmission electron microscopy and cathodoluminescence spectroscopy. The GaN films were grown on an r-plane sapphire substrate, and epitaxial lateral overgrowth was achieved using SiO2 masks. A comparison between the properties of GaN directly grown on sapphire and GaN laterally grown over the SiO2 mask is presented. The densities and dimensions of the stacking faults vary significantly with a high density of short faults in the window region and a much lower density of longer faults in the wing region. The low-temperature luminescence spectra consist of peaks at 3.465 and 3.41eV, corresponding to emission from donor-bound excitons and basal-plane stacking faults, respectively. A correlation between the structural defects and the light emission characteristics is presented.

-Plane GaN

InGaN quantum wells, with luminescence in the yellow region of the visible spectrum, have been studied using conventional and time-resolved cathodoluminescence. We observe the absence of strong localization effects and a relatively high internal quantum efficiency of ∼12%, which are unexpected for InGaN in this-long wavelength emission range. We have also observed a steady decrease of the peak emission energy, and a continuous increase in the radiative recombination lifetime with temperature up to 100 K. These two features are manifestations of recombination due to nonlocalized excitons. Nonradiative recombination centers, with activation energy of ∼6 meV, appear to constitute the main mechanism limiting the internal quantum efficiency of these films.

Structural and optical properties of nonpolar GaN thin films

We demonstrate the control of the quantum-confined Stark effect in InGaN∕GaN quantum wells (QWs), grown along the [0001] direction as part of the active region of visible light emitting diodes (LEDs). The effect can be altered by modifying the strain applied to the active region by the hole injection and contact layers. The optical characteristics and electrostatic potentials of the active region of the visible LEDs with different p-type layers are compared. LEDs with p-InGaN on top of the active region show a reduced blueshift in the peak wavelength with increasing injection current and a lower potential difference across the QW than those with p-GaN layers. The electrostatic potentials across the QW have estimated average values of ∼0.8 and ∼1.3MV∕cm for the active region of LEDs of current study with p-InGaN and p-GaN layers, respectively.

Carrier localization and nonradiative recombination in yellow emitting InGaN quantum wells

Deep-ultraviolet lasing was achieved at 243.5 nm from an AlxGa1−xN-based multi-quantum-well structure using a pulsed excimer laser for optical pumping. The threshold pump power density at room-temperature was 427 kW/cm2 with transverse electric (TE)-polarization-dominant emission. The structure was epitaxially grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on an Al-polar free-standing AlN (0001) substrate. Stimulated emission is achieved by design of the active region, optimizing the growth, and the reduction in defect density afforded by homoepitaxial growth of AlN buffer layers on AlN substrates, demonstrating the feasibility of deep-ultraviolet diode lasers on free-standing AlN.

Control of quantum-confined Stark effect in InGaN∕GaN multiple quantum well active region by p-type layer for III-nitride-based visible light emitting diodes

Optically pumped deep-ultraviolet (DUV) lasing with low threshold was demonstrated from AlGaN-based multiple-quantum-well (MQW) heterostructures grown on sapphire substrates. The epitaxial layers were grown pseudomorphically by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on (0001) sapphire substrates. Stimulated emission was observed at wavelengths of 256 nm and 249 nm with thresholds of 61 kW/cm2 and 95 kW/cm2 at room temperature, respectively. The thresholds are comparable to the reported state-of-the-art AlGaN-based MQW DUV lasers grown on bulk AlN substrates emitting at 266 nm. These low thresholds are attributed to the optimization of active region and waveguide layer as well as the use of high-quality AlN/sapphire templates. The stimulated emission above threshold was dominated by transverse-electric polarization. This work demonstrates the potential candidacy of sapphire substrates for DUV diode lasers.

Deep-ultraviolet lasing at 243 nm from photo-pumped AlGaN/AlN heterostructure on AlN substrate

Variations in the strength of the piezoelectric field inside InGaN quantum wells have been observed along the growth direction in InGaN-based diodes emitting light in the green region. The internal electrostatic potential distribution across the active region consisting of five InGaN quantum wells has been determined by electron holography in a transmission electron microscope. The strength of the piezoelectric field decreases in the direction towards the p-n junction. Its effect on light emission has been evaluated by depth-profiling cathodoluminescence, where the emission from two peaks becomes increasingly distinct with increasing excitation voltage. The drop in piezoelectric field strength is proposed to be related to the neutralization of piezoelectric charges by hydrogen ions which are initially abundant in the p region and diffuse into the quantum wells during thermal annealing.