Dong Yeong Kim

Efficient photoelectrochemical hydrogen production from bismuth vanadate-decorated tungsten trioxide helix nanostructures

Tungsten trioxide/bismuth vanadate heterojunction is one of the best pairs for solar water splitting, but its photocurrent densities are insufficient. Here we investigate the advantages of using helical nanostructures in photoelectrochemical solar water splitting. A helical tungsten trioxide array is fabricated on a fluorine-doped tin oxide substrate, followed by subsequent coating with bismuth vanadate/catalyst. A maximum photocurrent density of ~5.35±0.15 mA cm(-2) is achieved at 1.23 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode, and related hydrogen and oxygen evolution is also observed from this heterojunction. Theoretical simulations and analyses are performed to verify the advantages of this helical structure. The combination of effective light scattering, improved charge separation and transportation, and an enlarged contact surface area with electrolytes due to the use of the bismuth vanadate-decorated tungsten trioxide helical nanostructures leads to the highest reported photocurrent density to date at 1.23 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode, to the best of our knowledge.

Enhanced overall efficiency of GaInN-based light-emitting diodes with reduced efficiency droop by Al-composition-graded AlGaN/GaN superlattice electron blocking layer

AlxGa1−xN/GaN superlattice electron blocking layers (EBLs) with gradually decreasing Al composition toward the p-type GaN layer are introduced to GaInN-based high-power light-emitting diodes (LEDs). GaInN/GaN multiple quantum well LEDs with 5- and 9-period Al-composition-graded AlxGa1−xN/GaN EBL show comparable operating voltage, higher efficiency as well as less efficiency droop than LEDs having conventional bulk AlGaN EBL, which is attributed to the superlattice doping effect, enhanced hole injection into the active region, and reduced potential drop in the EBL by grading Al compositions. Simulation results reveal a reduction in electron leakage for the superlattice EBL, in agreement with experimental results.

An elegant route to overcome fundamentally-limited light extraction in AlGaN deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes: Preferential outcoupling of strong in-plane emission.

While there is an urgent need for semiconductor-based efficient deep ultraviolet (DUV) sources, the efficiency of AlGaN DUV light-emitting diodes (LEDs) remains very low because the extraction of DUV photons is significantly limited by intrinsic material properties of AlGaN. Here, we present an elegant approach based on a DUV LED having multiple mesa stripes whose inclined sidewalls are covered by a MgF2/Al omni-directional mirror to take advantage of the strongly anisotropic transverse-magnetic polarized emission pattern of AlGaN quantum wells. The sidewall-emission-enhanced DUV LED breaks through the fundamental limitations caused by the intrinsic properties of AlGaN, thus shows a remarkable improvement in light extraction as well as operating voltage. Furthermore, an analytic model is developed to understand and precisely estimate the extraction of DUV photons from AlGaN DUV LEDs, and hence to provide promising routes for maximizing the power conversion efficiency.

Polarization-Engineered High-Efficiency GaInN Light-Emitting Diodes Optimized by Genetic Algorithm

A genetic algorithm is employed to find an optimum epitaxial structure of multiple quantum wells (MQWs) and electron-blocking layer (EBL) for a GaInN-based light-emitting diode (LED). The optimized LED is composed of locally Si-doped quantum barriers (QBs) in the MQWs and a quaternary heterostructured AlGaInN EBL having a polarization-induced electric field directed oppositely to that of a conventional AlGaN EBL. The optimized LED shows 15.6% higher internal quantum efficiency, 24.6% smaller efficiency droop, and 0.21 V lower forward voltage at 200 A/cm2 comparing to the reference LED, which has fully Si-doped QB and 20-nm-thick Al0.19Ga0.81N EBL. We find that local Si doping near the QB/QW interface compensates the negative polarization-induced sheet charge at the interface and reduces electric field in the QWs, thereby enhancing electron-hole wave function overlap. In addition, the inverted polarization field in the quaternary EBL provides a high barrier for electrons but a low barrier for holes, resulting in enhanced electron-blocking and hole-injection characteristics.

Variation of the external quantum efficiency with temperature and current density in red, blue, and deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes

The temperature-dependent external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) were investigated for a 620 nm AlGaInP red light-emitting diodes (LEDs), a 450 nm GaInN blue LED, and a 285 nm AlGaN deep-ultraviolet (DUV) LED. We observed distinct differences in the variation of the EQE with temperature and current density for the three types of LEDs. Whereas the EQE of the AlGaInP red LED increases as temperature decreases below room temperature, the EQEs of GaInN blue and AlGaN DUV LEDs decrease for the same change in temperature in a low-current density regime. The free carrier concentration, as determined from the dopant ionization energy, shows a strong material-system-specific dependence, leading to different degrees of asymmetry in carrier concentration for the three types of LEDs. We attribute the EQE variation of the red, blue, and DUV LEDs to the different degrees of asymmetry in carrier concentration, which can be exacerbated at cryogenic temperatures. As for the EQE variation with temperature in a high-current d...

Distinct U-shape efficiency-versus-current curves in AlGaN-based deep-ultraviolet light- emitting diodes

The efficiency of an AlGaN deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diode with peak emission wavelength of 285 nm is investigated as a function of current over a wide range of temperatures (110 K to 300 K). We find that the efficiency-versus-current curve exhibits unique and distinct features over the entire temperature range including three points of inflection. At low temperatures, the change in slope in the efficiency-versus-current curve is particularly pronounced producing a minimum in the efficiency after which the efficiency rises again. Furthermore, at high current density, the low-temperature efficiency exceeds the room-temperature efficiency. The feature-rich efficiency-versus-current curve is consistent with an enhancement in p-type conductivity by field-ionization of acceptors that occurs in the high-injection regime and is particularly pronounced at low temperatures. Differential conductivity measurements show a marked rise in the high-injection regime that is well correlated to the minimum point in the efficiency-versus-current curve.

Role of hydrogen carrier gas on the growth of few layer hexagonal boron nitrides by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

Few layer hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) films were grown on 2-inch sapphire substrates by using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) with two different carrier gases, hydrogen (H2) and nitrogen (N2). Structural, optical and electrical properties of the MOCVD-grown h-BN films were systematically investigated by various spectroscopic analyses and electrical conduction measurement. Based on the experimental findings including narrower X-ray photoelectron spectra, reduced intensity of the shoulder peaks in near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectra, and decreased electrical conduction by more than three orders of magnitude when H2 carrier gas is employed, it was concluded that H2 has an advantage over N2 as the carrier gas for MOCVD growth of h-BN which is attributed to the healing of crystalline defects by etching and regrowth processes occurring under the pulsed source-injection mode.

Strong correlation between capacitance and breakdown voltage of GaInN/GaN light-emitting diodes

Investigating the relationship between the breakdown voltage and the capacitance of GaInN light-emitting diodes (LEDs), we find that a lower capacitance due to weaker internal electric field in depletion region or wider depletion width at the pn junction results in lower reverse leakage current and thus larger breakdown voltage. The measured breakdown voltage and capacitance of LEDs show a strong correlation, opening a nondestructive and non-intrusive way to estimate the breakdown voltage of an LED based on the capacitance-voltage measurement.

Enhanced light extraction efficiency of AlGaN-based deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes by utilizing strong sidewall emission

We demonstrate new design of Deep-UV LEDs extracting strong sidewall-emission redirect top direction. We observe considerably enhanced optical and improved electrical properties and expect this model can provide key idea in current DUV LEDs for enhancing light extraction efficiency.

U-shape phenomenon in the efficiency-versus-current curves in AlGaN-based deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes

The efficiency of an AlGaN deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diode with peak emission wavelength of 285nm is investigated as a function of current over a wide range of temperatures (110K to 300K). We find that the efficiency-versus-current curve exhibits unique and distinct features over the entire temperature range including three points of inflection, a u-shape phenomenon which the efficiency increases again after the minimum, and higher low-temperature efficiency than room-temperature efficiency at high-current density regime.