Eun-Kyung Suh

Enhanced light output from aligned micropit InGaN-based light emitting diodes using wet-etch sapphire patterning

The authors have demonstrated an effective method to obtain high light output power of GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) by simultaneous enhancement of internal quantum efficiency and light extraction efficiency. Micropit InGaN∕GaN LEDs were fabricated on hexagonal-shaped GaN template through wet-etched substrate patterning. The result indicated that under optimized growth condition of high temperature GaN template, micropits could be formed and distributed in an aligned manner by growing on wet-etch patterned sapphire substrate. The LED structures showed superior optical output power, which directly resulted from not only effective elimination of threading dislocation of the epitaxial layers but also significant increase in light extraction efficiency via the inclined facets of aligned micropits.

DC electric field assisted alignment of carbon nanotubes on metal electrodes

Abstract Single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been aligned across the metal electrodes using a dc electric field. Effects of electric field strength, nanotube concentration in the suspension, and the solvents used for CNT dispersion were examined on the aligning nature of nanotubes. An improved dispersion of CNTs has been found in dimethylformamide solution compared to ethanol. CNTs mostly moved towards anode for the applied electric field indicating the negative charge of the nanotubes. Experimental results exhibit the possibilities of precise positioning of nanotubes on pre-patterned electrodes by controlling the magnitude of electric field as well as the concentration of CNT suspension.

Anomalous photoluminescence from 3C-SiC grown on Si(111) by rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition

Single crystal 3C-SiC epitaxial films are grown on Si(111) surfaces using tetramethylsilane by rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition. Strong blue/green photoluminescence (PL) was observed at room temperature from the free films of SiC prepared by etching the Si substrate. The main PL peak energy varies from 2.1 to 2.4 eV with full widths at half-maximum between 450 and 500 meV, depending on the growth condition, excitation wavelength and excitation light intensity. A weak peak at 3.0 eV also appeared. The infrared (IR) spectra of free films of SiC exhibit modes associated with CH and OH groups. We also compared PL characteristics of free films of SiC with those from porous SiC produced by anodization of SiC/Si to determine the origin of the PL. Porous SiC shows a PL peak centered at 1.9 eV, different from those in SiC. From the analysis of the IR spectra and scanning electron microscopic images, we tentatively suggest that the origin of the PL from free films of SiC might be associated with an OH group ...

Catalytic synthesis and photoluminescence of gallium nitride nanowires

Abstract Single crystalline wurzite GaN nanowires were successfully synthesized on the NiO catalyzed alumina substrate through a simple thermal chemical vapor deposition method. The mixture of Ga and GaN powder was used as the source material of Ga for synthesizing GaN nanowires. The diameter of nanowires ranged 50–60 nm and the length was about hundreds of micrometers. The nanowires were single crystal with hexagonal wurzite structure. The peaks of Raman spectra of GaN nanowires appeared broadened and asymmetric compared with those of bulk GaN. PL spectra under excitation at 325 nm showed a strong emission at 3.315 eV from near band-edge transition and a broad weak emission at 2.695 eV related to deep level defects.

Spatially resolved photoluminescence in InGaN/GaN quantum wells by near-field scanning optical microscopy

Spatially and spectrally resolved photoluminescence (PL) from InGaN/GaN quantum wells is obtained using near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM). Samples displaying high macroscopic PL intensity revealed nonuniform intensity and linewidth but nearly uniform peak position. It suggests that the contrast in the NSOM image reflects nonuniform distribution of dislocations or defects which act as nonradiative recombination centers. The formation of quantum dots with size of 30±25 nm and their size-dependent interaction with dislocations were observed in plan-view transmission electron microscopy. It is likely that the high luminescence efficiency is due to the efficient localization of excitons in high-density quantum dots located in regions with fewer dislocations.

Graphene-silver nanowire hybrid structure as a transparent and current spreading electrode in ultraviolet light emitting diodes

We report a device that combines graphene film and Ag nanowires (AgNWs) as transparent and current spreading electrodes for ultra-violet (UV) light emitting diode (LED) with interesting characteristics for the potential use in the deep UV region. The current-voltage characteristics and electroluminescence (EL) performance show that graphene network on AgNWs well-operates as a transparent and current spreading electrode in UV LED devices. In addition, scanning electron microscopy and EL images exhibit that graphene film act as the protection layer of AgNWs layer as well as a transparent conducting network, by bridging AgNWs.

Work-function-tuned multilayer graphene as current spreading electrode in blue light-emitting diodes

This letter reports on the implementation of multilayer graphene (MLG) as a current spreading electrode in GaN-based blue light-emitting diodes. We demonstrate two facile strategies to maneuver the electrical coupling between p-GaN layer and MLG. Using a work-function-tuned MLG and a thin gold (Au) metal interlayer, the current spreading and thus the device forward voltage are considerably improved. We attribute these improvements to the diminution in work function difference between p-GaN and MLG, the decrease of specific contact resistance, and the enhancement in the conductivity of MLG film as a result of doping. In addition, rapid thermal annealing at elevated temperature is found to provide additional pathway for enhanced carrier injection.

Conductive layer near the GaN/sapphire interface and its effect on electron transport in unintentionally doped n-type GaN epilayers

Temperature-dependent Hall effect measurements on unintentionally doped n-type GaN epilayers show that, above room temperature, the Hall-mobility values of different samples vary parallel with each other with temperature. We demonstrate that this anomaly is mainly due to a conductive layer near the GaN/sapphire interface for thin samples with low carrier density. Through trapping electrons, threading edge dislocations (TEDs) debilitate the epilayer contribution in a two-layer mixed conduction model involving the epilayer and the near-interface layer. The trapping may, in part, explain low mobility and anomalous transport in pure GaN layers. Scattering by TEDs is important only at low temperatures.

Graphene network on indium tin oxide nanodot nodes for transparent and current spreading electrode in InGaN/GaN light emitting diode

We report a device that combines indium tin oxide (ITO) nanodot nodes with two-dimensional chemically converted graphene (CCG) films to yield a GaN-based light emitting diode (LED) with interesting characteristics for transparent and current spreading electrodes for the potential use in the ultraviolet region. The current-voltage characteristics and electroluminescence output power performance showed that CCG network on ITO nanodot nodes operated as a transparent and current spreading electrode in LED devices.

Carrier localization in In-rich InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells for green light-emitting diodes

Carrier localization phenomena in indium-rich InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) grown on sapphire and GaN substrates were investigated. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, ultraviolet near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM), and confocal time-resolved PL (TRPL) spectroscopy were employed to verify the correlation between carrier localization and crystal quality. From the spatially resolved PL measurements, we observed that the distribution and shape of luminescent clusters, which were known as an outcome of the carrier localization, are strongly affected by the crystalline quality. Spectroscopic analysis of the NSOM signal shows that carrier localization of MQWs with low crystalline quality is different from that of MQWs with high crystalline quality. This interrelation between carrier localization and crystal quality is well supported by confocal TRPL results.