K. Mayes

High-power 280 nm AlGaN light-emitting diodes based on an asymmetric single-quantum well

We demonstrate high-power AlGaN-based ultraviolet light-emitting diodes grown on sapphire with an emission wavelength of 280 nm using an asymmetric single-quantum-well active layer configuration on top of a high-quality AlGaN/AlN template layer. An output power of 1.8 mW at a pulsed current of 400 mA was achieved for a single 300 μm×300 μm diode. This device reached a high peak external quantum efficiency of 0.24% at 40 mA. An array of four diodes produced 6.5 mW at 880 mA of pulsed current.

4.5 mW operation of AlGaN-based 267 nm deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes

We demonstrate 4.5 mW output power from AlGaN-based single quantum well ultraviolet light-emitting diodes at a very short wavelength of 267 nm in pulsed operation mode. The output power in continuous-wave mode reaches a value of 165 μW at an injected current of 435 mA. The measurements were done on arrays of four devices flip chip bonded to AlN submounts for thermal management.

Top-emission ultraviolet light-emitting diodes with peak emission at 280 nm

We demonstrate light emission at 280 nm from UV light-emitting diodes consisting of AlInGaN/AlInGaN multiple quantum wells. Turn-on voltage of the devices is ∼5 V with a differential resistance of ∼40 Ω. The peak emission wavelength redshifts ∼1 nm at high injection currents.

High quantum efficiency AlGaN solar-blind p-i-n photodiodes

We report AlGaN-based back-illuminated solar-blind ultraviolet p-i-n photodetectors with a peak responsivity of 136 mA/W at 282 nm without bias. This corresponds to a high external quantum efficiency of 60%, which improves to a value as high as 72% under 5 V reverse bias. We attribute the high performance of these devices to the use of a very-high quality AlN and Al0.87Ga0.13N/AlN superlattice material and a highly conductive Si–In co-doped Al0.5Ga0.5N layer.

Comparison of ultraviolet light-emitting diodes with peak emission at 340 nm grown on GaN substrate and sapphire

Based on AlInGaN/AlInGaN multiquantum wells, we compare properties of ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LED) with peak emission at 340 nm grown on free-standing hydride vapor phase epitaxially grown GaN substrate and on sapphire. For the LED grown on GaN substrate, a differential resistance as low as 13 Ω and an output power of more than one order of magnitude higher than that of the same structure grown on sapphire are achieved. Due to higher thermal conductivity of GaN, output power of the LEDs saturates at higher injection currents compared to the devices grown on sapphire.

Photoluminescence study of AlGaN-based 280 nm ultraviolet light-emitting diodes

We investigated optical properties of single quantum well AlGaN-based UV 280 nm light-emitting diodes using temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) measurement. We found an “S-shaped” temperature dependence of the peak energy. From the Arrhenius plot of integrated PL intensity, we speculate that dislocations as well as thermal emission of carriers out of the quantum well are responsible for the PL quenching behavior. Also a second nonradiative channel with much lower activation energy was found, the origin of which we believe to be quenching of the bound excitons.

320×256 solar-blind focal plane arrays based on AlxGa1−xN

We report AlGaN-based backilluminated solar-blind ultraviolet focal plane arrays operating at a wavelength of 280 nm. The electrical characteristics of the individual pixels are discussed, and the uniformity of the array is presented. The p–i–n photodiode array was hybridized to a 320×256 read-out integrated circuit entirely within our university research lab, and a working 320×256 camera was demonstrated. Several example solar-blind images from the camera are also provided.

ZnO thin film templates for GaN-based devices

GaN-based optoelectronic devices are plagued by a tendency to non-radiative transitions linked to defects in the active layers. This problem has its origin in (1) intrinsic factors such as GaNs relatively low exciton binding energy (~24meV) and (2) extrinsic factors including the poor availability of native substrates good enough to significantly suppress the defect density. Indeed, the quality and availability of large-area bulk GaN substrates is currently considered a key problem for the continuing development of improved GaN-based devices. Since development of bulk GaN substrates of suitable quality has proven very difficult, a considerable amount of effort is also being directed towards the development of alternative substrates which offer advantages compared to those in widespread use (c-sapphire and 6H SiC). ZnO is promising as a substrate material for GaN because it has the same wurtzite structure and a relatively small lattice mismatch (~1.8%). In this paper, we discuss use of ZnO thin films as templates for GaN based LED.

High-quantum-efficiency solar-blind photodetectors

We report AlGaN-based back-illuminated solar-blind p-i-n photodetectors with a record peak responsivity of 150 mA/W at 280 nm, corresponding to a high external quantum efficiency of 68%, increasing to 74% under 5 volts reverse bias. Through optimization of the p-AlGaN layer, we were able to remove the out-of-band negative photoresponse originating from the Schottky-like p-type metal contact, and hence significantly improve the degree of solar-blindness. We attribute the high efficiency of these devices to the use of very-high quality AlN and Al0.87Ga0.13N/AlN superlattice material, a highly conductive Si-In co-doped Al0.5Ga0.5N layer, and the elimination of the negative photoresponse through improvement of the p-type AlGaN.

Back-illuminated solar-blind photodetectors for imaging applications

Back-illuminated solar-blind ultraviolet p-i-n photodetectors and focal plane arrays are investigated. We initially study single-pixel devices and then discuss the hybridization to a read-out integrated circuit to form focal plane arrays for solar-blind UV imaging. The photodetectors consist of an AlGaN p-i-n active region grown atop a high quality AlN template layer with a ~1 μm thick Al0.5Ga0.5N:Si-In co-doped low-resistance UV-transparent lateral conduction layer. The material is processed into a 320 x 256 array of 25 μm x 25 μm pixels using standard lithographic techniques. Typical pixels demonstrate a peak responsivity of 93 mA/W at 278 nm; this corresponds to an external quantum efficiency of 42%. The uniformity of the array is discussed, and a selection of sample images from the solar-blind focal plane array is included. In addition, recent attempts to achieve shorter wavelength deep UV back-illuminated p-i-n photodetector and focal plane arrays are also discussed.