Shih-Chang Shei

Highly reliable nitride-based LEDs with SPS+ITO upper contacts

Nitride-based blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) with an n/sup +/-short period superlattice (SPS) tunnel contact layer and an indium tin oxide (ITO) transparent contact were fabricated. Compared with conventional nitride-based LEDs with Ni/Au upper contacts, it was found that we could achieve a 60% increase in electroluminescence (EL) intensity by using ITO upper contacts. However, it was also found that the lifetime of ITO LEDs were much shorter. Furthermore, it was found that we could achieve a longer lifetime and a smaller reverse leakage current (I/sub R/) by the deposition of a SiO/sub 2/ layer on top of the ITO LEDs.

InGaN/GaN light emitting diodes with Ni/Au, Ni/ITO and ITO p-type contacts

Abstract The optical and electrical properties of indium tin oxide (ITO)(60 nm), Ni(3.5 nm)/ITO(60 nm) and Ni(5 nm)/Au(5 nm) films were studied. It was found that the normalized transmittance of ITO and Ni/ITO films could reach 98.2% and 86.6% at 470 nm, which was much larger than that of the Ni/Au film. It was also found that both Ni/ITO and Ni/Au could form good ohmic contact on top of p-GaN. In contrast, ITO on p-GaN was electrically poor and non-ohmic. Nitride-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with these three p-contact layers were also fabricated. It was found that the LED forward voltage was 3.65, 3.26 and 3.24 V for the LEDs with ITO, Ni/ITO and Ni/Au p-contact layer, respectively. With a 20 mA current injection, it was also found that measured output power was 7.50, 6.59 and 5.26 mW for the LEDs with ITO, Ni/ITO and Ni/Au p-contact layer, respectively. Although the LED with ITO p-contact could provide the largest output intensity, its lifetime was the shortest due to severe heating effect.

Nitride-based light-emitting diodes with Ni/ITO p-type ohmic contacts

The optical and electrical properties of Ni(5 nm)-Au(5 nm) and Ni(3.5 nm)-indium tin oxide (ITO) (60 nm) films were studied. It was found that the normalized transmittance of Ni/ITO film could reach 87% at 470 nm, which was much larger than that of the Ni-Au film. It was also found that the specific contact resistance was 5 /spl times/ 10/sup -4/ /spl Omega/ /spl middot/ cm/sup 2/ and 1 /spl times/ 10/sup -3/ /spl Omega/ /spl middot/ cm/sup 2/, respectively, for Ni-Au and Ni/ITO on p-GaN. Furthermore, it was found that the 20 mA output power of light-emitting diode (LED) with Ni-Au p-contact layer was 5.26 mW. In contrast, the output power could reach 6.59 mW for the LED with Ni/ITO p-contact layer.

Nitride-based flip-chip ITO LEDs

Nitride-based flip-chip indium-tin-oxide (ITO) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were successfully fabricated. It was found that the forward voltage and the 20 mA output power of the flip-chip ITO LED were 3.32 V and 14.5 mW, respectively. Although the operation voltage of such a flip-chip ITO LED was slightly larger, it was found that its output power was much larger than those of conventional nonflip-chip LEDs. It was also found that flip-chip ITO LEDs were more reliable.

Nitride-based LEDs fabricated on patterned sapphire substrates

Abstract Nitride-based blue LEDs prepared on both patterned and conventional sapphire substrates were both fabricated. It was found that although the EL peak positions of these two LEDs were about the same, the EL intensity of LED grown on patterned sapphire substrate was about 35% larger. The maximum output power of LED grown on patterned sapphire substrate also occurred at higher injection current. The reliability of LED grown on patterned sapphire substrate was also found to be better. There improvements could all be attributed to the reduced dislocation density in the LEDs grown on patterned sapphire substrates.

Nitride-based light emitting diodes with indium tin oxide electrode patterned by imprint lithography

The authors propose a simple, low cost, and mass producible imprint lithography method to texture indium tin oxide (ITO) contact layer of nitride-based light emitting diodes (LEDs). Under 20mA current injection, it was found that forward voltages were 3.24, 3.25, and 3.24V while the LED output powers were 11.7, 12.6, and 13.3mW for the conventional ITO LED, ITO LED patterned with 1.75μm holes, and ITO LED patterned with 0.85μm holes, respectively.

Nitride-based LEDs with an SPS tunneling contact Layer and an ITO transparent contact

The indium-tin-oxide [ITO(80 nm)] and Ni(5 nm)-Au(10 nm) films were separately deposited on glass substrates, p-GaN layers, n/sup +/-InGaN-GaN short-period-superlattice (SPS) structures, and nitride-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs). It was found that ITO on n/sup +/-SPS structure could provide us an extremely high transparency (i.e., 93.2% at 465 nm) and also a reasonably small specific contact resistance of 1.6/spl times/10/sup -3//spl Omega//spl middot/cm/sup 2/. Although the forward voltage which corresponds to 20-mA operating current for LED with ITO on n/sup +/-SPS upper contact was slightly higher than that of the LED with Ni-Au on n/sup +/-SPS upper contact, a 30% higher output intensity could still be achieved by using ITO on n/sup +/-SPS upper contact. Moreover, the output power of packaged LED with ITO was about twice as large as that of the other conventional Ni-Au LEDs.

Nitride-Based High-Power Flip-Chip LED With Double-Side Patterned Sapphire Substrate

A nitride-based high-power flip-chip (FC) light-emitting diode (LED) with a double-side patterned sapphire substrate (PSS) was proposed and realized. Under 350-mA current injection, it was found that forward voltages were 3.24, 3.26, and 3.25 V for the conventional FC LED, FC LED prepared on PSS, and FC LED with double-side PSS, respectively. It was found that the 350-mA LED output powers were 79.3, 98.1, and 121.5 mW for the conventional FC LED, FC LED prepared on PSS, and FC LED with double-side PSS, respectively. In other words, we can enhance the electroluminescence intensity by 53% without increasing operation voltage of the fabricated LED

High efficiency and improved ESD characteristics of GaN-based LEDs with naturally textured surface grown by MOCVD

The following paper presents a study on GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with naturally textured surface grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The study utilizes a well-known approach of increasing light extraction efficiency. The approach is based on naturally formed V-shaped pits on surface that originate from low-temperature-growth (LTG) conditions of topmost p-GaN contact layer. In our experiment, the high-temperature-grown (HTG) p-GaN layer was inserted between the p-AlGaN electron-blocking layer and the LTG p-GaN contact layer, in order to suppress pit-related threading dislocations (TDs). These TDs may intersect the underlying active layer. The results of the experiment show that GaN-based LEDs with the HTG p-GaN insertion layer can effectively endure negative electrostatic discharge voltage of up to 7000 V. We also noted that application of 20-mA current injection yields output power of about 16 mW for the LEDs emitting around 465 nm. The output power results correspond to an external quantum efficiency of around 30%

Nitride-based LEDs with textured side walls

Nitride-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with textured side walls were fabricated. By using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition SiO/sub 2/ layer as the etching mask, we successfully etched the nitride epitaxial layers to achieve wavelike side walls. It was found that such wavelike side walls could mainly enhance the light output at the horizontal directions. With a 20-mA current injection, it was found that the output powers of the LED with textured side walls and normal LED were 9.3 and 8.4 mW, respectively. Furthermore, it was found that such textured side walls will not result in a higher operation voltage.