T. K. Ko

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 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

Nitride-based LEDs with an insulating SiO2 layer underneath p-pad electrodes

We proposed a simple method to reduce the current crowding effect of nitride-based light emitting diodes (LEDs) without extra dry etching and refill. It was found that we can achieve much better current spreading by inserting an insulating SiO 2 layer between the epitaxial layer and the p-pad electrode. It was also found that we can enhance light output intensity by 22%. Furthermore, it was found that 20 mA forward voltage only increased slightly from 3.32 to 3.37 V with the insertion of the SiO 2 layer. The reliability of the proposed LED is also good.

GaN-Based Light-Emitting Diode With Sputtered AlN Nucleation Layer

The crystal quality, electrical, and optical characteristics of GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were improved using a sputtered AlN nucleation layer. Replacing the in situ AlN nucleation layer with the sputtered AlN nucleation layer reduced the (002) and (102) X-ray rocking curve widths of the GaN layer from 318.0 to 201.1 and 412.5 to 225.0 arcsec, respectively. The -20-V reverse leakage current of the LEDs with the sputtered AlN nucleation layer is about three orders less than that of the LEDs with the in situ AlN nucleation layer. In addition, the LEDs with sputtered AlN nucleation layer could sustain more than 60% passing yield on the ESD test of under a -600-V machine mode, whereas the LEDs with the in situ AlN nucleation layer sustained less than 40% passing yield. Moreover, the 20-mA output power of the LEDs with the sputtered AlN nucleation layer also improved by approximately 5.73% compared with that of the LEDs with the in situ AlN nucleation layer.

Improved Performance of GaN-Based Blue LEDs With the InGaN Insertion Layer Between the MQW Active Layer and the n-GaN Cladding Layer

In this study, we demonstrate the effect of GaN-based blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs), using an InGaN layer inserted between the n-type GaN cladding layer and the active layer (InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well), on improving device performances. With a 20-mA current injection, the results indicate that the typical output power (or forward voltage) of light-emitting diodes grown with, and without, the InGaN insertion layer are approximately 18.1 (3.1) and 15.3(3.5) mW (V), respectively. This corresponds to an enhancement in output power (wall-plug efficiency) of around 18% (33%), with the use of the InGaN insertion layer. In addition, the electrostatic discharge (ESD) endurance voltages increased from 1000 V to 6000 V when the InGaN insertion layer was applied to the GaN/sapphire-based LEDs. The improvement of output power and ESD endurance voltage could be mainly due to the fact that the Si-doped InGaN insertion layer played the role of a current-spreading layer, which led to a lower possibility of junctions suffering a large current density in specific local sites.

Nitride-Based LEDs With a Hybrid Al Mirror

Nitride-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with a hybrid backside reflector combining a TiO2/SiO2 distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) and an Al mirror were proposed and realized. It was found that we can significantly enhance the 35% reflectivity of the 2-pair TiO2/SiO2 DBR to 94% by combining with Al mirror (hybrid reflector). Furthermore, reflectivity of the proposed reflector depends only slightly on incident light wavelength and the incident angle. With 350-mA current injection, it was found that the output powers were 145.7, 178.2, and 201.9 mW for the LEDs with 2-pair DBR, with an Al mirror and with a hybrid reflector, respectively, when packaged in TO-cups. It was also found that reliability for the LED with the hybrid reflector is good.

+ {\hbox {TiO}} _{2} /{\hbox {SiO}}_{2}

Nitride-based p-i-n sensors with indium-tin-oxide electrodes on Mg-doped AlGaN/GaN strain layer superlattice structure were fabricated and characterized. It was found that the fabricated sensors exhibit small dark current and large reverse breakdown voltage. With an incident wavelength of 355 nm, we achieved a peak responsivity of 0.17 A/W which corresponds to 59% external quantum efficiency for sensors with 500/spl deg/C annealed ITO(70 nm) p-contacts.

DBR Backside Reflector

We propose a simple defect-selective wet etching method to form oblique sidewalls for GaN-based epitaxial layers with phosphoric acid. Using the same defect-selective wet etching, we also prepared GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with undercut sidewalls. Compared with conventional LEDs with vertical sidewalls, it was found that output intensity of the LEDs prepared by defect-selective wet etching was 30% higher.

GaN-based p-i-n sensors with ITO contacts

Nitride-based flip-chip light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with various transparent ohmic contacts and reflective mirrors were fabricated. At 470 nm, it was found that Ni could provide 92% transmittance while Ag could provide 92.4% reflectively. It was also found that the 20-mA forward voltages measured from LEDs with Ni+Ag, Ni+Al, and Ni+Pt were 3.15, 3.29, and 3.18 V while the output powers were 16, 13.3, and 11.6 mW, respectively. Furthermore, it was found that lifetimes of the fabricated flip-chip LEDs were good

Nitride-Based LEDs With Phosphoric Acid Etched Undercut Sidewalls

Nitride-based light emitting diodes (LEDs) with sidewall texture and pillar waveguides (STPW) were fabricated using conventional lithography method. With 20-mA injection current, it was found that forward voltages were 3.16 and 3.15 V for the conventional LED and the LED with STPW, respectively. It was also found that 20-mA LED output powers were 8.4 and 10.1 mW for conventional LED and the LED with STPW, respectively. The enhancement is attributed to the out-coupling of lateral waveguide mode in the near horizontal directions