Yosuke Nagasawa

Improved Efficiency of 255–280 nm AlGaN-Based Light-Emitting Diodes

We report on the fabrication and characterization of AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with the emission wavelength ranging from 255 to 280 nm depending on the Al composition of the active region. The LEDs were flip-chip bonded and achieved external quantum efficiencies of over 3% for all investigated wavelengths. Under cw operation, an output power of more than 1 mW at 10 mA was demonstrated. A moth-eye structure was fabricated on the back side of the sapphire substrate, and on-wafer output power measurement indicated a 1.5-fold improvement of light extraction.

AlGaN-Based Deep Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diodes Fabricated on Patterned Sapphire Substrates

Deep ultraviolet (DUV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on patterned sapphire substrates (PSSs) have been clearly demonstrated. AlN templates grown on PSSs had average threading dislocation densities (TDDs) of as low as 5×107 cm-2. Flip-chip DUV LEDs fabricated on PSSs demonstrated a significantly high performance. The 266 nm LED exhibited an output power of 5.3 mW and an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 1.9% at 60 mA DC, and the 278 nm LED had 8.4 mW output and an EQE of 3.4%. Moreover, the 70% lifetime was more than 700 h at 20 mA.

Improvement of Light Extraction Efficiency for AlGaN-Based Deep Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diodes

AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with aluminum reflective electrodes deposited to cover both p- and n-mesh contact electrodes have been fabricated. A 1.55-fold increase in light extraction efficiency has been demonstrated. Despite their reduced contact area, the LEDs exhibited only a slight increase in forward voltage of 0.45 V at 20 mA. Also, their 50% lifetime was estimated to be about 10,000 h at 20 mA DC at room temperature by extrapolation. Owing to the reflective electrodes, a 288 nm LED with external quantum efficiency as high as 5.4% was achieved. The light output power was 4.6 mW at 20 mA.

Uneven AlGaN multiple quantum well for deep-ultraviolet LEDs grown on macrosteps and impact on electroluminescence spectral output

AlGaN-based LEDs (λ < 300 nm) fabricated on n-AlGaN templates with a threading dislocation density larger than 5 × 108/cm2, which were grown on (0001) sapphire with a 1.0° miscut relative to the m-plane, showed external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of 3.5, 3.9, 6.1, and 6.0% at 266, 271, 283, and 298 nm, respectively. These EQE values reveal significantly high internal quantum efficiencies (IQEs). This performance was obtained using an uneven multiple quantum well (MQW) grown on the AlGaN template with macrosteps having height larger than the well thickness. The electroluminescence spectra of the fabricated LEDs using this MQW structure shifts to a longer wavelength compared with those on sapphire with a miscut angle of 0.3° relative to the m-plane. Furthermore, the LEDs with this MQW show no deleterious effect on the lifetime, broader electroluminescence spectral widths, and higher output powers when using sapphire with a miscut of 1.0°.

Development of AlGaN-based deep-ultraviolet (DUV) LEDs focusing on the fluorine resin encapsulation and the prospect of the practical applications

AlGaN-based LEDs are expected to be useful for sterilization, deodorization, photochemical applications such as UV curing and UV printing, medical applications such as phototherapy, and sensing. Today, it has become clear that efficient AlGaN-based LED dies are producible between 355 and 250 nm with an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 3% on flat sapphire. These dies were realized on flat sapphire without using a special technique, i.e., reduction in threading dislocation density or light extraction enhancement techniques such as the use of a photonic crystal or a patterned sapphire substrate. Despite the limited light extraction efficiency of about 8% owing to light absorption at a thick p-GaN contact layer, high EQEs of approximately 6% has been reproducible between 300 and 280 nm without using special techniques. Moreover, an EQE of 3.9% has been shown at 271 nm, despite the smaller current injection efficiency (CIE). The high EQEs are thought to correspond to the high internal quantum efficiency (IQE), indicating a small room for improving IQE. Accordingly, resin encapsulation on a simple submount is strongly desired. Recently, we have succeeded in demonstrating fluorine resin encapsulation on a ceramic sheet (chip-on-board, COB) that is massproducible. Furthermore, the molecular structure of a resin with a durability of more than 10,000 h is explained in this paper from the photochemical viewpoint. Thus, the key technologies of AlGaN-based DUV-LEDs having an EQE of 10% within a reasonable production cost have been established. The achieved efficiency makes AlGaN-based DUVLEDs comparable to high-pressure mercury lamps.