Improved light extraction of GaN-based light-emitting diodes with surface-textured indium tin oxide electrodes by nickel nanoparticle mask dry-etching

GaN-based light-emitting diodes （LEDs） with surface-textured indium tin oxide （ITO） as a transparent current spreading layer were fabricated. The ITO surface was textured by inductively coupled plasma （ICP） etching technology using a monolayer of nickel （Ni） nanoparticles as the etching mask. The luminance intensity of ITO surface-textured GaN-based LEDs was enhanced by about 34% compared to that of conventional LED without textured ITO layer. In addition, the fabricated ITO surface-textured GaN-based LEDs would present a quite good performance in electrical characteristics. The results indicate that the scattering of photons emitted in the active layer was greatly enhanced via the textured ITO surface, and the ITO surface-textured technique could have a potential application in improving photoelectric characteristics for manufacturing GaN-based LEDs of higher brightness.

Effect of Green Quantum Well Number on Properties of Green GaN-Based Light-Emitting Diodes

In GaN-based green light-emitting diodes（LEDs） with different green quantum well numbers grown on Si（111）substrates by metal organic chemical vapor deposition are investigated. It is observed that V-shaped pits appear in the AFM images with the green quantum well number increasing from 5 to 9, and results in larger reverse-bias leakage current. Meanwhile, in the case of the sample with the number from 5 to 7 then to 9, the external quantum efficiency increases firstly, and then decreases. These phenomena may be related to the size of V-shaped pits in the active area and the distribution of electrons and holes in the active area caused by V-shaped pits. The optimal number of green quantum wells is determined to be 7.

Analysis on electrical characteristics of high-voltage GaN-based light-emitting diodes

In order to investigate their electrical characteristics, high-voltage light-emitting-diodes （HV-LEDs） each contain- ing four cells in series are fabricated. The electrical parameters including varying voltage and parasitic effect are studied. It is shown that the ideality factors （IFs） of the HV-LEDs with different numbers of cells are 1.6, 3.4, 4.7, and 6.4. IF increases linearly with the number of cells increasing. Moreover, the performance of the HV-LED with failure cells is examined, The analysis indicates that the failure cell has a parallel resistance which induces the leakage of the failure cell. The series resistance of the failure cell is 76.8 Ω, while that of the normal cell is 21.3 Ω. The scanning electron microscope （SEM） image indicates that different metal layers do not contact well. It is hard to deposit the metal layers in the deep isolation trenches. The fabrication process of HV-LEDs needs to be optimized.

Tuning a nano-pillar array for enhancing the photoluminescence extraction efficiency of GaN-based light-emitting diodes

We demonstrate the fabrication of hexagonal nano-pillar arrays at the surface of GaN-based light-emitting diodes （LEDs） by nanosphere lithography. By varying the oxygen plasma etching time, we could tune the size and shape of the pillar. The nano-pillar has a truncated cone shape. The nano-pillar array serves as a gradual effective refractive index matcher, which reduces the reflection and increases light cone. It is found that the patterned surface absorbs more pumping light. To compare extraction efficiencies of LEDs, it is necessary to normalize the photoluminescence power spectrum with total absorption rate under fixed pumping power, then we could obtain the correct enhancement factor of the photoluminescence extraction efficiency and optimized structure. The highest enhancement factor of the extraction efficiency is 10.6.

Efficiency droop suppression in GaN-based light-emitting diodes by chirped multiple quantum well structure at high current injection

Gallium nitride （GaN） based light-emitting diodes （LEDs） with chirped multiple quantum well （MQW） structures have been investigated experimentally and numerically in this paper. Compared to conventional LEDs with uniform quantum wells （QWs）, LEDs with chirped MQW structures have better internal quantum efficiency （IQE） and carrier injection efficiency. The droop ratios of LEDs with chirped MQW structures show a remarkable improvement at 600 mA/mm2, reduced down from 28.6% （conventional uniform LEDs） to 23.7% （chirped MQWs-a） and 18.6% （chirped MQWs-b）, respectively. Meanwhile, the peak IQE increases from 76.9% （uniform LEDs） to 83.7% （chirped MQWs-a） and 88.6% （chirped MQWs-b）. The reservoir effect of chirped MQW structures is the significant reason as it could increase hole injection efficiency and radiative recombination. The leakage current and Auger recombination of chirped MQW structures can also be suppressed. Furthermore, the chirped MQWs-b structure with lower potential barriers can enhance the reservoir effect and obtain further improvement of the carrier injection efficiency and radiative recombination, as well as further suppressing efficiency droop.

Enhanced light extraction of GaN-based light-emitting diodes with periodic textured SiO_2 on Al-doped ZnO transparent conductive layer

We report an effective enhancement in light extraction of Ga N-based light-emitting diodes（LEDs） with an Al-doped Zn O（AZO） transparent conductive layer by incorporating a top regular textured SiO2 layer. The 2 inch transparent throughpore anodic aluminum oxide（AAO） membrane was fabricated and used as the etching mask. The periodic pore with a pitch of about 410 nm was successfully transferred to the surface of the SiO2 layer without any etching damages to the AZO layer and the electrodes. The light output power was enhanced by 19% at 20 m A and 56% at 100 m A compared to that of the planar LEDs without a patterned surface. This approach offers a technique to fabricate a low-cost and large-area regular pattern on the LED chip for achieving enhanced light extraction without an obvious increase of the forward voltage.

Enhancement in Light Extraction Efficiency of GaN-Based Light-Emitting Diodes Using Double Dielectric Surface Passivation

SiO2Al2O3 double dielectric stack layer was deposited on the surface of the GaN-based light-emitting diode (LED). The double dielectric stack layer enhances both the electrical characteristics and the optical output power of the LED because the first Al2O3 layer plays a role of effectively passivating the p-GaN surface and the second lower index SiO2 layer increases the critical angle of the light emitted from the LED surface. In addition, the effect of the Fresnel reflection is also responsible for the enhancement in output power of the double dielectric passivated LED. The leakage current of the LED passivated with Al2O3 layer was -3.46 × 10-11 A at -5 V, at least two and three orders lower in magnitude compared to that passivated with SiO2 layer (-7.14 × 10-9 A) and that of non-passivated LED (-1.9 × 10-8 A), respectively, which indicates that the Al2O3 layer is very effective in passivating the exposed GaN surface after dry etch and hence reduces nonradiative recombination as well as reabsorption of the emitted light near the etched surface.

Mechanism of Bragg Diffraction-Assisted Light Extraction in GaN-based Light-Emitting Diodes Based on a Self-Consistent Model

By introducing the distribution of the light energy density in GaN-based light-emitting diode (LED),theLED model based on the incoherent regime and the light extraction efficiency are investigated.The energy density asa function of the angle of incidence is calculated to demonstrate the mechanism of the light extraction.The deviationbetween the tendencies of the transmissivity of the output layer and the extraction efficiency is also demonstrated.

Design of patterned sapphire substrates for GaN-based light-emitting diodes

A new method for patterned sapphire substrate （PSS） design is developed and proven to be reliable and cost-effective. As progress is made with LEDs＇ luminous efficiency, the pattern units of PSS become more complicated, and the effect of complicated geometrical features is almost impossible to study systematically by experiments only. By employing our new method, the influence of pattern parameters can be systematically studied, and various novel patterns are designed and optimized within a reasonable time span, with great improvement in LEDs＇ light extraction efficiency （LEE）. Clearly, PSS pattern design with such a method deserves particular attention. We foresee that GaN-based LEDs on these newly designed PSSs will achieve more progress in the coming years.

Investigation of GaN-based light-emitting diodes using a p-GaN/i-InGaN short-period superlattice structure as last quantum barrier

In this work,GaN-based light-emitting diodes(LEDs) with a p-GaN/i-InGaN short-period superlattice(SPSL) structure,p-GaN and undoped GaN last quantum barrier(LQB) have been numerically investigated by using the APSYS simulation software.It has been found that the efficiency droop is significantly improved when the undoped GaN LQB in a typical blue LED is replaced by a p-GaN/i-InGaN SPSL structure.According to the simulation analysis,using the p-GaN/i-InGaN SPSL structure as LQB is beneficial to increasing the hole injection efficiency and decreasing the electron current leakage.Therefore,the radiative recombination and optical power are enhanced.

Performance improvement of AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes with double electron blocking layers

The AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes（LED） with double electron blocking layers（d-EBLs） on both sides of the active region are investigated theoretically. They possess many excellent performances compared with the conventional structure with only a single electron blocking layer, such as a higher recombination rate, improved light output power and internal quantum efficiency（IQE）. The reasons can be concluded as follows. On the one hand, the weakened electrostatic field within the quantum wells（QWs） enhances the electron–hole spatial overlap in QWs, and therefore increases the probability of radioactive recombination. On the other hand, the added n-AlGaN layer can not only prevent holes from overflowing into the n-side region but also act as another electron source, providing more electrons.

Temperature-dependent efficiency droop behaviors of GaN-based green light-emitting diodes

The efficiency droop behaviors of GaN-based green light-emitting diodes （LEDs） are studied as a function of temperature from 300 K to 480 K. The overall quantum efficiency of the green LEDs is found to degrade as temperature increases, which is mainly caused by activation of new non-radiative recombination centers within the LED active layer. Meanwhile, the external quantum efficiency of the green LEDs starts to decrease at low injection current level （1 A/cm2 ） with a temperature-insensitive peak-efficiency-current. In contrast, the peak-efficiency-current of a control GaN-based blue LED shows continuous up-shift at higher temperatures. Around the onset point of efficiency droop, the electroluminescence spectra of the green LEDs also exhibit a monotonic blue-shift of peak energy and a reduction of full width at half maximum as injection current increases. Carrier delocalization is believed to play an important role in causing the efficiency droop in GaN-based green LEDs.

GaN-based light-emitting diodes with hybrid micro/nano-textured indium-tin-oxide layer

Three types of textured indium-tin-oxide （ITO） surface, including nano-texturing and hybrid micro/nano-texturing with micro-holes （concave-hybrid-pattem） or micro-pillars （convex-hybrid-pattern）, were applied to GaN-based light-emitting diodes （LEDs）. The nano-texturing was realized by maskless wet-etching, and the micro-texturing was achieved by standard photolithography and wet-etching. Compared to LED chips with flat ITO surface, those with nano-pattern, concave-hybrid-pattern, and convex-hybrid-pattern exhibit enhancement of 11.3%, 15.8%, and 17.9%, respectively, for the light-output powers at 20 mA. The electrical performance has no degradation. Moreover, the convex-hybrid-pattern show higher light-output efficiency under small injection current, while the concave-hybrid-pattern exhibit better light-output efficiency at large injection current. The light- extraction efficiency is simulated by use of two-dimensional finite difference time domain method, and the numer- ical results are consistent with the experiments.

Enhanced performance of AlGaN-based ultraviolet light-emitting diodes with linearly graded AlGaN inserting layer in electron blocking layer

The conventional stationary Al content Al GaN electron blocking layer(EBL) in ultraviolet light-emitting diode(UV LED) is optimized by employing a linearly graded Al Ga N inserting layer which is 2.0 nm Al_(0.3) Ga_(0.7) N/5.0 nm Alx Ga_(1-x) N/8.0 nm Al_(0.3) Ga_(0.7) N with decreasing value of x. The results indicate that the internal quantum efficiency is significantly improved and the efficiency droop is mitigated by using the proposed structure. These improvements are attributed to the increase of the effective barrier height for electrons and the reduction of the effective barrier height for holes,which result in an increased hole injection efficiency and a decreased electron leakage into the p-type region. In addition,the linearly graded AlGaN inserting layer can generate more holes in EBL due to the polarization-induced hole doping and a tunneling effect probably occurs to enhance the hole transportation to the active regions, which will be beneficial to the radiative recombination.

Growth,leaf anatomy,and photosynthesis of cotton(Gossypium hirsutum L.)seedlings in response to four light-emitting diodes and high pressure sodium lamp

Background Light is a critical factor in plant growth and development,particularly in controlled environments.Light-emitting diodes(LEDs)have become a reliable alternative to conventional high pressure sodium(HSP)lamps because they are more efficient and versatile in light sources.In contrast to well-known specialized LED light spectra for vegetables,the appropriate LED lights for crops such as cotton remain unknown.Results In this growth chamber study,we selected and compared four LED lights with varying percentages(26.44%–68.68%)of red light(R,600–700 nm),combined with other lights,for their effects on growth,leaf anatomy,and photosynthesis of cotton seedlings,using HSP lamp as a control.The total photosynthetic photon flux density(PPFD)was(215±2)μmol·m-2·s-1 for all LEDs and HSP lamp.The results showed significant differences in all tested parameters among lights,and the percentage of far red(FR,701–780 nm)within the range of 3.03%–11.86%was positively correlated with plant growth(characterized by leaf number and area,plant height,stem diameter,and total biomass),palisade layer thickness,photosynthesis rate(Pn),and stomatal conductance(Gs).The ratio of R/FR(4.445–11.497)negatively influenced the growth of cotton seedlings,and blue light(B)suppressed stem elongation but increased palisade cell length,chlorophyll content,and Pn.Conclusion The LED 2 was superior to other LED lights and HSP lamp.It had the highest ratio of FR within the total PPFD(11.86%)and the lowest ratio of R/FR(4.445).LED 2 may therefore be used to replace HPS lamp under controlled environments for the study of cotton at the seedling stage.

Light output improvement of GaN-based light-emitting diodes grown on Si (111) by a via-thin-film structure

This work reports the fabrication of via-thin-film light-emitting diode （via-TF-LED） to improve the light output power （LOP） of blue/white GaN-based LEDs grown on Si （111） substrates. The as-fabricated via-TF-LEDs were featured with a roughened n-GaN surface and the p-GaN surface bonded to a wafer carrier with a silver-based reflective electrode, together with an array of embedded n-type via pillar metal contact from the p-GaN surface etched through the multiple-quantum-wells （MQWs） into the n-GaN layer. When operated at 350 mA, the via-TF- LED gave an enhanced blue LOP by 7.8% and over 3.5 times as compared to the vertical thin-film LED （TF-LED） and the conventional lateral structure LED （LS-LED）. After covering with yellow phosphor that converts some blue photons into yellow light, the via-TF-LED emitted an enhanced white luminous flux by 13.5% and over 5 times, as compared with the white TF-LED and the white LS-LED, respectively. The significant LOP improve- ment of the via-TF-LED was attributed to the elimination of light absorption by the Si （111） epitaxial substrate and the finger-like n-electrodes on the roughened emitting surface.

Effect of Back Diffusion of Mg Dopants on Optoelectronic Properties of InGaN-Based Green Light-Emitting Diodes

The effect of back-diffusion of Mg dopants on optoelectronic characteristics of InGaN-based green light-emitting diodes （LEDs） is investigated. The LEDs with less Mg back-diffusion show blue shifts of longer wavelengths and larger wavelengths with the increasing current, which results from the Mg-dopant-related polarization screening. The LEDs show enhanced efficiency with the decreasing Mg back-diffusion in the lower current region. Light outputs follow the power law L α I^m, with smaller parameter m in the LEDs with less Mg back-diffusion, indicating a lower density of trap states. The trap-assisted tunneling current is also suppressed by reducing Mg- defect-related nonradiative centers in the active region. Furthermore, the forward current-voltage characteristics are improved.

Enhanced Luminescence of InGaN-Based 395 nm Flip-Chip Near-Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diodes with Al as N-Electrode

High-reflectivity Al-based n-electrode is used to enhance the luminescence properties of InGaN-based 395nm flip-chip near-ultraviolet （UV） light-emitting diodes. The Al-only metal layer could form the Ohmic contact on the plasma etched n-GaN by means of chemical pre-treatment, with the lowest specific contact resistance of 2.211 × 10^-5 Ω. cm2. The AI n-electrodes enhance light output power of the 395 nm flip-chip near-UV light-emitting diodes by more than 33% compared with the Ti/AI n-electrodes. Meanwhile, the electrical characteristics of these chips with two types of n-electrodes do not show any significant discrepancy. The near-field light distribution measurement of packaged chips confirms that the enhanced luminescence is ascribed to the high refleetivity of the Al electrodes in the UV region. After the accelerated aging test for over 1000 h, the luminous degradation of the packaged chips with Al n-electrodes is less than 3%, which proves the reliability of these chips with the Al-based electrodes. Our approach shows a simplified design and fabrication of high-refleetivity n-electrode for flip-chip near-UV light emitting diodes.

Finely regulated luminescent Ag-In-Ga-S quantum dots with green-red dual emission toward white light-emitting diodes

Ag-In-Ga-S(AIGS)quantum dots(QDs)have recently attracted great interests due to the outstanding optical properties and eco-friendly components,which are considered as an alternative replacement for toxic Pb-and Cd-based QDs.However,enormous attention has been paid to how to narrow their broadband spectra,ignoring the application advantages of the broadband emission.In this work,the AIGS QDs with controllable broad green-red dual-emission are first reported,which is achieved through adjusting the size distribution of QDs by controlling the nucleation and growth of AIGS crystals.Resultantly,the AIGS QDs exhibit broad dual-emission at green-and red-band evidenced by photoluminescence(PL)spectra,and the PL relative intensity and peak position can be finely adjusted.Furthermore,the dual-emission is the intrinsic characteristics from the difference in confinement effect of large particles and tiny particles confirmed by temperature-dependent PL spectra.Accordingly,the AIGS QDs(the size consists of 17 nm and 3.7 nm)with 530 nm and 630 nm emission could successfully be synthesized at 220°C.By combining the blue light-emitting diode(LED)chips and dual-emission AIGS QDs,the constructed white light-emitting devices(WLEDs)exhibit a continuous and broad spectrum like natural sunlight with the Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage(CIE)chromaticity coordinates of(0.33,0.31),a correlated color temperature(CCT)of 5425 K,color rendering index(CRI)of 90,and luminous efficacy of radiation(LER)of 129 lm/W,which indicates that the AIGS QDs have huge potential for lighting applications.

Flexible perovskite light-emitting diodes for display applications and beyond

The flexible perovskite light-emitting diodes(FPeLEDs),which can be expediently integrated to portable and wearable devices,have shown great potential in various applications.The FPeLEDs inherit the unique optical properties of metal halide perovskites,such as tunable bandgap,narrow emission linewidth,high photoluminescence quantum yield,and particularly,the soft nature of lattice.At present,substantial efforts have been made for FPeLEDs with encouraging external quantum efficiency(EQE)of 24.5%.Herein,we summarize the recent progress in FPeLEDs,focusing on the strategy developed for perovskite emission layers and flexible electrodes to facilitate the optoelectrical and mechanical performance.In addition,we present relevant applications of FPeLEDs in displays and beyond.Finally,perspective toward the future development and applications of flexible PeLEDs are also discussed.