Improved performance of UVC-LEDs by combination of high-temperature annealing and epitaxially laterally overgrown AlN/sapphire

We report on the performance of AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes(UV-LEDs)emitting at 265 nm grown on stripe-patterned high-temperature annealed(HTA)epitaxially laterally overgrown(ELO)aluminium nitride(AIN)/sapphire templates.For this purpose,the structural and electro-optical properties of ultraviolet-c light-emitting diodes(UVC-LEDs)on as-grown and on HTA planar AlN/sapphire as well as ELO AlN/sapphire with and without HTA are investigated and compared.Cathodoluminescence measurements reveal dark spot densities of 3.5×10^9 cm^-2,1.1×10^9 cm^-2,1.4×10^9 cm^-2,and 0.9×10^9 cm^-2 in multiple quantum well samples on as-grown planar AIN/sapphire,HTA planar AlN/sapphire,ELO AlN/sapphire,and HTA ELO AlN/sapphire,respectively,and are consistent with the threading dislocation densities determined by transmission electron microscopy(TEM)and high-resolution X-ray diffraction rocking curve.The UVC-LED performance improves with the reduction of the threading dislocation densities(TDDs).The output powers(measured on-wafer in cw operation at 20 mA)of the UV-LEDs emitting at 265 nm were 0.03 mW(planar AlN/sapphire),0.8 mW(planar HTA AlN/sapphire),0.9 mW(ELO AlN/sapphire),and 1.1 mW(HTA ELO AlN/sapphire),respectively.Furthermore,Monte Carlo ray-tracing simulations showed a 15%increase in light-extraction efficiency due to the voids formed in the ELO process.These results demonstrate that HTA ELO AlN/sapphire templates provide a viable approach to increase the efficiency of UV-LEDs,improving both the internal quantum efficiency and the light-extraction efficiency.