Defect-Reduction Mechanism for Improving Radiative Efficiency in InGaN/GaN Light-Emitting Diodes using InGaN Underlayers

Armstrong, Andrew M.; Bryant, Benjamin N.; Crawford, Mary H.; Koleske, Daniel D.; Lee, Stephen R.; Wierer, Jr., Jonathan J.

doi:10.1063/1.4916727

Title: Defect-Reduction Mechanism for Improving Radiative Efficiency in InGaN/GaN Light-Emitting Diodes using InGaN Underlayers

Journal Article · Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4916727· OSTI ID:1235263

Armstrong, Andrew M. ^[1]; Bryant, Benjamin N. ^[1]; Crawford, Mary H. ^[1]; Koleske, Daniel D. ^[1]; Lee, Stephen R. ^[1]; Wierer, Jr., Jonathan J. ^[1]

Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

The influence of a dilute In_xGa_1-xN (x~0.03) underlayer (UL) grown below a single In_0.16Ga_0.84N quantum well (SQW), within a light-emitting diode(LED), on the radiative efficiency and deep level defect properties was studied using differential carrier lifetime (DCL) measurements and deep level optical spectroscopy (DLOS). DCL measurements found that inclusion of the UL significantly improved LED radiative efficiency. At low current densities, the non-radiative recombination rate of the LED with an UL was found to be 3.9 times lower than theLED without an UL, while the radiative recombination rates were nearly identical. This, then, suggests that the improved radiative efficiency resulted from reduced non-radiative defect concentration within the SQW. DLOS measurement found the same type of defects in the InGaN SQWs with and without ULs. However, lighted capacitance-voltage measurements of the LEDs revealed a 3.4 times reduction in a SQW-related near-mid-gap defect state for the LED with an UL. Furthermore, quantitative agreement in the reduction of both the non-radiative recombination rate (3.9×) and deep level density (3.4×) upon insertion of an UL corroborates deep level defect reduction as the mechanism for improved LED efficiency.

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Research Organization:: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). EFRC for Solid State Lighting Science (SSLS)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC04-94AL85000

OSTI ID:: 1235263

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1228147

Report Number(s):: SAND2015-0751J; 562690

Journal Information:: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 117, Issue 13; ISSN 0021-8979

Publisher:: American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 67 works

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