Influence of trap-assisted and intrinsic Auger–Meitner recombination on efficiency droop in green InGaN/GaN LEDs

Li, Xuefeng; DeJong, Elizabeth; Armitage, Rob; Armstrong, Andrew M.; Feezell, Daniel

doi:10.1063/5.0167430

Title: Influence of trap-assisted and intrinsic Auger–Meitner recombination on efficiency droop in green InGaN/GaN LEDs

Journal Article · Tue Sep 12 00:00:00 EDT 2023 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0167430· OSTI ID:2007817

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Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States). Center for High Technology Materials (CHTM)
Lumileds LLC, San Jose, CA (United States)
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Here, we study the impact of deep-level defects on trap-assisted Auger–Meitner recombination in c-plane InGaN/GaN LEDs using a small-signal electroluminescence (SSEL) method and deep-level optical spectroscopy (DLOS). Carrier dynamics information, including carrier lifetime, recombination rate, and carrier density, is obtained from SSEL, while DLOS is used to obtain the deep-level defect density. Through fitting the nonradiative recombination rates of wafers with different deep-level defect densities, we obtain the Shockley–Read–Hall (SRH) and trap-assisted Auger–Meitner recombination (TAAR) coefficients. We show that defect-related nonradiative recombination, including both SRH and TAAR, accounts for a relatively small fraction of the total nonradiative recombination, which is dominated by intrinsic Auger–Meitner recombination. The interplay between carrier localization and Coulomb enhancement has a different impact on radiative and intrinsic Auger–Meitner recombination. Evidence is presented that the imbalance between the change of radiative and intrinsic Auger–Meitner recombination is the primary cause of the efficiency droop at high carrier densities in the samples studied.

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Research Organization:: Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Energy Efficiency Office. Building Technologies Office

Grant/Contract Number:: EE0009163; NA0003525

OSTI ID:: 2007817

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 2311376

Report Number(s):: SAND-2023-09303J

Journal Information:: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 123, Issue 11; ISSN 0003-6951

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

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Title: Influence of trap-assisted and intrinsic Auger–Meitner recombination on efficiency droop in green InGaN/GaN LEDs

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