Mechanisms of lighting enhancement of Al nanoclusters-embedded Al-doped ZnO film in GaN-based light-emitting diodes

Journal Article · Thu Jan 14 23:00:00 EST 2010 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3276092· OSTI ID:21476087

Lee, Hsin-Ying ^[1]; Chou, Ying-Hung; Lee, Ching-Ting ^[2]; Yeh, Wen-Yung; Chu, Mu-Tao ^[3]

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1. Department of Electro-Optical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan 701 (China)
2. Department of Electrical Engineering, Institute of Microelectronic, and Center for Micro/Nano Science and Technology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan 701 (China)
3. Optoelectronics Semiconductor and System Application Division, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsin Chu, Taiwan 310 (China)

Aluminum (Al)-doped ZnO (AZO) films with embedded Al nanoclusters were proposed and utilized to enhance the light output power and maximum operation current of GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The AZO films were sputtered using ZnO and Al targets in a magnetron cosputtering system. With Al dc power of 7 W and ZnO 100 W ac power, the electron concentration of 4.1x10{sup 20} cm{sup -3}, electron mobility of 16.2 cm{sup 2}/V s, and resistivity of 7.2x10{sup -4} {Omega} cm were obtained for the deposited AZO film annealed at 600 deg. C for 1 min in a N{sub 2} ambient. As verified by a high resolution transmission electron microscopy, the deposited AZO films with embedded Al nanoclusters were clearly observed. A 35% increase in light output power of the GaN-based LEDs with Al nanoclusters-embedded AZO films was realized compared with the conventional LEDs operated at 500 mA. It was verified experimentally that the various characteristics of GaN-based LEDs including the antireflection, light scattering, current spreading, and the light extraction efficiency in light emission could be significantly enhanced with the use of Al nanoclusters-embedded AZO films.

• OSTI ID: 21476087
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 107; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
ALUMINIUM
ANNEALING
CHALCOGENIDES
DEPOSITION
DOPED MATERIALS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELECTRON MOBILITY
ELEMENTS
FILMS
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
GALLIUM NITRIDES
HEAT TREATMENTS
LIGHT EMITTING DIODES
LIGHT SCATTERING
MATERIALS
METALS
MICROSCOPY
MOBILITY
NANOSTRUCTURES
NITRIDES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLE MOBILITY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PNICTIDES
SCATTERING
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEMICONDUCTOR DIODES
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SOLID CLUSTERS
SPUTTERING
THIN FILMS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ZINC COMPOUNDS
ZINC OXIDES