Abstract
To enhance the performance of green light-emitting diodes (LEDs), numerical analysis of structural engineering of conventional LED has been presented. Our proposed structure with composition-graded electron blocking layer as well as thickness-graded last quantum barrier and last quantum well shows improved radiative recombination rate, lower efficiency droop and higher light output power at high current density in comparison to other devices. The observed improvements are because of better electron and hole confinement as well as improved hole transportation inside the active region.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bernardini, F., Fiorentini, V.: Nonlinear behavior of spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization in III–V nitride alloys. Physica Status Solidi (a) 190, 65–73 (2002b)
Cho, J., Park, J.H., Kim, J.K., Schubert, E.F.: White light-emitting diodes: history, progress, and future. Laser Photonics Rev. 11, 1600147 (2017)
Choi, S., Kim, H.J., Kim, S.-S., Liu, J., Kim, J., Ryou, J.-H., et al.: Improvement of peak quantum efficiency and efficiency droop in III-nitride visible light-emitting diodes with an InAlN electron-blocking layer. Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 221105 (2010)
Fiorentini, V., Bernardini, F., Ambacher, O.: Evidence for nonlinear macroscopic polarization in III–V nitride alloy heterostructures. Appl. Phys. Lett. 80, 1204–1206 (2002)
Ghazai, A., Thahab, S., Hassan, H.A., Hassan, Z.: Quaternary ultraviolet AlInGaN MQW laser diode performance using quaternary AlInGaN electron blocking layer. Opt. Express 19, 9245–9254 (2011)
Guo, Y., Liang, M., Fu, J., Liu, Z., Yi, X., Wang, J., et al.: Enhancing the performance of blue GaN-based light emitting diodes with double electron blocking layers. AIP Adv. 5, 037131 (2015)
Han, S.-H., Lee, D.-Y., Lee, S.-J., Cho, C.-Y., Kwon, M.-K., Lee, S., et al.: Effect of electron blocking layer on efficiency droop in InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well light-emitting diodes. Appl. Phys. Lett. 94, 231123 (2009)
Iveland, J., Martinelli, L., Peretti, J., Speck, J.S., Weisbuch, C.: Direct measurement of Auger electrons emitted from a semiconductor light-emitting diode under electrical injection: identification of the dominant mechanism for efficiency droop. Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 177406 (2013)
Ju, Z., Liu, W., Zhang, Z.-H., Tan, S.T., Ji, Y., Kyaw, Z., et al.: Improved hole distribution in InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes with graded thickness quantum barriers. Appl. Phys. Lett. 102, 243504 (2013)
Kim, S.J., Kim, T.G.: Numerical study of enhanced performance in InGaN light-emitting diodes with graded-composition AlGaInN barriers. J. Opt. Soc. Korea 17, 16–21 (2013)
Kim, M.-H., Schubert, M.F., Dai, Q., Kim, J.K., Schubert, E.F., Piprek, J., et al.: Origin of efficiency droop in GaN-based light-emitting diodes. Appl. Phys. Lett. 91, 183507 (2007)
Krames, M.R., Shchekin, O.B., Mueller-Mach, R., Mueller, G.O., Zhou, L., Harbers, G., et al.: Status and future of high-power light-emitting diodes for solid-state lighting. J. Display Technol. 3, 160–175 (2007)
Laubsch, A., Sabathil, M., Baur, J., Peter, M., Hahn, B.: High-power and high-efficiency InGaN-based light emitters. IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 57, 79–87 (2009)
Li, H., Li, P., Kang, J., Li, Z., Zhang, Y., Li, Z., et al.: Quantum efficiency enhancement of 530 nm InGaN green light-emitting diodes with shallow quantum well. Appl. Phys. Express 6, 052102 (2013)
Lu, T., Li, S., Liu, C., Zhang, K., Xu, Y., Tong, J., et al.: Advantages of GaN based light-emitting diodes with a p-InGaN hole reservoir layer. Appl. Phys. Lett. 100, 141106 (2012)
Matsuoka, T., Okamoto, H., Nakao, M., Harima, H., Kurimoto, E.: Optical bandgap energy of wurtzite InN. Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 1246–1248 (2002)
Muhammad, U., Nawaz, N., Saba, K., Karimov, K., Muhammad, N.: Experimental and numerical analysis of the indium-content on the internal electromechanical field in GaN-based light-emitting diodes. Optik 172, 1193–1198 (2018)
Nakamura, S., Pearton, S., Fasol, G.: The Blue Laser Diode: The Complete Story. Springer, Berlin (2000)
Piprek, J.: Efficiency droop in nitride-based light-emitting diodes. Physica Status Solidi (a) 207, 2217–2225 (2010)
Saha, M., Biswas, A., Karan, H.: Monolithic high performance InGaN/GaN white LEDs with a tunnel junction cascaded yellow and blue light-emitting structures. Opt. Mater. 77, 104–110 (2018)
Salhi, A., Alanzi, M., Alonazi, B.: Effect of the quantum-well shape on the performance of InGaN-based light-emitting diodes emitting in the 400–500-nm range. J. Display Technol. 11, 217–222 (2014)
Schubert, M.F., Xu, J., Kim, J.K., Schubert, E.F., Kim, M.H., Yoon, S., et al.: Polarization-matched Ga In N∕ Al Ga In N multi-quantum-well light-emitting diodes with reduced efficiency droop. Appl. Phys. Lett. 93, 041102 (2008)
Streiff, M., Fichtner, W., Witzig, A.: Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers: single-mode control and self-heating effects. In: Optoelectronic Devices, Springer, Berlin, pp. 21–247 (2005)
Usman, M., Anwar, A.-R., Saba, K., Munsif, M.: Analysis of various electron blocking layers to improve efficiency in green light-emitting diodes. Ceram. Int. 46(11), 18464–18468 (2020a)
Usman, M., Munsif, M., Anwar, A.-R.: Wedge-shaped electron blocking layer to improve hole transport and efficiency in green light-emitting diodes. Opt. Commun. 464, 125493 (2020b)
Usman, M., Munsif, M., Anwar, A.-R., Jamal, H., Malik, S., Islam, N.U.: Quantum efficiency enhancement by employing specially designed AlGaN electron blocking layer. Superlattices Microstruct. 139, 106417 (2020c)
Usman, M., Kim, H., Shim, J.-I., Shin, D.-S.: Measurement of piezoelectric field in single-and double-quantum-well green LEDs using electroreflectance spectroscopy. Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 53, 098002 (2014)
Usman, M., Saba, K., Jahangir, A., Kamran, M., Muhammad, N.: Electromechanical fields and their influence on the internal quantum efficiency of GaN-based light-emitting diodes. Acta Mech. Solida Sin. 31, 383–390 (2018a)
Usman, M., Saba, K., Han, D.-P., Muhammad, N.: Efficiency improvement of green light-emitting diodes by employing all-quaternary active region and electron-blocking layer. Superlattices Microstruct. 113, 585–591 (2018b)
Usman, M., Mushtaq, U., Zheng, D.-G., Han, D.-P., Muhammad, N.: Investigation of optoelectronic characteristics of indium composition in InGaN-based light-emitting diodes. Mater. Res. Express 6, 045909 (2019a)
Usman, M., Munsif, M., Anwar, A.R., Mushtaq, U., Imtiaz, W.A., Han, D.-P., et al.: Zigzag-shaped quantum well engineering of green light-emitting diode. Superlattices Microstruct. 132, 106164 (2019b)
Usman, M., Mushtaq, U., Zheng, D.-G., Han, D.-P., Rafiq, M., Muhammad, N.: Enhanced internal quantum efficiency of bandgap-engineered green W-shaped quantum well light-emitting diode. Appl. Sci. 9, 77 (2019c)
Usman, M., Anwar, A.-R., Munsif, M., Han, D.-P., Saba, K.: Amelioration of internal quantum efficiency of green GaN-based light-emitting diodes by employing variable active region. Physica E: Low-dimensional Syst. Nanostruct. 117, 113826 (2019d)
Verzellesi, G., Saguatti, D., Meneghini, M., Bertazzi, F., Goano, M., Meneghesso, G., et al.: Efficiency droop in InGaN/GaN blue light-emitting diodes: physical mechanisms and remedies. J. Appl. Phys. 114, 071101 (2013)
Vurgaftman, I., Meyer, J.N.: Band parameters for nitrogen-containing semiconductors. J. Appl. Phys. 94, 3675–3696 (2003)
Vurgaftman, I., Meyer, J.Á., Ram-Mohan, L.Á.: Band parameters for III–V compound semiconductors and their alloys. J. Appl. Phys. 89, 5815–5875 (2001)
Wang, C., Ke, C., Lee, C., Chang, S., Chang, W., Li, J., et al.: Hole injection and efficiency droop improvement in InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes by band-engineered electron blocking layer. Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 261103 (2010a)
Wang, C., Chang, S., Chang, W., Li, J., Lu, Y., Li, Z., et al.: Efficiency droop alleviation in InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes by graded-thickness multiple quantum wells. Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 181101 (2010b)
Yang, G., Chang, J., Wang, J., Zhang, Q., Xie, F., Xue, J., et al.: Performance enhancement of AlGaN-based ultraviolet light-emitting diodes by tailoring polarization in electron blocking layer. Superlattices Microstruct. 83, 1–8 (2015)
Yen, S.-H., Tsai, M.-L., Tsai, M.-C., Chang, S.-J., Kuo, Y.-K.: Investigation of optical performance of InGaN MQW LED with thin last barrier. IEEE Photonics Technol. Lett. 22, 1787–1789 (2010)
Zhang, Z., Sun, H., Li, X., Sun, H., Zhang, C., Fan, X., et al.: Performance enhancement of blue light-emitting diodes with an undoped AlGaN electron-blocking layer in the active region. J. Display Technol. 12, 573–576 (2015)
Zheng, Z., Chen, Z., Chen, Y., Wu, H., Huang, S., Fan, B., et al.: Improved carrier injection and efficiency droop in InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes with step-stage multiple-quantum-well structure and hole-blocking barriers. Appl. Phys. Lett. 102, 241108 (2013)
Zheng, H., Sun, H., Yang, M., Cai, J., Li, X., Sun, H., et al.: Effect of polarization field and nonradiative recombination lifetime on the performance improvement of step stage InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well LEDs. J. Display Technol. 11, 776–782 (2015)
Acknowledgements
We are indebted to Semiconductor Photonics Laboratory, Hanyang University, South Korea for providing the needed resources.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Usman, M., Munsif, M. & Anwar, AR. High internal quantum efficiency of green GaN-based light-emitting diodes by thickness-graded last well/last barrier and composition-graded electron blocking layer. Opt Quant Electron 52, 320 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-020-02436-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-020-02436-z