Far-UVC light with a wavelength of 230 nm or less are harmless to human body and have a strong inactivating effect for virus. We demonstrated 230-236nm AlGaN-based far-UVC LEDs for the purpose of virus inactivation in the human working space. We achieved the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of more than 1.5 % by introducing polarization doped p-type AlGaN layer for a 236 nm LED. We mounted 80 pieces of 230 nm LEDs in parallel to produce a panel with an output power approximately 220 and 90 mW measured under pulse and CW operation, respectively.
In this study, rA is investigated by different growth temperature between from 1200℃ to 1650℃ during AlN growth by high temperature metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE). The value of dislocation density calculated by X-ray rocking curve (XRC) fullwidth at half-maximum (FWHM) is decreasing with increasing AlN layer thickness. Moreover, it is found that there is threshold value in rA at the temperature of 1400℃. As a result, rA value is observed 20.2 nm in AlN with growth temperature of 1650℃, this represents close to rA value (27.5 nm) in GaN.
We demonstrated an enhancement of light-extraction efficiency (LEE) in an AlGaN UVC light-emitting diode (LED) using photonic-crystal (PhC)-reflector fabricated on a p-GaN contact layer, which was introduced to realize both of low resistivity and high-reflectivity in p-contact layer. We fabricated an AlGaN UVC-LED with PhC-reflector on p-GaN contact layer, and confirmed that the external quantum efficiency (EQE) was increased by 1.7 times by introducing PhC-reflector. We also fabricated flip-chip UVC LED with PhC-reflector on p-contact layer and obtained more than 50 mW output power.
We demonstrated an enhancement of light-extraction efficiency (LEE) in an AlGaN UVC light-emitting diode (LED) using photonic-crystal (PhC)-reflector fabricated on a p-GaN contact layer, which was introduced to realize both of low resistivity and high-reflectivity in p-contact layer. We fabricated an AlGaN UVC-LED with PhC-reflector on p-GaN contact layer, and confirmed that the external quantum efficiency (EQE) was increased by 1.7 times by introducing PhC-reflector. We also fabricated flip-chip UVC LED with PhC-reflector on p-contact layer and obtained more than 50 mW output power.
In this study, we investigate AlGaN metasurface increasing the light-extraction efficiency (LEE) of AlGaN-based deepultraviolet light-emitting diodes (DUV-LEDs) by utilizing the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. As a first step, a unit cell of metasurface structure adopting the AlGaN cylindrical resonator, which highly increases the transmittance near 280 nm wavelength before the critical angle, was searched numerically. A selected unit cell structure with the resonator was lattice constant a =110 nm with square lattice, the height of cylinder h = 45 nm, and radius r = 40 nm. Transmittance map was constructed for the optimized unit cell as functions of wavelength and incidence angle of plane waves for TE and TM polarized sources, respectively. The map showed perfect transmittance near 280 nm wavelength with normal incidence. Angle-dependent transmittance slowly decreases as the incidence angle increases, but as the incidence angle positions near the critical angle, the decrease of transmittance is gradually accelerated. As a next step, the extracted AlGaN metasurface structure is uniformly deployed to a flip chip LED, and light-extraction efficiencies are calculated as a function of p-GaN thickness for TE and TM mode sources, respectively. The dimension of LED considered in this study was about 2μm× 2μm×1μm. Calculated LEE values clearly showed that by adopting the designed AlGaN metasurface, LEE always increases regardless of p-GaN thickness based on the fundamental increment of transmittance.
AlGaN UVC light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are attracting much attentions for applications of sterilization and water purification. Here, we demonstrated the improvement in LEE by employing a photonic crystal (PhC) structure in a p-GaN contact layer. FDTD Simulation showed a significant reflection of emitted light at the interface between the PhC and the active layer, which was a function of the distance between the PhC and the active layer as well as the PhC parameters. A UVC LED with a PhC structure showed an enhanced LEE by 1.9 times compared to an LED without a PhC structure.
AlGaN UV-C light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are attracting a great deal of attentions for applications of sterilization, water purification, in the medical fields, and so on. The increase in wall-plug efficiency (WPE) is a recent main subject for an AlGaN UVC-LED. The main cause for reducing WPE is a significant reduction in light-extraction efficiency (LEE) owing to a heavy light absorption by p-GaN contact layer. If we introduce transparent p-AlGaN contact layer for increasing LEE, the contact resistance is increased, resulting in the significant increase of operating voltage. In order to achieve both of low contact resistance and high-reflectivity in a p-contact layer, we introduced a photonic crystal (PhC) reflector on a p-contact layer. We predicted by a simulation analysis that an LEE of UVC-LED can be increased by 2.8 times by introducing a PhC reflector on p-GaN contact layer.
Previously, we fabricated a 283nm AlGaN DUV-LED with PhC reflector on a p-AlGaN transparent contact layer, and obtained an increase of external quantum efficiency (EQE) from 8 to 10 % by introducing PhC reflector. However, the contact resistance was increased. In this work, we fabricated a 273nm AlGaN UVC-LED with PhC reflector on p-GaN contact layer. The EQE was increased by about 1.7 times by introducing PhC reflector. The operating voltage was not changed even when introducing PhC and remained low value. We confirmed that it is possible to realize high WPE by introducing PhC reflector on the p-GaN contact layer of UVC-LED.
AlGaN deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (DUV-LEDs) are attracting much attention for a wide variety of applications, however, the efficiency of DUV-LED is still low suppressed by low light-extraction efficiency (LEE). Transparent contact layer is considered to be necessary in order to obtain high LEE in AlGaN DUV LEDs. In this work, we demonstrate over 10% external quantum efficiency (EQE) in an AlGaN DUV-LED by using transparent p-AlGaN contact layer and highly reflective p-type electrode.
We fabricated AlGaN quantum well (QW) DUV LEDs with transparent p-AlGaN contact layers on AlN/sapphire templates. EQEs were compared between LEDs with Ni/Al highly reflective electrode and with conventional Ni/Au electrode. The transparency of the p-AlGaN contact layer was confirmed to be more than 97 %. The maximum EQE for 261 nm LEDs with Ni/Al and Ni/Au electrodes were approximately 2 and 3.3%, respectively. We confirmed that the LEE was increased by about 1.7 times. We also fabricated flip-chip (FC) UVC LED module with transparent p-AlGaN contact layer and reflective electrode. The FC LED module was encapsulated to increase LEE. The emission wavelengths were 276 nm. The EQE value under the forward current of 120 mA was increased from 2.7 to 8.6% by increasing an LEE. The output power of approximately 60 mW was obtained under the forward current of 150 mA. The EQE value was maximally increased up to 10.8%. LEE was estimated to be increased from 8.6 % to 25.5 % by introducing LEE enhancement structure.
Nitride semiconductor is a material having potentials for realizing wide frequency range of quantum-cascade lasers (QCLs), i.e., 3~20 THz and 1~8 μm, including an unexplored terahertz frequency range from 5 to 12 THz, as well as realizing room temperature operation of THz-QCL. The merit of using an AlGaN-based semiconductor is that it has much higher longitudinal optical phonon energies (ELO> 90meV) than those of GaAs-based semiconductors (~ 36 meV). In this study, we demonstrate the first lasing action of GaN-based QCLs. We introduced an unique quantum design active region, i.e., “pure 3-level system design”, which is consisting of 2 quantum wells (QWs) per one period. We grew GaN/AlGaN QC structures by using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The layer structure of the GaN/AlGaN QCL was consisting of 100~200 periods of QC active layers sandwiched by Si-doped (Al)GaN upper and lower contact layers, which were grown on a high-quality AlGaN/AlN template grown on a c-plane sapphire substrate. After the crystal growth, we fabricated QCL sample with single metal plasmon waveguide structure. Lasing spectrum was obtained at 5.39 THz measured under pulsed current injection at 5.8K. The threshold current density Jth and the threshold voltage Vth were 1.75 kA/cm2 and 14.5 V, respectively. We also fabricated similar design GaN/AlGaN QCL by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), and obtained lasing at 6.97 THz. The Jth and Vth of the MOCVD grown QCL were 0.75 kA/cm2 and 27 V, respectively, measured at 5.2 K.
III-nitride semiconductors having huge longitudinal optical phonon energies are promising as materials to solve a problem of "development of operational frequency range (5-12 THz)" on THz-QCLs. In this study, for the purpose of THz lasing from target subband levels, we designed unique quantum cascade (QC) structures whose active regions consisted of two quantum wells (QWs) for one period and the number of wave-functions contributed to lasing is limited to minimum 3 subband levels. (i.e., Pure 3-level laser system). We fabricated THz-QCLs with QC structures of a pure 3- level laser system (100-200 periods) through a radio-frequency molecular beam epitaxy (RF-MBE) and a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on MOCVD-growth AlGaN/AlN templates grown on c-plane sapphire substrates. Clear satellite peaks in XRD analyses could be observed, indicating that layer structures were stacked with a good periodicity. By comparing data with simulation spectra, it was found that error of film thicknesses were 1-3 %. We observed sharp lasing spectra with peaks at frequencies of ~5.5 THz and ~7.0 THz whose full width at half maximum (FWHM) values were close to those of resolution of FTIR spectrometer, when we tried pulse current injection measurements into THz-QCL devices. We successfully for the first time realized GaN-based THz-QCL devices lasing at almost the same frequencies as the target ones by designing a 2QWs-type QC structure with a pure 3-level laser system. We also successfully achieved lasing at ~5.5 and ~7.0 THz, which are highest reported to date for any kinds of THz- QCLs.
Terahertz quantum cascade laser (THz-QCL) is expected as a compact terahertz laser light source which realizes high output power, quite narrow emission linewidth, and cw operation. We are studying on THz-QCLs using GaAs/AlGaAs and GaN/AlGaN semiconductor superlattices. We demonstrated 1.9-3.8 THz GaAs/AlGaAs QCLs with double metal waveguide (DMW) structures. We developed a low-frequency high-temperature operation QCL (T<160K for 1.9 THz- QCL) by introducing indirect injection scheme design (4-level design) into GaAs/AlGaAs THz-QCLs. Nitride semiconductor is a material having potentials for realizing wide frequency range of QCL, i.e., 3~20 THz and 1~8 μm, including an unexplored terahertz frequency range from 5 to 12 THz, as well as realizing room temperature operation of THz-QCL. The merit of using an AlGaN-based semiconductor is that it has much higher longitudinal optical phonon energies (ELO> 90meV) than those of conventional semiconductors (~ 36 meV). We fabricated high-quality AlGaN/GaN QC stacking layers by introducing a novel growth technique in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). We fabricated a GaN/AlGaN QCLs with “pure three-level” design and obtained the first lasing action of nitride-based QCL from 5.4-7 THz.
We are studying on terahertz-quantum cascade lasers (THz-QCLs) using III-nitride semiconductor, which is a
material having potentials for realizing wide frequency range of QCL, i.e., 1-15 THz and 1-10 μm, including an
unexplored terahertz frequency range from 5 to 12 THz. GaN-based QCLs also have potential to realize room
temperature operation of THz-QCL. The merit of using an AlGaN-based semiconductor in comparison with GaAs or InP
is that it has much higher longitudinal optical phonon energies (ELO) (> 90meV) than those of conventional GaAs-based materials (~ 36 meV). We designed a GaN/AlGaN QCL that can operates in THz frequency range, and fabricated the GaN/AlGaN QCL devices by using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). We demonstrated dramatic improvement of
structural properties of QC stacking layers by introducing a novel growth technique "a droplet elimination by thermal
annealing (DETA) method". We have observed inter-subband spontaneous emissions under current injection with peak
frequencies from 1.4 to 2.8 THz from GaN/AlGaN QCL devices. The intensity of the emission was much improved by
fabricating them on a low threading dislocation density (TDD) AlN/AlGaN template prepared by metal-organic
chemical-vapor epitaxy (MOCVD) on a sapphire substrate.
We studied on terahertz-quantum cascade lasers (THz-QCLs) using III-Nitride semiconductors, which are promising materials for the realization of the unexplored frequency range from 5 to 12 THz and the higher temperature operation on THz-QCLs, because these compounds have much larger longitudinal optical phonon energies (> 18 THz) than those of conventional GaAs-based materials (~ 9 THz). Firstly, we showed clearly that it is possible to design a GaN-based quantum cascade (QC) structure which operates in the THz range in which population inversion can be obtained, by performing numerical calculations based on a self-consistent rate equation model. Secondly, we succeeded in the stack of QC structure with a large number of periods and the drastic improvement of structural properties of QC structure, by introducing a new growth technique named "a droplet elimination by thermal annealing (DETA)" in which utilized the differences of the properties between metals (Al, Ga) and Nitrides (AlN, GaN) into molecular beam epitaxy. Finally, we for the first time successfully observed spontaneous electroluminescence due to intersubband transitions with peaks at frequencies from 1.4 to 2.8 THz from GaN/AlGaN QCL devices fabricated with using the DETA technique grown on a GaN substrate and a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD)-AlN template on a sapphire substrate. In this paper, we demonstrate recent achievements on the quantum design, fabrication technique, and electroluminescence properties of GaN-based QCL structures.
Deep-ultraviolet (DUV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have a wide range of potential applications, such as sterilization, water purification, and medicine. In recent years, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) and the performance of AlGaNbased DUV LEDs on sapphire substrates have increased markedly due to improvements in the crystalline-quality of high Al-content AlGaN layers, and the optimization of LED structures. On the other hand, DUV LEDs fabricated on Si substrates are very promising as a low-cost DUV light-source in the near future. However, AlN layers on Si have suffered from cracking induced by the large mismatch in lattice constants and thermal expansion coefficients between AlN and Si. In this paper, DUV LEDs on Si were realized by a combination of a reduction in the number of cracks and of the threading dislocation density (TDD) of AlN templates by using the epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) method. The ELO-AlN templates were successfully coalesced on trench-patterned substrates, with the stripes running along the <1-100> direction of AlN. The density of cracks was greatly reduced in 4- μm-thick ELO-AlN templates, because voids formed by the ELO process relaxed the tensile stress in the AlN layer. Furthermore, the AlN templates showed low-TDD. The full-width-at-half-maximum values of the (0002) and (10-12) X-ray rocking curves were 780 and 980 arcsec, respectively. DUV LEDs fabricated on these high-quality ELO-AlN/Si substrates showed single peak emission at 256- 278 nm in electroluminescence measurements. It is expected that we will be able to realize low-cost DUV LEDs on Si substrates by using ELO-AlN templates.
We demonstrated AlGaN-based multi-quantum-well (MQW) deep-ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs)
with wavelengths in the range of 222-351 nm, fabricated on low threading dislocation density (TDD) AlN template on
sapphire. High internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of 50-80% was observed from AlGaN or quaternary InAlGaN MQWs
by fabricating them on low TDD AlN templates. Also, an electron injection efficiency (EIE) was markedly improved by
using multi-quantum barrier (MQB). Over 20 mW cw output power was obtained for 256-275 nm LEDs, which will be
useful for sterilization applications. The maximum external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) were 1.8 and 2.75% for 247
and 270 nm AlGaN-LEDs, respectively.
We demonstrated 222-282 nm AlGaN-based efficient deep-ultraviolet (DUV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs)
fabricated on low threading dislocation density (TDD) AlN template. Low TDD AlN on sapphire were realized by using
ammonia (NH3) pulse-flow multilayer (ML) growth technique. We obtained quite high IQE (~80%) from slightly-Inincorporated
(0.3%) InAlGaN QWs and obtained over 10 mW CW output power for 280 nm-band InAlGaN based LED.
The maximum output power obtained were over 10 mW for 264-282 nm LEDs, 1.2-5mW for 240-256 nm LEDs and
sub-milliwatt for 222-237 nm LEDs. The maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 280 nm-band LED was 1.2%.
We demonstrate 222-282 nm AlGaN and InAlGaN-based deep ultraviolet (DUV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs)
fabricated on low threading dislocation density (TDD) AlN template. Low TDD AlN templates were realized by using
ammonia (NH3) pulse-flow multilayer (ML) growth technique. The edge- and screw-type dislocation densities of AlN
layer were reduced to 7.5×108 and 3.8×107, respectively. We obtained significant increase of an AlGaN quantum well
(QW) emission (by more than 50 times) by fabricating them on a low TDD ML-AlN template. We fabricated AlGaN
multi (M)QW DUV-LEDs with emission range of 222-273 nm on ML-AlN templates. Single-peaked
electroluminescence (EL) was obtained for AlGaN DUV-LEDs. We obtained the maximum output power of 1.1, 2.4 and
3.3 mW for the AlGaN LEDs with wavelengths of 241, 253 and 273 nm, respectively, under RT CW operation. The
maximum output power of 227 and 222 nm AlGaN-QW were 0.15mW and 0.014mW, respectively, under RT pulsed
operation. The maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the 227 and 250 nm AlGaN LEDs were 0.2% and
0.43 %, respectively. We also fabricated 280 nm-band quaternary InAlGaN-MQW DUV-LEDs with p-type InAlGaN
layers on low TDD ML-AlN templates. We obtained significant increase of photoluminescence (PL) intensity by
introducing Si-doped InAlGaN buffer and barrier layers and undoped InAlGaN interlayer. We then demonstrated high
internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of 284 nm InAlGaN-QW emission, which was confirmed by the fact that the ratio of
the integrated intensity of the RT-PL against the 77K-PL was 86%. The maximum output power and EQE of the 282 nm
InAlGaN LED were 10.6 mW and 1.2%, respectively, under RT CW operation.
For the realization of 250-350 nm band deep ultraviolet (UV) emitters using group III-nitride materials, it is required to obtain high-efficiency UV emission and hole conductivity for wide-bandgap (In)AlGaN. For achieving high-efficiency deep UV emission, it is quite effective to use In segregation effect which has been already used for InGaN blue emitting devices. We have demonstrated high-efficiency UV emission by introducing several percent of In into AlGaN in the wavelength range of 300-360 nm at room temperature with an In segregation effect. The emission fluctuation in the submicron region due to In segregation was clearly observed for the quaternary InAlGaN epitaxial layers. An internal quantum efficiency as high as 15% was estimated from quaternary InAlGaN based single quantum well (SQW) at around 350 nm at room temperature. Such a high efficiency UV emission can be obtained even on high threading dislocation density buffers. Also, hole conductivity was obtained for high Al content (>53%) Mg-doped AlGaN by using alternative gas flow growth process in metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE). Using these techniques we fabricated 310 nm band deep UV light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with quaternary InxAlyGa1-x-yN active region. We achieved output power of 0.4 mW for a 308 nm LED and 0.8 mW for a 314 nm LED under room temperature pulsed operation.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.