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.

Date Published: 16 February 2009
PDF: 14 pages
Proc. SPIE 7216, Gallium Nitride Materials and Devices IV, 721621 (16 February 2009); doi: 10.1117/12.809729

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7216:
Gallium Nitride Materials and Devices IV
Hadis Morkoç; Cole W. Litton; Jen-Inn Chyi; Yasushi Nanishi; Joachim Piprek; Euijoon Yoon, Editor(s)