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Core-shell GaInN/GaN multiquantum shell (MQS) nanowires (NWs) are gaining great attention for high-efficiency micro-light-emitting diodes (micro-LEDs) owing to the minimized etching region on their sidewall, nonpolar or semipolar emission planes, and ultralow density of dislocations. In this study, we evaluated the changes in NW morphologies and the corresponding device properties induced by GaInN/GaN superlattice (SL) structures. The cathodoluminescence intensities of the samples with 20 and 40 pairs of SLs were about 2.2 and 3.4 times higher, respectively, than that of the sample without SLs. The high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) inspection confirmed that the high growth temperature of SLs prevented growth in the semipolar plane region close to the n-GaN core. A similar phenomenon was also observed for the GaN quantum barriers of the semipolar MQS region under a high growth temperature of 810 °C. This phenomenon was ascribed to the passivation of the semipolar plane surface by hydrogen atoms and the high probability of decomposition through NH

GaInN/GaN multi-quantum-shell (MQS) nanowires (NWs) are gaining increasing attention as promising materials for developing highly efficient long-wavelength micro-light emitting diodes (LEDs). To improve the emission properties in GaInN/GaN MQS NWs, it is necessary to suppress the emission from the (0001) c-plane MQS at the apex region, which featured with low crystalline quality. In this study, we investigated the enhancement of optical properties and the realization of micro-LEDs by confirming the effect of the (0001) plane region. A 7.9-fold enhancement of the electroluminescence (EL) intensity was demonstrated by removal the (0001) plane region via inductively coupled plasma (ICP) dry etching, owing to the promoted current injection into the (1–101) semi-polar and (10–10) non-polar sidewall area. To investigate the effect of the emission area on the samples with and without truncated (0001) plane region, devices with three different mesa areas (50 × 50, 100 × 100, and 100 × 200 μm2) were fabricated. An increased EL intensity with the reduced mesa areas was observed in the samples without dry etching of the (0001)-plane area, because more current can be injected into the sidewall region with higher crystalline quality and luminous efficiency than the (0001)-plane MQS. Under the same injection current density, the truncated samples’ light output was increased for more than ten times as compared to the samples without (0001)-plane etching. Therefore, it confirms the possibility of realizing highly efficient GaInN/GaN MQS NWs LEDs by eliminating the (0001) plane MQS region. A precise etching and surface passivation of the apex region is expected to further reduce the reverse leakage current and improve the performance in NW-LEDs.

This study aims to improve the emission efficiency of GaInN-based green light-emitting devices (LEDs) using the pre-trimethylindium (TMIn) flow treatment of a quantum well (QW) since we hypothesize that the pre-TMIn flow treatment is able to suppress the incorporation of surface defects (SDs) from the n-type GaN surface into the QWs. For this purpose, first, we investigate the effect of TMIn flow treatment on the SDs in n-type GaN samples by measuring time-resolved photoluminescence. The result of the investigation shows that the TMIn flow treatment effectively deactivated and/or neutralized the SDs from acting as the nonradiative recombination centers. Next, we prepare and investigate the GaInN-based green LEDs employing five pairs of multiple quantum wells (MQWs), in which the number of pre-TMIn treated QWs varies from zero to five. Through the analysis of prepared samples, we demonstrate that the pre-TMIn flow treatment of QWs works effectively in suppressing the SD incorporation into the MQWs, thereby improving the emission intensity.

Deep-ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based on AlGaN crystals have low light-emission efficiency; therefore, there is a need to improve this light-emission efficiency for a wide range of applications such as water and air sterilizations. UV-light-transparent device structures are considered one of the many solutions toward increasing light output power. To this end, the present study focused on developing a transparent AlGaN-based tunnel junction (TJ) as the anode of a deep-UV LED. Deep-UV LEDs composed of n+/p+-type AlGaN TJs were fabricated under the growth condition that reduced the carrier compensation in the n+-type AlGaN layers. The operating voltage was 10.8 V under the direct current (DC) operation of 63 A/cm2. In addition, magnesium zinc oxide (MgZnO)/Al reflective electrodes were fabricated to enhance the output power of the AlGaN homoepitaxial TJ LED. The output power was 57.3 mW under a DC operation of 63 A/cm2, and it was 1.7 times higher than that realized using the conventional Ti/Al electrodes. The combination of the AlGaN-based TJ and MgZnO/Al reflective contact allows further improvement of the light output power. This study confirms that the AlGaN TJ is a promising UV-transmittance structure that can obtain a high light-extraction efficiency.

The morphology and crystalline quality of p-GaN shells on coaxial GaInN/GaN multiple quantum shell (MQS) nanowires (NWs) were investigated using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. By varying the trimethylgallium (TMG) flow rate, Mg doping, and growth temperature, it was verified that the TMG supply and growth temperature were the dominant parameters in the control of the p-GaN shape on NWs. Specifically, a sufficiently high TMG supply enabled the formation of a pyramid-shaped NW structure with a uniform p-GaN shell. The ratio of the growth rate between the c- and m-planes on the NWs was calculated to be approximately 0.4545. High-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy characterization confirmed that no clear extended defects were present in the n-GaN core and MQS/p-GaN shells on the sidewall. Regarding the p-GaN shell above the c-plane MQS region, only a few screw dislocations and Frank-type partial dislocations appeared at the interface between the serpentine c-plane MQS and the p-GaN shell near the tips. This suggested that the crystalline quality of the MQS structure can trigger the formation of screw dislocations and Frank-type partial dislocations during the p-GaN growth. The growth mechanism of the p-GaN shell on NWs was also discussed. To inspect the electronic properties, a prototype of a micro light-emitting diode (LED) with a chip size of 50 × 50 μm2 was demonstrated in the NWs with optimal growth. By correlating the light output curve with the electroluminescence spectra, three different emission peaks (450, 470, and 510 nm) were assignable to the emission from the m-, r-, and c-planes, respectively.

Improving current injection into r- and m-planes of nanowires (NWs) is essential to realizing efficient GaInN/GaN multiple quantum shell (MQS) NW-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Here, we present the effects of different p-GaN shell growth conditions on the emission characteristics of MQS NW-LEDs. Firstly, a comparison between cathodoluminescence (CL) and electroluminescence (EL) spectra indicates that the emission in NW-LEDs originates from the top region of the NWs. By growing thick p-GaN shells, the variable emission peak at around 600 nm and degradation of the light output of the NW-LEDs are elaborated, which is attributable to the localization of current in the c-plane region with various In-rich clusters and deep-level defects. Utilizing a high growth rate of p-GaN shell, an increased r-plane and a reduced c-plane region promote the deposition of indium tin oxide layer over the entire NW. Therefore, the current is effectively injected into both the r- and m-planes of the NW structures. Consequently, the light output and EL peak intensity of the NW-LEDs are enhanced by factors of 4.3 and 13.8, respectively, under an injection current of 100 mA. Furthermore, scanning transmission electron microscope images demonstrate the suppression of dislocations, triangular defects, and stacking faults at the apex of the p-GaN shell with a high growth rate. Therefore, localization of current injection in nonradiative recombination centers near the c-plane was also inhibited. Our results emphasize the possibility of realizing high efficacy in NW-LEDs via optimal p-GaN shell growth conditions, which is quite promising for application in the long-wavelength region.

The dependence of optical properties on impurity concentrations and excitation power was explored. In particular, it was found that the peak shift of photoluminescence (PL) is proportional to the boron concentration. This might be due to donor–acceptor pair (DAP) recombination via double deep acceptor levels (D-centers), where the occupancy of the D*-center increased with the B concentration, and the recombination via the D*-center for longer wavelengths became dominant. Moreover, the relative constants B and C were calculated by BC model fitting from the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) curve as a function of excitation power. The theoretical extrapolation based on BC model predicted that high impurity concentrations are sufficient to suppress the droop phenomenon of efficiency induced by the increased excitation power.

In this study, the improvement of reverse leakage current characteristics with a sputtered (SP) -AlN buffer layer in GaInN-based green light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has been presented for the first time. To understand the origin of the improvement, a detailed review and careful analysis of reverse leakage current characteristics were performed. The review and analysis identified that the improvement was primarily caused by the suppression of variable-range-hopping process obtained by replacing conventional low-temperature GaN buffer. Verification that threading dislocations and V- defects can enhance the variable-range-hopping process has been received. We believe that this study will contribute to the realization of green LEDs with advantages of high reliability, a long lifetime, and electrical robustness.

In this study, AlGaN-based ultraviolet-B band laser diodes with 150-mW peak output power in pulsed operation were demonstrated at room temperature. The oscillation wavelength, differential quantum efficiency, and slope efficiency of a laser diode were 300 nm, 3.6%, and 0.15 W/A, respectively. These results were obtained by increasing the injection efficiency and decreasing the positive fixed polarization charge formed at the interface between a p-side waveguide layer and an electron blocking layer when polarization doping is formed in a p-AlGaN cladding layer.

We proposed and investigated hydrogen cleaning for decreasing pits and threading dislocations generated at interfaces of GaN on AlInN in Si-doped graded AlInN/GaN DBRs. We found that hydrogen cleaning was very useful to suppress the threading dislocation generations, resulting in two orders of magnitude less than the case without hydrogen cleaning. A high-quality conductive Si-doped AlInN/GaN DBR was obtained with hydrogen cleaning, showing a maximum reflectivity of 99.8%, a low pit density of less than 106 cm−2, and a reasonably low vertical resistance of 15 Ω.

Thin films of AlN, AlGaN, and AlGaN-based device structures of approximately 1 cm2 formed on a sapphire substrate were successfully exfoliated from the substrate by immersion in heated (115 °C) and pressurized (170 kPa) water. These thin films were crystalline, grown on periodically formed AlN nanopillars. The water was permeated through intentional voids formed in the AlGaN or AlN crystalline layers by using periodic AlN nanopillars. The exfoliated AlGaN exhibited clear X-ray diffraction peaks from its (0002) plane diffraction. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed that exfoliation introduced few additional dislocations and that the device structure was maintained.

Here, we systematically investigated the growth conditions of an n-GaN cap layer for nanowire-based light emitters with a tunnel junction. Selective-area growth of multiple quantum shell (MQS)/nanowire core-shell structures on a patterned n-GaN/sapphire substrate was performed by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy, followed by the growth of a p-GaN, an n++/ p++-GaN tunnel junction, and an n-GaN cap layer. Specifically, two-step growth of the n-GaN cap layer was carried out under various growth conditions to determine the optimal conditions for a flat n-GaN cap layer. Scanning transmission electron microscopy characterization revealed that n++-GaN can be uniformly grown on the m-plane sidewall of MQS nanowires. A clear tunnel junction, involving 10-nm-thick p++-GaN and 3-nm-thick n++-GaN, was confirmed on the nonpolar m-planes of the nanowires. The Mg doping concentration and distribution profile of the p++-GaN shell were inspected using three-dimensional atom probe tomography. Afterward, the reconstructed isoconcentration mapping was applied to identify Mg-rich clusters. The density and average size of the Mg clusters were estimated to be approximately 4.3 × 1017 cm-3 and 5 nm, respectively. Excluding the Mg atoms contained in the clusters, the remaining Mg doping concentration in the p++-GaN region was calculated to be 1.1 × 1020 cm-3. Despite the lack of effective activation, a reasonably low operating voltage and distinct light emissions were preliminarily observed in MQS nanowire-based LEDs under the optimal n-GaN cap growth conditions. In the fabricated MQS-nanowire devices, carriers were injected into both the r-plane and m-plane of the nanowires without a clear quantum confinement Stark effect.

Multi-color emission from coaxial GaInN/GaN multiple-quantum-shell (MQS) nanowire-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) was identified. In this study, MQS nanowire samples for LED processes were selectively grown on patterned commercial GaN/sapphire substrates using metal–organic chemical vapor deposition. Three electroluminescence (EL) emission peaks (440, 540, and 630 nm) were observed, which were primarily attributed to the nonpolar m-planes, semipolar r-planes, and the polar c-plane tips of nanowire arrays. A modified epitaxial growth sequence with improved crystalline quality for MQSs was used to effectively narrow the EL emission peaks. Specifically, nanowire-based LEDs manifested a clear redshift from 430 nm to 520 nm upon insertion of AlGaN spacers after the growth of each GaInN quantum well. This demonstrates the feasibility of lengthening the EL emission wavelength since an AlGaN spacer can suppress In decomposition of the GaInN quantum wells during ramping up the growth temperature for GaN barriers. EL spectra showed stable emission peaks as a function of the injection current, verifying the critical feature of the non-polarization of GaN/GaInN MQSs on nanowires. In addition, by comparing EL and photoluminescence spectra, the yellow-red emission linked to the In-fluctuation and point defects in the c-plane MQS was verified by varying the activation annealing time and lowering the growth temperature of the GaInN quantum wells. Therefore, optimization of MQS nanowire growth with a high quality of c-planes is considered critical for improving the luminous efficiency of nanowire-based micro-LEDs/white LEDs.

As an attempt to elucidate the origin of the power-efficiency (PE) degradation at high current injection for GaInN-based light-emitting diodes, the injection current is quantitatively separated to radiative and nonradiative current components as a function of applied voltage. It is found that the conventional Shockley equation for the current-voltage curve of a Si pn diode is not adequate for the LED since the carrier transport and recombination processes are quite different from those of the Si pn diode. Hence, we propose a diode equation for an LED where the radiative and nonradiative currents are separately expressed as a function of applied voltage. By analyzing the proposed diode equation, it is concluded that the PE degradation at high injection currents is due to the increase of the junction voltage and the decrease of the internal quantum efficiency at the same time. The phenomena can be understood by the insufficient recombination rate in the active quantum wells.

Boron (B) doping sources and crucible materials for stable, reproducible and high concentration B doping in fluorescent SiC (f-SiC) were investigated. When a Ta crucible was used with BN powder as a B doping source were used, B doping did not occur owing to too low C/Si ratio. On the other hand, when a C crucible and suitable Ta components inside the crucible were used, a high B concentration of 1.58 × 1019 cm-3 was obtained, owing to the high C/Si ratio. The results indicate that a C crucible with optimal Ta components and BN powder are suitable for high concentration B doping.