Performance enhancement of AlGaN deep-ultraviolet laser diode using compositional Al-grading of Si-doped layers

Achieving high threshold current density and high optical confinement are big challenges in the realization of high-performance aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN)-based deep-ultraviolet (DUV) laser diode (LD). In this work, compositional Al-grading of AlGaN layers is used to increase the optical confinement factor (OCF), carrier injection efficiency, gain, and emission power of the DUV LD. Compositional grading of waveguides (WGs) layer, electron blocking layer (EBL), and cladding layers (CLs) demonstrated that the device characteristic can be improved. By using compositional Al-grading of AlGaN p-WG, EBL, p-CL along with n-WG and n-CL, 17.4% OCF, 94.4 mW emission power, and 1369 m− 1 gain at 267 nm peak emission wavelength are achieved. These improvements are attributed to the reduced threshold current density as well as using better optical confinement scheme in the DUV LD.