SMALL‐AREA HIGH‐CURRENT‐DENSITY GaAs ELECTROLUMINESCENT DIODES AND A METHOD OF OPERATION FOR IMPROVED DEGRADATION CHARACTERISTICS

Diffused‐junction GaAs electroluminescent diodes of small area and high radiance have been fabricated. It has been observed (1) that the degradation of these high‐current‐density cw diodes can be reduced greatly by superimposing a periodic reverse‐bias pulse on the normal dc forward bias, and (2) that a previously degraded diode is restored to its initial light output by the influence of the built‐in junction fields, or an applied dc reverse bias, at an elevated temperature.