A UV Light-Emitting Diode Incorporating GaN Quantum Dots

The fabrication and evaluation of a UV light-emitting diode (LED) incorporating GaN quantum dots as the active layer is demonstrated. The GaN quantum dots were fabricated on an AlxGa1-xN (x ~0.1) surface using Si as an antisurfactant. Exposing the AlxGa1-xN surface to the Si antisurfactant prior to GaN growth enabled the formation of quantum dots on a surface where growth by the Stranski-Krastanov mode would not be possible. A fairly high density of dots (1010–1011 cm-2) with controllable dot sizes was achieved. Room temperature luminescence at 360 nm was clearly observed during current injection (cw) into an LED structure including the GaN quantum dots. The origin of the electroluminescence is discussed by comparing it to photoluminescence measurements.