Analysis of nonradiative recombination mechanisms and their impacts on the device performance of InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes

We investigate the nonradiative recombination mechanisms of two conventional InGaN/GaN-based blue light-emitting diodes with different threading dislocation densities (TDDs). The current–voltage, the ideality factor, and the slope of the light-versus-current curve on log scales are analyzed to distinguish the dominant nonradiative recombination mechanisms at room temperature. Through the analysis, we infer the dominant nonradiative recombination mechanisms to be the Shockley–Read–Hall process for the sample with a low TDD (~1 × 108 cm−2) and the defect-assisted tunneling for the sample with a high TDD (~1 × 109 cm−2). For more detailed analysis of the nonradiative recombination mechanisms and their impacts on the device performance, we execute the temperature-dependent photovoltage and temperature-dependent electroluminescence efficiency experiments. The sample with a low TDD is found to be more prone to the carrier spill-over at cryogenic temperatures due to the deactivation of point defects, while the sample with a high TDD is more robust to the operation at cryogenic temperatures owing to the relative insensitiveness of the defect-assisted tunneling to temperature.

[1]  C. Weisbuch,et al.  Direct measurement of Auger electrons emitted from a semiconductor light-emitting diode under electrical injection: identification of the dominant mechanism for efficiency droop. , 2013, Physical review letters.

[2]  E. Fred Schubert,et al.  Origin of efficiency droop in GaN-based light-emitting diodes , 2007 .

[3]  Jorg Hader,et al.  On the origin of IQE‐‘droop’ in InGaN LEDs , 2009 .

[4]  Jorg Hader,et al.  Density-activated defect recombination as a possible explanation for the efficiency droop in GaN-based diodes , 2010 .

[5]  E. Schubert,et al.  Polarization-matched GaInN∕AlGaInN multi-quantum-well light-emitting diodes with reduced efficiency droop , 2008 .

[6]  G. Verzellesi,et al.  Efficiency droop in InGaN/GaN blue light-emitting diodes: Physical mechanisms and remedies , 2013 .

[7]  E. Fred Schubert,et al.  Asymmetry of carrier transport leading to efficiency droop in GaInN based light-emitting diodes , 2011 .

[8]  J. Shim,et al.  Analysis of dominant carrier recombination mechanisms depending on injection current in InGaN green light emitting diodes , 2014 .

[9]  Jong-In Shim,et al.  Nonradiative recombination mechanisms in InGaN/GaN-based light-emitting diodes investigated by temperature-dependent measurements , 2014 .

[10]  R. I. Gorbunov,et al.  Defect-related tunneling mechanism of efficiency droop in III-nitride light-emitting diodes , 2010 .

[11]  Jong-In Shim,et al.  An Explanation of Efficiency Droop in InGaN-based Light Emitting Diodes: Saturated Radiative Recombination Rate at Randomly Distributed In-Rich Active Areas , 2011 .

[12]  E. Schubert,et al.  Partial Polarization Matching in GaInN-Based Multiple Quantum Well Blue LEDs Using Ternary GaInN Barriers for a Reduced Efficiency Droop , 2009, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics.

[13]  Junqiao Wu,et al.  When group-III nitrides go infrared: New properties and perspectives , 2009 .

[14]  T. Lu,et al.  Improvement of quantum efficiency in green light-emitting diodes with pre-TMIn flow treatment , 2011 .

[15]  Hadis Morkoç,et al.  III-Nitride Based Light Emitting Diodes and Applications , 2013 .

[16]  E. Fred Schubert,et al.  The origin of the high diode-ideality factors in GaInN/GaN multiple quantum well light-emitting diodes , 2009 .

[17]  Jong-In Shim,et al.  Study of droop phenomena in InGaN-based blue and green light-emitting diodes by temperature-dependent electroluminescence , 2012 .

[18]  Jong-In Shim,et al.  Investigation of carrier spill‐over in InGaN‐based light‐emitting diodes by temperature dependences of resonant photoluminescence and open‐circuit voltage , 2013 .

[19]  Jong Kyu Kim,et al.  Solid-State Light Sources Getting Smart , 2005, Science.

[20]  S. Nakamura,et al.  Introduction to Nitride Semiconductor Blue Lasers and Light Emitting Diodes , 2000 .

[21]  Karen Willcox,et al.  Kinetics and kinematics for translational motions in microgravity during parabolic flight. , 2009, Aviation, space, and environmental medicine.

[22]  J. Piprek.  Efficiency droop in nitride‐based light‐emitting diodes , 2010 .

[23]  Jorg Hader,et al.  Temperature-dependence of the internal efficiency droop in GaN-based diodes , 2011 .

[24]  E. Fred Schubert,et al.  Identifying the cause of the efficiency droop in GaInN light-emitting diodes by correlating the onset of high injection with the onset of the efficiency droop , 2013 .

[25]  E. Schubert,et al.  Efficiency droop in light‐emitting diodes: Challenges and countermeasures , 2013 .

[26]  Michael R. Krames,et al.  Auger recombination in InGaN measured by photoluminescence , 2007 .

[27]  J. Kretchmer,et al.  Diffusion and tunneling currents in GaN/InGaN multiple quantum well light-emitting diodes , 2002, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[28]  Bo E. Sernelius,et al.  Defect related issues in the current roll-off in InGaN based light emitting diodes , 2007 .

[29]  E. Schubert,et al.  Analytic model for the efficiency droop in semiconductors with asymmetric carrier-transport properties based on drift-induced reduction of injection efficiency , 2012 .

[30]  C. Sah,et al.  Carrier Generation and Recombination in P-N Junctions and P-N Junction Characteristics , 1957, Proceedings of the IRE.