Enhancing the Light-Extraction Efficiency of an AlGaN Nanowire Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diode by Using Nitride/Air Distributed Bragg Reflector Nanogratings

• Published in: IEEE photonics journal Vol. 9; no. 5; pp. 1 - 8
• Main Authors: Alias, Mohd Sharizal, Janjua, Bilal, Zhao, Chao, Priante, Davide, Alhamoud, Abdullah A., Tangi, Malleswararao, Alanazi, Lafi M., Alatawi, Abdullah A., Albadri, Abdulrahman M., Alyamani, Ahmed Y., Ng, Tien Khee, Ooi, Boon S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01.10.2017
• Subjects: AlGaN; Aluminum gallium nitride; DBR gratings; Distributed Bragg reflectors; Etching; LED; Light emitting diodes; Nanoscale devices; nanowires; Reflectivity; Wide band gap semiconductors
• ISSN: 1943-0655; 1943-0655; 1943-0647
• DOI: 10.1109/JPHOT.2017.2749198

The performance and efficiency of AlGaN ultraviolet light-emitting diodes have been limited by the extremely low light-extraction efficiency (LEE) due to the intrinsic material properties of AlGaN. Here, to enhance the LEE of the device, we demonstrate an AlGaN nanowire light-emitting diode (NW-LED) integrated with nitride/air distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) nanogratings. Compared to a control device (only mesa), the AlGaN NW-LED with the nitride/air DBR nanogratings exhibits enhancement in the light output power and external quantum efficiency (EQE) by a factor of ∼1.67. The higher light output power and EQE are attributed mainly to the multiple reflectances laterally for the transverse magnetic (TM)-polarized light and scattering introduced by the nanogratings. To further understand the LEE enhancement, the electrical field distribution, extraction ratio, and polar pattern of the AlGaN NW-LED with and without the nitride/air DBR nanogratings were analyzed using the finite-difference time-domain method. It was observed that the TM-field emission was confined and scattered upward, whereas the polar pattern was intensified for the AlGaN NW-LED with the nanogratings. Our approach to enhance the LEE via the nitride/air DBR nanogratings can provide a promising route for increasing the efficiency of AlGaN-based LEDs, also, to functioning as facet mirror for AlGaN-based laser diodes.