Improved performance of UV-LED by p-AlGaN with graded composition

AlGaN-based ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) on AlN/sapphire template were grown by metal organic chemical vapour deposition. The AlN template was characterized by atomic force microscopy and high resolution X-ray diffraction. Atomic force microscopy image shows that the AlN surface is very flat, while high resolution X-ray diffraction results prove the good crystalline quality of the AlN template. A novel structure UV-LED which has several p-AlGaN layers with graded composition is compared with a common structure UV-LED which has a single p-Al0.5Ga0.5N layer. The forward bias voltage at 20 mA driving current for the novel structure UV-LED is nearly 3 V higher than that of the common structure UV-LED, however, the electroluminescence intensity of the former is over two times higher than that of the latter. The total quantum efficiency of the novel structure UV-LED is more than 50% higher than that of the common structure UV-LED. The improvement is considered to be the result of better holes injection efficiency in the novel structure UV-LED. © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.