Performance enhancement of blue light-emitting diodes with InGaN/GaN multi-quantum wells grown on Si substrates by inserting thin AlGaN interlayers

We have grown blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) having InGaN/GaN multi-quantum wells (MQWs) with thin AlyGa1-yN (0< y< 0.3) interlayers on Si(111) substrates. It was found by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations and three-dimensional atom probe analysis that 1-nm-thick interlayers with an AlN mole fraction of less than y = 0.3 were continuously formed between GaN barriers and InGaN wells, and that the AlN mole fraction up to y = 0.15 could be consistently controlled. The external quantum efficiency of the blue LED was enhanced in the low-current-density region (<= 45 A/cm(2)) but reduced in the high-current-density region by the insertion of the thin Al0.15Ga0.85N interlayers in the MQWs. We also found that reductions in both forward voltage and wavelength shift with current were achieved by inserting the interlayers even though the inserted AlGaN layers had potential higher than that of the GaN barriers. The obtained peak wall-plug efficiency was 83% at room temperature. We suggest that the enhanced electroluminescence (EL) performance was caused by the introduction of polarization-induced hole carriers in the InGaN wells on the side adjacent to the thin AlGaN/InGaN interface and efficient electron carrier transport through multiple wells. This model is supported by temperature-dependent EL properties and band-diagram simulations. We also found that inserting the interlayers brought about a reduction in the Shockley-Read-Hall nonradiative recombination component, corresponding to the shrinkage of V-defects. This is another conceivable reason for the observed performance enhancement. Published by AIP Publishing.