Improved Vertical Carrier Transport for Green III-Nitride LEDs Using ( In , Ga ) N Alloy Quantum Barriers
We report on experimental and simulation-based results using ( In , Ga ) N alloy quantum barriers in c -plane green light-emitting diode (LED) structures as a means to improve vertical carrier transport and reduce forward voltage ( V F ) . Three-dimensional device simulations that include random alloy fluctuations are used to understand carrier behavior in a disordered potential. The simulated current density–voltage ( J - V ) characteristics and modified electron-hole overlap | F mod | 2 indicate that increasing the indium fraction in the ( In , Ga ) N quantum barriers leads to a reduced polarization discontinuity at the interface between the quantum barrier and quantum well, thereby reducing V F and improving | F mod | 2 . Maps of electron and hole current through the device show a relatively homogenous distribution in the X Y plane for structures using Ga N quantum barriers; in contrast, preferential pathways for vertical transport are identified in structures with ( In , Ga ) N barriers as regions of high and low current. A positive correlation between hole (electron) current in the p -side ( n -side) barrier and indium fraction reveals that preferential pathways exist in regions of high indium content. Furthermore, a negative correlation between the strain ε z z and indium fraction shows that high indium content regions have reduced strain-induced piezoelectric polarization in the Z direction due to the mechanical constraint of the surrounding lower indium content regions. Experimentally, multiple quantum well green LEDs with ( In , Ga ) N quantum barriers exhibit lower V F and blue-shifted wavelengths relative to LEDs with Ga N quantum barriers, consistent with simulation data. These results can be used to inform heterostructure design of low V F , long-wavelength LEDs and provide important insight into the nature of carrier transport in III-nitride alloy materials.