Thermal droop in InGaN-based LEDs: physical origin and dependence on material properties

C. De Santi; M. Meneghini; M. La Grassa; N. Trivellin; B. Galler; R. Zeisel; B. Hahn; M. Goano; S. Dominici; M. Mandurrino; F. Bertazzi; G. Meneghesso; E. Zanoni

doi:10.1117/12.2210953

8 March 2016 Thermal droop in InGaN-based LEDs: physical origin and dependence on material properties

C. De Santi, M. Meneghini, M. La Grassa, N. Trivellin, B. Galler, R. Zeisel, B. Hahn, M. Goano, S. Dominici, M. Mandurrino, F. Bertazzi, G. Meneghesso, E. Zanoni

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9768, Light-Emitting Diodes: Materials, Devices, and Applications for Solid State Lighting XX; 97680D (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2210953
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2016, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

The thermal droop (reduction of the optical power when the temperature is increased) is a phenomenon that strongly limits the efficiency of InGaN-based light-emitting diodes. In this paper we analyze the role of Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) recombination and of the electron blocking layer (EBL) in the process by using numerical simulations and literature data. The benefic impact of EBL suggests that carrier escape from the quantum wells gives a significant contribution to the thermal droop, therefore we review some of the mechanisms described in the literature (thermionic emission, phonon-assisted tunneling, thermionic trap-assisted tunneling). Since no formulation is able to fit the behavior of the measured SQW devices, we develop a new model based on two phonon-assisted tunneling steps through a defective state, extended in order to take into account zero-field emission. By using experimental data, material constants from the literature and only two fitting parameters the model is able to reproduce the experimental behavior.

Citation Download Citation

C. De Santi, M. Meneghini, M. La Grassa, N. Trivellin, B. Galler, R. Zeisel, B. Hahn, M. Goano, S. Dominici, M. Mandurrino, F. Bertazzi, G. Meneghesso, and E. Zanoni "Thermal droop in InGaN-based LEDs: physical origin and dependence on material properties", Proc. SPIE 9768, Light-Emitting Diodes: Materials, Devices, and Applications for Solid State Lighting XX, 97680D (8 March 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2210953

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