Enhancement in external quantum efficiency of AlGaInP red μ-LED using chemical solution treatment process.

To investigate the effects of their surface recovery and optical properties, extremely small sized (12 µm × 12 µm mesa area) red AlGaInP micro light emitting diodes ( $$\upmu$$ LED) were fabricated using a diluted hydrofluoric acid (HF) surface etch treatment. After the chemical treatment, the external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of $$\upmu$$ -LED at low and high injection current regions have been improved by 35.48% and 12.86%, respectively. The different phenomena of EQEs have a complex relationship between the suppression of non-radiative recombination originating from the etching damage of the surface and the improvement of light extraction of the sidewalls. The constant enhancement of EQE at a high injection current it is attributed to the expansion of the active region’s sidewall surface area by the selective etching of AlInP layers. The improved EQE at a low injection current is related to the minimization of the surface recombination caused by plasma damage from the surface. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) revealed physical defects on the sidewall surface, such as plasma-induced lattice disorder and impurity contamination damage, were eliminated using chemical treatment. This study suggests that chemical surface treatment using diluted HF acid can be an effective method for enhancing the $$\upmu$$ -LED performance.