Enhanced Performance of AlGaN-Based Deep Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diodes with Chirped Superlattice Electron Deceleration Layer

AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet (DUV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) suffer from electron overflow and insufficient hole injection. In this paper, novel DUV LED structures with superlattice electron deceleration layer (SEDL) is proposed to decelerate the electrons injected to the active region and improve radiative recombination. The effects of several chirped SEDLs on the performance of DUV LEDs have been studied experimentally and numerically. The DUV LEDs have been grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and fabricated into 762 × 762 μm2 chips, exhibiting single peak emission at 275 nm. The external quantum efficiency of 3.43% and operating voltage of 6.4 V are measured at a forward current of 40 mA, indicating that the wall-plug efficiency is 2.41% of the DUV LEDs with ascending Al-content chirped SEDL. The mechanism responsible for this improvement is investigated by theoretical simulations. The lifetime of the DUV LED with ascending Al-content chirped SEDL is measured to be over 10,000 h at L50, due to the carrier injection promotion.