High-quality nanodisk of InGaN/GaN MQWs fabricated by neutral-beam-etching and GaN regrowth: Towards directional micro-LED in top-down structure

A nanodisk array of blue InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells was made using neutral beam etching (NBE) followed by GaN regrowth. The NBE-fabricated nanodisk presented a vertical and highly smooth sidewall surface where the InGaN well layers were easily distinguished even with a scanning electron microscope. A high interface quality without any voids or obvious defects was obtained between the nanodisk and the regrown-GaN layer. The nanodisk after regrowth presented a smaller blueshift of photoluminescence emission energy (12 meV) and a substantially higher and almost constant internal quantum efficiency of ~50% over three orders of magnitude of excitation laser power when compared to the nanodisk before regrowth. This study shows that the process of NBE nanodisk etching followed by GaN regrowth represents a promising step forward in the development of truncated cone-shaped directional micro-LEDs with a buried active region in a top-town structure.