Rapid degradation of InGaN/GaN green laser diodes

Abstract Rapid degradation behavior and the degradation mechanism of commercial green laser diodes have been studied using a variety of techniques, including electrical and optical measurements, electron beam induced current imaging based on scanning electron microscopy, laser confocal microscopy, micro-photoluminescence and transmission electron microscopy. Results show that the fast degradation of green laser diodes is not caused by a higher leakage current or dislocation multiplication in the active region, but mainly by uneven thermal distribution due to local defects on the ridge that induce local heating and increased other defects in the active region which are not easily found in the TEM.