GaN-based nanowires: From nanometric-scale characterization to light emitting diodes

We studied and improved gallium nitride (GaN) nanowire (NW) based light emitting diodes (LEDs). PIN nanodiodes with and without InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) under N-rich conditions on n-doped Si(111) substrates. Thanks to the coalescence of the p-type region of the NWs grown at low temperature, an autoplanarization process has been performed to obtain LEDs. Ni/Au top contacts have been deposited and patterned in order to bias the devices. A multiple-scale characterization approach has been carried out through the comparison of localized cathodoluminescence (CL) and macroscopic electroluminescence (EL) spectra. It shows that the EL emission of PIN-based LED at room temperature is related to defects in the p-type region of the NWs. In order to enhance the radiative recombinations of NW-based LEDs, we have first added InGaN/GaN MQWs, and secondly an electron blocking layer (EBL) has been inserted between the MQWs and the p-type zone of the NWs. The LED with EBL exhibited an emission band at 420 nm. The blue-shift of this emission band with increasing injected current is attributed to quantum confined Stark effect (QCSE) and evidences the radiative emission of InGaN/GaN MQWs. At 50 mA dc current, this improved NW-based LED emits about 500 times more light than the heterostructure without EBL. (C) 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim