1.54 μm emitters based on erbium doped InGaN p-i-n junctions

We present here on the growth, fabrication and electroluminescence (EL) characteristics of light emitting diodes (LEDs) based on Er-doped InGaN active layers. The p-i-n structures were grown using metal organic chemical vapor deposition and processed into 300 x 300 mu m(2) mesa devices. The LEDs exhibit strong emissions at 1.0 and 1.54 mu m, due to Er intra-4f transitions, under forward bias conditions. The emitted EL intensity increases with applied input current without exhibiting saturation up to 70 mA. The integrated power over the near infrared emission, measured at room temperature from the top of a bare chip, is about 2 mu W. The results represent a significant advance in the development of current injected, chip-scale emitters and waveguide amplifiers based on Er doped semiconductors. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3499654]