Nonpolar m-Plane InGaN/GaN Micro-Scale Light-Emitting Diode With 1.5 GHz Modulation Bandwidth

We demonstrate a high-speed nonpolar m-plane InGaN/GaN micro-scale light-emitting diode (LED) with a record electrical -3 dB modulation bandwidth of 1.5 GHz at a current density of 1 kA/cm(2). A differential carrier lifetime (DLT) of 200 ps at 1 kA/cm(2) was extracted using a rate-equation model. The short DLT is attributed to the high electron-hole wave function overlap in polarization-free nonpolar InGaN/GaN quantum wells, which leads to a higher spontaneous emission rate at low current densities compared to polar c-plane quantum wells. LEDs with improved high-speed performance at low current densities will help to reduce power dissipation and increase efficiency in Gb/s visible-light communication systems.