Enhancing the quantum efficiency of InGaN green light-emitting diodes by trimethylindium treatment

Abstract

This work demonstrates the effectiveness of using trimethylindium (TMIn) treatment to improve the luminescence efficiency of InGaN∕GaN quantum wells grown by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy. Photoluminescence, x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy indicate that the treatment leads to a smoother InGaN surface and InGaN∕GaN interface with substantial decrease in V-shape defects density, compared to the samples without treatment. Green light-emitting diodes prepared by this method exhibit higher output power than the control device. These improvements are attributed to the surface smoothing process in TMIn ambient, resulting in an abrupt InGaN∕GaN interface.