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Suppression of leakage currents in GaN-based LEDs induced by reactive-ion etching damages

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Nicolas Grandjean, Jean-François Carlin, Julien Dorsaz, Eric Feltin, Antonino Francesco Castiglia, Mauro Mosca
2008

Abstract

Forward and reverse leakage currents in GaN/InGaN multi-quantum well light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are caused by reactive-ion etching (RIE) damages during device patterning. A method to recover the damaged surfaces, based on a chemical etch in KOH: ethylene-glycol is described. Leakage currents decrease of more than a factor of 10 and are completely suppressed in most of devices.

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https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/14a7b707-16f4-4c18-b117-1d3774296e34

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Light-emitting diode

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. The color of the light (corresponding to the energy of the photons) is determined by the energy required for electrons to cross the band gap of the semiconductor. White light is obtained by using multiple semiconductors or a layer of light-emitting phosphor on the semiconductor device.

Reactive-ion etching

Reactive-ion etching (RIE) is an etching technology used in microfabrication. RIE is a type of dry etching which has different characteristics than wet etching. RIE uses chemically reactive plasma to remove material deposited on wafers. The plasma is generated under low pressure (vacuum) by an electromagnetic field. High-energy ions from the plasma attack the wafer surface and react with it. A typical (parallel plate) RIE system consists of a cylindrical vacuum chamber, with a wafer platter situated in the bottom portion of the chamber.

Leakage (electronics)

In electronics, leakage is the gradual transfer of electrical energy across a boundary normally viewed as insulating, such as the spontaneous discharge of a charged capacitor, magnetic coupling of a transformer with other components, or flow of current across a transistor in the "off" state or a reverse-polarized diode. Gradual loss of energy from a charged capacitor is primarily caused by electronic devices attached to the capacitors, such as transistors or diodes, which conduct a small amount of current even when they are turned off.

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