MBE-grown 232-270 nm Deep-UV LEDs using Monolayer thin Binary GaN/AlN quantum heterostructures

TL;DR

This paper reports the development of deep-UV LEDs with wavelengths from 232 to 270 nm using monolayer GaN/AlN quantum heterostructures grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy, achieving the shortest emission wavelength reported with GaN.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method of tuning deep-UV LED emission wavelengths precisely using monolayer control of GaN layers in quantum heterostructures.

Findings

Achieved single-peaked emission spectra with narrow FWHM.

Demonstrated emission wavelengths at 232 nm, 246 nm, and 270 nm.

Reported the shortest EL emission wavelength of 232 nm using GaN.

Abstract

Electrically injected deep ultra-violet (UV) emission is obtained using monolayer (ML) thin GaN/AlN quantum structures as active regions. The emission wavelength is tuned by controlling the thickness of ultrathin GaN layers with monolayer precision using plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE). Single peaked emission spectra is achieved with narrow full width at half maximum (FWHM) for three different light emitting diodes (LEDs) operating at 232 nm, 246 nm and 270 nm. 232 nm (5.34 eV) is the shortest EL emission wavelength reported so far using GaN as the light emitting material and employing polarization-induced doping.