UV LEDs: could nanowires be the key to efficiency?

UV LEDs produced using the semiconductor material aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) in thin layers perform poorly in the brightness and lifespan departments. Researchers on a joint INAC-CNRS team wondered what would happen if they used the material in nanowire form. And, if their early results are any indication, the use of nanowires could improve UV LED performance. Local fluctuations in the composition of AlGaN nanowires (due to the fact that the Al and Ga are not evenly distributed) lead to the spontaneous formation of quantum dots. The charge carriers are highly localized, resulting in very intense UV emissions. A four-year French National Research Agency project to explore the phenomenon and begin studying several systems kicked off on January 1, 2016. INAC is coordinating the project, in which researchers from Institut Néel, LMGP, and Orsay and Montpellier Universities are participating.

Contact: bruno.gayral@cea.fr

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