Advancing LED technology: the FDCSP element's breakthrough in mini and micro-LED packaging and backlight module enhancement.

In this research, we introduce an advanced methodology for the calculation of bulk light sources tailored for free-form surface design, focusing on the principle of energy conservation. This method is especially relevant for the evolving needs of micro-LED packaging, highlighting its potential in this burgeoning field. Our work includes the development of an algorithm for creating freeform-designed chip-scale package (FDCSP) components. These components seamlessly integrate LEDs and lenses, underscoring our commitment to advancing free-form surface design in chip-level packaging. By adhering to the principle of energy conservation, our approach facilitates a meticulous comparison of simulation outcomes with predefined target functions. This enables the iterative correction of discrepancies, employing layering techniques to refine the design until the simulated results closely align with our goals, as demonstrated by an appropriate difference curve. The practical application of these simulations leads to the innovative design of FDCSP devices. Notably, these devices are not just suitable for traditional applications in backlight modules but are explicitly optimized for the emerging sector of micro-LED packaging. Our successful demonstration of these FDCSP devices within backlight modules represents a significant achievement. It underscores the effectiveness of our design strategy and its expansive potential to transform micro-LED packaging solutions. This research not only contributes to the theoretical understanding of energy conservation in lighting design but also paves the way for groundbreaking applications in micro-LED and backlight module technologies.

Hybrid high-concentration photovoltaic system designed for different weather conditions.

In this study, we propose a novel high-concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) cell by considering both the light leakage characteristics of the Fresnel-lens-based solar cell modules and the performance issues arising from cloud shading in practical use. We use our self-constructed systems to conduct field measurements for up to half a year under various environmental conditions. According to the acquired results, it was surprising to know that in the area other than the focusing area, the so-called light leakage region, there always bears illuminance of about 20,000-40,000 lx whether it is a sunny day or a cloudy day with different cloud conditions. Such an interesting result is caused by the light scattering of the clouds and the inherent leakage characteristic of a Fresnel lens. To prove this important finding, we simulated the illuminance of the Fresnel lens structure used in the measurement with apertures of different sizes to determine the detected area. In the laboratory, the diffuse plates were used to mimic the situation of varying cloud layer thicknesses. The trend of calculated and measured results fitted well with the field measurements. Also, the experimental and simulation results show that the round angle and draft facet of the Fresnel lens were responsible for light leakage. This finding prompted us to propose a hybrid high-concentration solar module in which more cost-effective polycrystalline silicon solar cells are placed around the high-efficiency wafer of HCPV to capture the dissipated light leakage and convert it into usable electricity.

Enhanced photoluminescence and shortened lifetime of DCJTB by photoinduced metal deposition on a ferroelectric lithography substrate.

The photodeposition of metallic nanostructures onto ferroelectric surfaces could enable new applications based on the assembly of molecules and patterning local surface reactivity by enhancing surface field intensity. DCJTB (4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-t-butyl-6-(1,1,7,7-tetramethyljulolidyl-9-enyl)-4H-pyran) is an excellent fluorescent dye and dopant material with a high quantum efficiency used for OLED displays on the market. However, how to raise the photoluminescence (PL) and reduce the lifetime of DCJTB in a substrate remain extraordinary challenges for its application. Here, we demonstrate a tunable ferroelectric lithography plasmon-enhanced substrate to generate photo-reduced silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and achieve enhanced PL with a shortened lifetime depending on the substrate's annealing time. The enhanced PL with shortened lifetimes can attribute to the localized electromagnetic (EM) wave produced by the nanotextured AgNPs layers' surface and gap plasmon resonances. The simulation is based on the three-dimensional finite element method to explain the mechanism of experimental results. Since the absorption increases, the remarkable enhanced PL of DCJTB can attain in the fabricated periodically proton exchanged (PPE) lithium niobate (LiNbO3) substrate. Furthermore, the proposed fabrication method demonstrates to help tune the surface EM wave distribution in the substrate, which can simultaneously achieve the significantly shortened lifetime and high PL intensity of DCJTB in the substrate. Compared with the un-annealed substrate, the PL intensity of DCJTB in the assembly metallic nanostructures is enhanced 13.70 times, and the PL's lifetime is reduced by 12.50%, respectively. Thus, the fabricated substrate can be a promising candidate, verifying chemically patterned ferroelectrics' satisfaction as a PL-active substrate.

Correction: Huang et al. High-Uniform and High-Efficient Color Conversion Nanoporous GaN-Based Micro-LED Display with Embedded Quantum Dots. Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 2696.

The authors wish to make following corrections in this paper [...].

A multichannel color filter with the functions of optical sensor and switch.

This paper reports a multichannel color filter with the functions of optical sensor and switch. The proposed structure comprises a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) bus waveguide side-couples to six circular cavities with different sizes for filtering ultra-violet and visible lights into individual colors in the wavelength range of 350-700 nm. We used the finite element method to analyze the electromagnetic field distributions and transmittance properties by varying the structural parameters in detail. The designed plasmonic filter takes advantage of filtering out different colors since the light-matter resonance and interference between the surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) modes within the six cavities. Results show that the designed structure can preferentially select the desired colors and confine the SPPS modes in one of the cavities. This designed structure can filter eleven color channels with a small full width at half maximum (FWHM) ~ 2 nm. Furthermore, the maximum values of sensitivity, figure of merit, quality factor, dipping strength, and extinction ratio can achieve of 700 nm/RIU, 350 1/RIU, 349.0, 65.04%, and 174.50 dB, respectively, revealing the excellent functions of sensor performance and optical switch, and offering a chance for designing a beneficial nanophotonic device.

High-Uniform and High-Efficient Color Conversion Nanoporous GaN-Based Micro-LED Display with Embedded Quantum Dots.

Quantum dot (QD)-based RGB micro-LED technology is seen as one of the most promising approaches towards full color micro-LED displays. In this work, we present a novel nanoporous GaN (NP-GaN) structure that can scatter light and host QDs, as well as a new type of micro-LED array based on an NP-GaN embedded with QDs. Compared to typical QD films, this structure can significantly enhance the light absorption and stability of QDs. As a result, the green and red QDs exhibited light conversion efficiencies of 90.3% and 96.1% respectively, leading to improvements to the luminous uniformity of the green and red subpixels by 90.7% and 91.2% respectively. This study provides a viable pathway to develop high-uniform and high-efficient color conversion micro-LED displays.

Perovskite random lasers: a tunable coherent light source for emerging applications.

Metal halide perovskites have attracted increasing attention due to their superior optical and electrical characteristics, flexible tunability, and easy fabrication processes. Apart from their unprecedented successes in photovoltaic devices, lasing action is the latest exploitation of the optoelectronic performance of perovskites. Among the substantial body of research on the configuration design and light emission quality of perovskite lasers, the random laser is a very interesting stimulated emission phenomenon with unique optical characteristics. In this review article, we first comprehensively overview the development of perovskite-based optoelectronic devices and then focus our discussion on random lasing performance. After an introduction to the historical development of versatile random lasers and perovskite random lasers, we summarize several synthesis methods and discuss their material configurations and stability in synthesized perovskite materials. Following this, a theoretical approach is provided to explain the random lasing mechanism in metal halide perovskites. Finally, we propose future applications of perovskite random lasers, presenting conclusions as well as future challenges, such as quality stability and toxicity reduction, of perovskite materials with regard to practical applications in this promising field.

Terahertz Analysis of CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskites Associated with Graphene and Silver Nanowire Electrodes.

In order to investigate the thermal and chemical (in)stabilities of MAPbI3 incorporated with graphene and silver nanowire (AgNW) electrodes, we employed the terahertz (THz) time-domain spectroscopy, which has a unique ability to deliver the information of electrical properties and the intermolecular bonding and crystalline nature of materials. In in situ THz spectroscopy of MAPbI3, we observed a slight blue-shift in frequency of the 2 THz phonon mode as temperatures increase across the tetragonal-cubic structural phase transition. For MAPbI3 with the graphene top electrode, no noticeable frequency shift is observed until the temperature reaches the maximum operating temperature of solar cells (85 °C). Phonon frequency shift is sensitive to the strain-induced tilt of PbI6 octahedra and our results indicate that graphene forms a stable interface with MAPbI3 and is also effective in suppression of the undesirable phase transition. Meanwhile, for MAPbI3 coupled with the AgNW bottom electrode, the THz conductivity was found to be as low as that of the MAPbI3 single layer, attributed to the chemical reaction between Ag atoms and iodide ions. The THz conductivity is greatly increased when an ultrathin Al2O3 interlayer is introduced to cover the AgNW network via the atomic layer deposition (ALD) method. ALD of Al2O3 on the AgNW surfaces at low temperature guarantees a conformal coating, which strongly affects the ohmic contacts between the NWs. Our results demonstrate the advantage of THz spectroscopy for the comprehensive analysis of thermal and chemical stabilities of perovskites associated with the electrode materials.

Effect of Passivation Layer on the Thin Film Perovskite Random Lasers.

Novel functionalities of disorder-induced scattering effect in random lasers, attributed to low spatial coherence, draw remarkable attention in high-contrast to superior quality speckle-free imaging applications. This paper demonstrates perovskite-polystyrene (PS)-based random lasing action with robust optical performance at room temperature. Optical characterizations are carried out upon perovskite thin films addition with polystyrene of different mixing concentrations (wt.%). A low threshold lasing operation is achieved with an increasing concentration of polystyrene, accompanying a wavy surface texture with high surface roughness. The rough surface dominating multiple scattering effects leads to enhanced feedback efficiency. Moreover, this study also elucidates efficient fabrication process steps for the development of high quality and durable PS-based random lasers. With the advantages of reduced coherent artifacts and low spatial coherence, speckle free projection images of the USAF (U. S. Air Force MIL-STD-150A standard of 1951) resolution test chart are shown for different PS-based random lasers.

Room-temperature random lasing of metal-halide perovskites via morphology-controlled synthesis.

Film morphology and the corresponding structural configuration can profoundly affect the optical performance, especially the random lasing action in organic-inorganic metal-halide perovskite thin films. They can be controlled in both micro- and nano-scale by manipulating different processing parameters such as the ratios of engineered solvent mixtures, spin-coating speed and backplane temperature. With the optimized parameters, the synthesized bare perovskite thin films can achieve room-temperature random lasing action with the energy pumping threshold down to 0.9 mJ cm-2 and the corresponding ß factor is estimated to be about 0.14. The bare films also show a long-time lasing reliability, maintaining lasing intensity after an optical pumping of 12 × 105 pulses. Meanwhile, in the lifetime test under ambient conditions, the bare films can sustain up to 7 days without any sealing package. Moreover, the perovskite thin films can also be synthesized on flexible substrates with the total area up to 100 cm2, paving a potential way for fabricating large-area and flexible random lasers in speckle-free laser projection and imaging.

Flexible Organometal-Halide Perovskite Lasers for Speckle Reduction in Imaging Projection.

Disorder is emerging as a strategy for fabricating random laser sources with very promising materials, such as perovskites, for which standard laser cavities are not effective or too expensive. We need, however, different fabrication protocols and technologies for reducing the laser threshold and controlling its emission. Here, we demonstrate an effectively solvent-engineered method for high-quality perovskite thin films on a flexible polyimide substrate. The fractal perovskite thin films exhibit excellent optical properties at room temperature and easily achieve lasing action without any laser cavity above room temperature with a low pumping threshold. The lasing action is also observed in curved perovskite thin films on flexible substrates. The lasing threshold can be further reduced by increasing the local curvature, which modifies the scattering strengths of the bent thin film. We also show that the curved perovskite lasers are extremely robust with respect to repeated deformations. Because of the low spatial coherence, these curved random laser devices are efficient and durable speckle-free light sources for applications in spectroscopy, bioimaging, and illumination.

Controllable lasing performance in solution-processed organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites.

Solution-processed organic-inorganic perovskites are fascinating due to their remarkable photo-conversion efficiency and great potential in the cost-effective, versatile and large-scale manufacturing of optoelectronic devices. In this paper, we demonstrate that the perovskite nanocrystal sizes can be simply controlled by manipulating the precursor solution concentrations in a two-step sequential deposition process, thus achieving the feasible tunability of excitonic properties and lasing performance in hybrid metal-halide perovskites. The lasing threshold is at around 230 µJ cm-2 in this solution-processed organic-inorganic lead-halide material, which is comparable to the colloidal quantum dot lasers. The efficient stimulated emission originates from the multiple random scattering provided by the micro-meter scale rugged morphology and polycrystalline grain boundaries. Thus the excitonic properties in perovskites exhibit high correlation with the formed morphology of the perovskite nanocrystals. Compared to the conventional lasers normally serving as a coherent light source, the perovskite random lasers are promising in making low-cost thin-film lasing devices for flexible and speckle-free imaging applications.

Localized surface plasmon for enhanced lasing performance in solution-processed perovskites.

A promising method to promote the lasing performance of solution-processed organic-inorganic lead-halide perovskites has been demonstrated. With the adding Ag and PMMA thin films, the threshold excitation power for low-temperature lasing action in perovskites can be greatly reduced by over two orders of magnitude than that acquired in bare perovskite layers, ascribing to the strong exciton-plasmon coupling between the Ag and perovskite films. Also, the PMMA layer can be exploited to prevent the perovskite degradation from the hydrolysis in ambient environment, achieving long-lasting light-emitting performance. The advantages exhibited by the hybrid perovskite configuration would be very promising in making practical laser devices.

Color-conversion efficiency enhancement of quantum dots via selective area nano-rods light-emitting diodes.

A large enhancement of color-conversion efficiency of colloidal quantum dots in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with novel structures of nanorods embedded in microholes has been demonstrated. Via the integration of nano-imprint and photolithography technologies, nanorods structures can be fabricated at specific locations, generating functional nanostructured LEDs for high-efficiency performance. With the novel structured LED, the color-conversion efficiency of the existing quantum dots can be enhanced by up to 32.4%. The underlying mechanisms can be attributed to the enhanced light extraction and non-radiative energy transfer, characterized by conducting a series of electroluminescence and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements. This hybrid nanostructured device therefore exhibits a great potential for the application of multi-color lighting sources.

High-performance InGaN-based green light-emitting diodes with quaternary InAlGaN/GaN superlattice electron blocking layer.

In this study, high-performance InGaN-based green light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with a quaternary InAlGaN/GaN superlattice electron blocking layer (QSL-EBL) have been demonstrated. The band structural simulation was employed to investigate the electrostatic field and carriers distribution, show that the efficiency and droop behavior can be intensively improved by using a QSL-EBL in LEDs. The QSL-EBL structure can reduce the polarization-related electrostatic fields in the multiple quantum wells (MQWs), leading to a smoother band diagram and a more uniform carriers distribution among the quantum wells under forward bias. In comparison with green LEDs with conventional bulk-EBL structure, the light output power of LEDs with QSL-EBL was greatly enhanced by 53%. The efficiency droop shows only 30% at 100 A/cm2 comparing to its peak value, suggesting that the QSL-EBL LED is promising for future white lighting with high performance.

Pulsed-laser micropatterned quantum-dot array for white light source.

In this study, a novel photoluminescent quantum dots device with laser-processed microscale patterns has been demonstrated to be used as a white light emitting source. The pulsed laser ablation technique was employed to directly fabricate microscale square holes with nano-ripple structures onto the sapphire substrate of a flip-chip blue light-emitting diode, confining sprayed quantum dots into well-defined areas and eliminating the coffee ring effect. The electroluminescence characterizations showed that the white light emission from the developed photoluminescent quantum-dot light-emitting diode exhibits stable emission at different driving currents. With a flexibility of controlling the quantum dots proportions in the patterned square holes, our developed white-light emitting source not only can be employed in the display applications with color triangle enlarged by 47% compared with the NTSC standard, but also provide the great potential in future lighting industry with the correlated color temperature continuously changed in a wide range.

Bridging the "green gap" of LEDs: giant light output enhancement and directional control of LEDs via embedded nano-void photonic crystals.

Green LEDs do not show the same level of performance as their blue and red cousins, greatly hindering the solid-state lighting development, which is the so-called "green gap". In this work, nano-void photonic crystals (NVPCs) were fabricated to embed within the GaN/InGaN green LEDs by using epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) and nano-sphere lithography techniques. The NVPCs act as an efficient scattering back-reflector to outcouple the guided and downward photons, which not only boost the light extraction efficiency of LEDs with an enhancement of 78% but also collimate the view angle of LEDs from 131.5° to 114.0°. This could be because of the highly scattering nature of NVPCs which reduce the interference giving rise to Fabry-Perot resonance. Moreover, due to the threading dislocation suppression and strain relief by the NVPCs, the internal quantum efficiency was increased by 25% and droop behavior was reduced from 37.4% to 25.9%. The enhancement of light output power can be achieved as high as 151% at a driving current of 350 mA. Giant light output enhancement and directional control via NVPCs point the way towards a promising avenue of solid-state lighting.

Improved optical limiting performance of laser-ablation-generated metal nanoparticles due to silica-microsphere-induced local field enhancement.

For practical application, optical limiting materials must exhibit a fast response and a low threshold in order to be used for the protection of the human eye and electro-optical sensors against intense light. Many nanomaterials have been found to exhibit optical limiting properties. Laser ablation offers the possibility of fabricating nanoparticles from a wide range of target materials. For practical use of these materials, their optical limiting performance, including optical limiting threshold and the ability to efficiently attenuate high intensity light, needs to be improved. In this paper, we fabricate nanoparticles of different metals by laser ablation in liquid. We study the optical nonlinear properties of the laser-generated nanoparticle dispersion. Silica microspheres are used to enhance the optical limiting performance of the nanoparticle dispersion. The change in the optical nonlinear properties of the laser-generated nanoparticle dispersion caused by silica microspheres is studied. It is found that the incident laser beam is locally focused by the microspheres, leading to an increased optical nonlinearity of the nanoparticle dispersion.

Toward omnidirectional light absorption by plasmonic effect for high-efficiency flexible nonvacuum Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin film solar cells.

We have successfully demonstrated a great advantage of plasmonic Au nanoparticles for efficient enhancement of Cu(In,Ga)Se2(CIGS) flexible photovoltaic devices. The incorporation of Au NPs can eliminate obstacles in the way of developing ink-printing CIGS flexible thin film photovoltaics (TFPV), such as poor absorption at wavelengths in the high intensity region of solar spectrum, and that occurs significantly at large incident angle of solar irradiation. The enhancement of external quantum efficiency and photocurrent have been systematically analyzed via the calculated electromagnetic field distribution. Finally, the major benefits of the localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) in visible wavelength have been investigated by ultrabroadband pump-probe spectroscopy, providing a solid evidence on the strong absorption and reduction of surface recombination that increases electron-hole generation and improves the carrier transportation in the vicinity of pn-juction.

Controlling the near-field excitation of nano-antennas with phase-change materials.

By utilizing the strongly induced plasmon coupling between discrete nano-antennas and quantitatively controlling the crystalline proportions of an underlying Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) phase-change thin layer, we show that nanoscale light localizations in the immediate proximity of plasmonic nano-antennas can be spatially positioned. Isolated energy hot-spots at a subwavelength scale can be created and adjusted across the landscape of the plasmonic system at a step resolution of λ/20. These findings introduce a new approach for nano-circuitry, bio-assay addressing and imaging applications.