High-performance nanowire ultraviolet light-emitting diodes with potassium hydroxide and ammonium sulfide surface passivation.

Potassium hydroxide (KOH) and ammonium sulfide (NH4)2Sx have been used as a surface passivation treatment to improve the electrical and optical performance of AlGaN nanowire ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Enhancements in photoluminescence at 335 nm (49%), optical output power (65%), and electroluminescence (83%), with respect to the as-grown nanowire LED are recorded for the AlGaN nanowire UV LEDs with surface passivation. These enhancements are attributed to the reduced nonradiative recombination on the nanowire surfaces. This study provides a potential surface passivation approach to produce high-power AlGaN nanowire LEDs operating in the UV spectrum.

Epitaxial Growth and Characterization of AlInN-Based Core-Shell Nanowire Light Emitting Diodes Operating in the Ultraviolet Spectrum.

We report the demonstration of the first axial AlInN ultraviolet core-shell nanowire light-emitting diodes with highly stable emission in the ultraviolet wavelength range. During epitaxial growth of the AlInN layer, an AlInN shell is spontaneously formed, resulting in reduced nonradiative recombination on the nanowire surface. The AlInN nanowires exhibit a high internal quantum efficiency of ~52% at room temperature for emission at 295 nm. The peak emission wavelength can be varied from 290 nm to 355 nm by changing the growth conditions. Moreover, significantly strong transverse magnetic (TM) polarized emission is recorded, which is ~4 times stronger than the transverse electric (TE) polarized light at 295 nm. This study provides an alternative approach for the fabrication of new types of high-performance ultraviolet light emitters.