Photonic crystal enhanced light emitting diodes fabricated by single pulse laser interference lithography

Integration of photonic crystal (PhC) configurations onto the surfaces of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can play an important role in enhancing light extraction efficiency. While the literature is rich with various PhC fabrication approaches, there is a need for high throughput methods that are appropriate for low-cost devices. In this paper, we report the use of single pulse laser interference lithography (LIL) for the fabrication of photonic crystal structures on LEDs. The use of brief nanosecond pulse exposures offers significant benefits for high-throughput production. In our study, we have applied single pulse LIL on GaAs/AlGaAs LED structures to achieve high-quality photoresist arrays and then have used inductively coupled plasma etching to create nanoholes into the epitaxial structure. The resulting array forms an effective PhC, controlling surface transmission. Electroluminescence (EL) analyses confirm that these structures enhance the average EL intensity of the LED by up to 3.5 times at room temperature. This empirical evidence underscores the efficacy and potential of this fabrication approach in advancing the functional capabilities of semiconductor-based light-emitting devices.