Growth and Characterization of High Internal Quantum Efficiency Semipolar (1013) GaN-Based Light Emitting Diodes

We report on the growth and characterization of semipolar (101̅3) InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on m-plane (101̅0) sapphire with high internal quantum efficiencies (IQEs). Based on earlier work on obtaining untwinned (101̅3) GaN templates on m-plane sapphire, we also succeeded in smoothing the relatively unstable (101̅3) surface using very low V/III ratios during metal–organic vapor phase epitaxy and in the growth of n-and p-doped layers to produce LEDs. Fitting the current-dependent emission, we found high IQEs, up to 86% at 460 nm. The IQEs decreased toward longer wavelengths, similar as for conventional Ga-polar (0001) oriented LEDs. However, the semipolar (101̅3) LEDs have their maximum IQE at much higher current densities than the polar (0001) LEDs due to the higher overlap between electron and hole wave function while maintaining a positive polarization. Together, this makes the (101̅3) orientation very attractive for future blue LEDs.