Point defect effects in AlGaN 270-nm light emitting diodes introduced by MeV electron and proton irradiation
A. Y. Polyakov,
L. A. Alexanyan,
I. V. Schemerov,
A. A. Vasilev,
A. V. Chernykh,
Anton Ivanov,
Nadezhda Talnishnikh,
Anton Chernyakov,
A. L. Zakgeim,
N. M. Shmidt,
P. B. Lagov,
A. S. Doroshkevich,
R. Sh. Isayev,
Yu. S. Pavlov,
Hsiao-Hsuan Wan,
Fan Ren,
S. J. Pearton
Affiliations
A. Y. Polyakov
Department of Semiconductor Electronics and Semiconductor Physics, National University of Science and Technology MISIS, Moscow, Leninsky pr. 4, Moscow 119049, Russia
L. A. Alexanyan
Department of Semiconductor Electronics and Semiconductor Physics, National University of Science and Technology MISIS, Moscow, Leninsky pr. 4, Moscow 119049, Russia
I. V. Schemerov
Department of Semiconductor Electronics and Semiconductor Physics, National University of Science and Technology MISIS, Moscow, Leninsky pr. 4, Moscow 119049, Russia
A. A. Vasilev
Department of Semiconductor Electronics and Semiconductor Physics, National University of Science and Technology MISIS, Moscow, Leninsky pr. 4, Moscow 119049, Russia
A. V. Chernykh
Department of Semiconductor Electronics and Semiconductor Physics, National University of Science and Technology MISIS, Moscow, Leninsky pr. 4, Moscow 119049, Russia
Anton Ivanov
Submicron Heterostructures for Microelectronics Research and Engineering Center RAS, 26 Politekhnicheskaya, St Petersburg 194021, Russia
Nadezhda Talnishnikh
Submicron Heterostructures for Microelectronics Research and Engineering Center RAS, 26 Politekhnicheskaya, St Petersburg 194021, Russia
Anton Chernyakov
Submicron Heterostructures for Microelectronics Research and Engineering Center RAS, 26 Politekhnicheskaya, St Petersburg 194021, Russia
A. L. Zakgeim
Submicron Heterostructures for Microelectronics Research and Engineering Center RAS, 26 Politekhnicheskaya, St Petersburg 194021, Russia
N. M. Shmidt
Ioffe Institute, 26 Politekhnicheskaya, St Petersburg 194021, Russia
P. B. Lagov
Department of Semiconductor Electronics and Semiconductor Physics, National University of Science and Technology MISIS, Moscow, Leninsky pr. 4, Moscow 119049, Russia
A. S. Doroshkevich
Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Joliot-Curie 6, Dubna, Moscow Region 141980, Russian Federation
R. Sh. Isayev
Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Joliot-Curie 6, Dubna, Moscow Region 141980, Russian Federation
Yu. S. Pavlov
Laboratory of Radiation Technologies, A. N. Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry Russian Academy of Sciences (IPCE RAS), Moscow 119071, Russia
Hsiao-Hsuan Wan
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
Fan Ren
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
S. J. Pearton
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
Point defects were controllably introduced into 270 nm AlGaN Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) by 5 MeV electron and 1.1 MeV proton irradiations to examine the effect on electrical and luminescent characteristics. The 5 MeV electron irradiations had only a marginal effect on the charge distribution, current flow, and electroluminescence of LEDs for electron fluences up to 4.5 × 1016 e/cm2 that cause very strong degradation in green, blue, and near-UV LEDs. This lack of changes is attributed to the much higher charge densities in quantum-wells (QWs) and quantum barriers (QBs) of the 270 nm LEDs and to higher bond strength in high Al mole fraction AlGaN layers. By contrast, irradiation with 1.1 MeV protons with a fluence of 1016 p/cm2 leads to more than two orders of magnitude decrease in charge density in the QWs and QBs, a strong increase in the series resistance, and the emergence of deep electron traps near Ec-0.5 eV. The difference is explained by a much higher density of primary defects produced by protons. The observed effects are compared to changes in performance caused by aging after high driving current.
