Abstract
In this paper we report the first experimental results for double heterostructure (DH) Burrus LED’s in which current confinement is achieved by proton bombardment techniques. Both p-type and n-type active layers with carrier concentrations ranging from 1016 cm−3 to 2 × 1018 cm−3 were investigated. Devices with shallow surface bombardments (at 100 keV) were compared to devices with deep bombardments (at 390 keV), which penetrate past the p-n junction. Measurements were made of the shape of the light emitting area, device capacitance, 3 dB bandwidth, external efficiency, and operating reliability. These results have been compared with those obtained from LED’s fabricated from the same crystals with conventional oxide-masking techniques.
It has been found that deep proton bombardment provides precise control of the. light emitting area as well as the largest 3 dB bandwidths through reductions in the device capacitance. Comparisons of the output power for the various devices established that the overall device efficiency improved in going from deep to shallow bombardment conditions. However, in all cases, the highest efficiencies were achieved with conventional oxide confinement as a result of enhanced reflection at the SiO2-metal interface. These observations have led to the fabrication of an innovative LED structure which incorporates both oxide-masking for improved efficiency and proton bombardment for improved 3 dB bandwidth. Under operation at 100°C and junction current densities of approximately 3 kA/cm2, the reliability of LED’s with proton bombardment confinement was found to be equal to or better than LED’s with conventional oxide confinement.
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Dyment, J.C., SpringThorpe, A.J., King, F.D. et al. Proton bombarded double heterostructure LED’s. J. Electron. Mater. 6, 173–193 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02660382
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02660382