Nanoscale imaging of reduced forward bias at V-defects in green-emitting nitride LEDs

Record wall-plug efficiencies in long-wavelength, III-nitride light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have recently been achieved through improvements in electrical efficiency in devices containing V-defects.

Numerical modeling suggests this may be due to reduced barrier heights for charge injection in thinned, low-Indium quantum wells parallel to semi-polar V-defect facets.

To test this proposition, a novel approach in which the tip of a scanning tunneling luminescence microscope as a local hole injector, is used to map the optoelectronic properties of commercial, green-emitting LED heterostructures around V-defects with nanoscale spatial resolution.

A 1 V reduction in the forward bias necessary for current injection at V-defect rims is observed.

This, combined with the observation of small (~10 meV) blue shifts in the locally emitted electroluminescence, unambiguously confirms the charge injection mechanism.