Structural Analysis in Low-V-defect Blue and Green GaInN/GaN Light Emitting Diodes

In this study, we characterized the structural defects in blue and green GaInN/GaN LEDs grown on c-plane bulk GaN and sapphire substrates. Low density large V-defects with diameters around 600 nm were found in the blue LEDs on bulk GaN. They were initiated by edge-type threading dislocations (TDs) around the homoepitaxial growth interface. On the other hand, a high density 7×10 cm of smaller V-defects with sidewalls on } 01 1 1 { facets was observed in the active region of green LEDs on sapphire. Their diameter ranges from 150 to 200 nm. Misfit dislocations (MDs) generated in the quantum wells are found to initiate these V-defects. With optimizing the epitaxial growth conditions, the generation of MDs and their smaller V-defects was largely suppressed. As a result, the light output power improved by one order of magnitude. For green LEDs on bulk GaN, another unique type of defect was found in the active region: an inclined dislocation pair (IDP). In it a pair of dislocations propagate at a tilt angle of 18 to 23o from the [0001] growth direction towards > < 00 1 1 . This defect seems to be a path of strain relief in the high indium composition quantum wells.