InGaN Light-Emitting Diodes with an Embedded Nanoporous GaN Distributed Bragg Reflectors

InGaN light emitting diodes (LED) structure with an embedded 1/4λ-stack nanoporous-GaN/undoped-GaN distributed Bragg reflectors (DBR) structure have been demonstrated. Si-heavily doped GaN epitaxial layers (n(+)-GaN) in the 12-period n(+)-GaN/u-GaN stack structure are transformed into low refractive index nanoporous GaN structure through the doping-selective electrochemical wet etching process. The central wavelength of the nanoporous DBR structure was located at 442.3 nm with a 57 nm linewidth and a 97.1% peak reflectivity. The effective cavity length (6.0λ), the effective penetration depth (278 nm) in the nanoporous DBR structure, and InGaN active layer matching to Fabry-Pérot mode order 12 were observed in the far-field photoluminescence radiative spectra. High electroluminescence emission intensity and line-width narrowing effect were measured in the DBR-LED compared with the non-treated LED structure. Non-linear emission intensity and line-width reducing effect, from 11.8 nm to 0.73 nm, were observed by increasing the laser excited power. Resonant cavity effect was observed in the InGaN LED with bottom nanoporous-DBR and top GaN/air interface.