GaN-based green resonant-cavity light-emitting diodes with Al mirror and copper plate

In this Letter, GaN-based green resonant-cavity light-emitting diodes (RCLEDs) with a low-cost aluminum (Al) metal bottom mirror, a dielectric top mirror, and a copper (Cu) supporting plate were fabricated. The green-emitting epitaxial wafer was grown on a patterned sapphire substrate (PSS) to ensure high crystal quality (CQ). Laser lift-off (LLO) of the PSS and electrical plating of a Cu supporting plate were then carried out to realize the vertical device structure. The emission wavelength and full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the main emission peak of the device are ∼518 nm and 14 nm, respectively. Under the current density of 50 A/cm², a relatively high light output power (LOP) of 11.1 mW can be obtained from the green RCLED. Moreover, when the current injection is 20 mA (8 A/cm²), the corresponding forward bias voltage is as low as ∼2.46 V. The reasons for the low operating voltage and high LOP can be attributed to the improvement of CQ, the release of residual compressive stress of the GaN-based epilayer due to the removal of PSS, and better heat dissipation properties of the Cu supporting plate.