Efficiency Re-Climbing in High-Current Droop Regime for Gallium-Nitride-based Light-Emitting Diodes

The efficiency droop in GaInN/GaN blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) usually commences at current density around 10 A/cm2 and the efficiency decreases monotonically after the droop onset. GaN-based LEDs suffer seriously, at typical operating current densities (10–100 A/cm2), by the efficiency droop. Efficiency re-climbing is observed in the typical droop regime at cryogenic temperatures below 125K. The “efficiency re-climbing” coincides with a distinct increase in device conductivity, which is mainly attributed to an enhancement in p-type conductivity due to field ionization of acceptors. The “efficiency re-climbing” phenomenon implies an approach of solving efficiency droop by enhancing hole injection by external electric field.