An aluminium nitride light-emitting diode with a wavelength of 210 nanometres

被引:1593
作者
Taniyasu, Y [1 ]
Kasu, M [1 ]
Makimoto, T [1 ]
机构
[1] NTT Corp, NTT Basic Res Labs, Atsugi, Kanagawa 2430198, Japan
关键词
D O I
10.1038/nature04760
中图分类号
O [数理科学和化学]; P [天文学、地球科学]; Q [生物科学]; N [自然科学总论];
学科分类号
07 ; 0710 ; 09 ;
摘要
Compact high-efficiency ultraviolet solid-state light sources(1) such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes - are of considerable technological interest as alternatives to large, toxic, low-efficiency gas lasers and mercury lamps. Microelectronic fabrication technologies and the environmental sciences both require light sources with shorter emission wavelengths: the former for improved resolution in photolithography and the latter for sensors that can detect minute hazardous particles. In addition, ultraviolet solid-state light sources are also attracting attention for potential applications in high-density optical data storage, biomedical research, water and air purification, and sterilization. Wide-bandgap materials, such as diamond(2) and III - V nitride semiconductors (GaN, AlGaN and AlN; refs 3 - 10), are potential materials for ultraviolet LEDs and laser diodes, but suffer from difficulties in controlling electrical conduction. Here we report the successful control of both n-type and p-type doping in aluminium nitride ( AlN), which has a very wide direct bandgap(11) of 6 eV. This doping strategy allows us to develop an AlN PIN (p-type/intrinsic/n-type) homojunction LED with an emission wavelength of 210 nm, which is the shortest reported to date for any kind of LED. The emission is attributed to an exciton transition, and represents an important step towards achieving exciton-related light-emitting devices as well as replacing gas light sources with solid-state light sources.
引用
收藏
页码:325 / 328
页数:4
相关论文
共 24 条
[1]   250 nm AlGaN light-emitting diodes [J].
Adivarahan, V ;
Sun, WH ;
Chitnis, A ;
Shatalov, M ;
Wu, S ;
Maruska, HP ;
Khan, MA .
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, 2004, 85 (12) :2175-2177
[2]   Crystal growth and conductivity control of group III nitride semiconductors and their application to short wavelength light emitters [J].
Akasaki, I ;
Amano, H .
JAPANESE JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS PART 1-REGULAR PAPERS BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS & REVIEW PAPERS, 1997, 36 (9A) :5393-5408
[3]   Defect and stress control of AlGaN for fabrication of high performance UV light emitters [J].
Amano, H ;
Miyazaki, A ;
IIda, K ;
Kawashima, T ;
Iwaya, M ;
Kamiyama, S ;
Akasaki, I ;
Liu, R ;
Bell, A ;
Ponce, FA ;
Sahonta, S ;
Cherns, A .
PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI A-APPLIED RESEARCH, 2004, 201 (12) :2679-2685
[4]  
Edgar J.H., 1994, PROPERTIES GROUP 3 N
[5]   AlGaN/GaN quantum well ultraviolet light emitting diodes [J].
Han, J ;
Crawford, MH ;
Shul, RJ ;
Figiel, JJ ;
Banas, M ;
Zhang, L ;
Song, YK ;
Zhou, H ;
Nurmikko, AV .
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, 1998, 73 (12) :1688-1690
[6]   Quaternary InAlGaN-based high-efficiency ultraviolet light-emitting diodes [J].
Hirayama, H .
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS, 2005, 97 (09)
[7]   Ultraviolet emission from a diamond pn junction [J].
Koizumi, S ;
Watanabe, K ;
Hasegawa, M ;
Kanda, H .
SCIENCE, 2001, 292 (5523) :1899-1901
[8]   Near-band-edge photoluminescence of wurtzite-type AlN [J].
Kuokstis, E ;
Zhang, J ;
Fareed, Q ;
Yang, JW ;
Simin, G ;
Khan, MA ;
Gaska, R ;
Shur, M ;
Rojo, C ;
Schowalter, L .
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, 2002, 81 (15) :2755-2757
[9]   Band structure and fundamental optical transitions in wurtzite AlN [J].
Li, J ;
Nam, KB ;
Nakarmi, ML ;
Lin, JY ;
Jiang, HX ;
Carrier, P ;
Wei, SH .
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, 2003, 83 (25) :5163-5165
[10]   Acceptor binding energies in GaN and AlN [J].
Mireles, F ;
Ulloa, SE .
PHYSICAL REVIEW B, 1998, 58 (07) :3879-3887