Fluorescent SiC as a new material for white LEDs

• Current III–V-based white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are available. However, their yellow phosphor converter is not efficient at high currents and includes rare-earth metals, which are becoming scarce. In this paper, we present the growth of a fluorescent silicon carbide material that is obtained by nitrogen and boron doping and that acts as a converter using a semiconductor. The luminescence is obtained at room temperature, and shows a broad luminescence band characteristic of donor-to-acceptor pair recombination. Photoluminescence intensities and carrier lifetimes reflect a sensitivity to nitrogen and boron concentrations. For an LED device, the growth needs to apply low-off-axis substrates. We show by ultra-high-resolution analytical transmission electron microscopy using aberration-corrected electrons that the growth mechanism can be stable and that there is a perfect epitaxial relation from the low-off-axis substrate and the doped layer even when there is step-bunching.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)