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We report on fabrication and characterization of blue GaN–InGaN multi-quantum well (MQW) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) over (111) silicon substrates. Device epilayers were fabricated using unique combination of molecular beam epitaxy and low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition growth procedure in selective areas defined by openings in a SiO2 mask over the substrates. This selective area deposition procedure in principle can produce multicolor devices using a very simple fabrication procedure. The LEDs had a peak emission wavelength of 465 nm with a full width at half maximum of 40 nm. We also present the spectral emission data with the diodes operating up to 250 °C. The peak emission wavelengths are measured as a function of both dc and pulse bias current and plate temperature to estimate the thermal impedance.

We report on a transparent Schottky-barrier ultraviolet detector on GaN layers over sapphire substrates. Using SiO2 surface passivation, reverse leakage currents were reduced to a value as low as 1 pA at 5 V reverse bias for 200 μm diameter device. The device exhibits a high internal gain, about 50, at low forward biases. The response time (about 15 ns) is RC limited, even in the internal gain regime. A record low level of the noise spectral density, 5×10−23 A2/Hz, was measured at 10 Hz. We attribute this low noise level to the reduced reverse leakage current.

We report on Pd/Ag/Au/Ti/Au alloyed metallic contact to p GaN. An 800 °C anneal for 1 min in flowing nitrogen ambient produces an excellent ohmic contact with a specific contact resistivity close to 1×10−6 Ω cm2 and with good stability under high current operation conditions. This high-temperature anneal forms an alloy between Ag, Au, and p GaN resulting in a highly p-doped region at the interface. Using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction analysis, we confirm that the contact formation mechanism is the metal intermixing and alloying with the semiconductor.

We discuss physics, design, fabrication, performance, and selected applications of Deep Ultraviolet Light Emitting Diodes (DUV LEDs). Our analysis reveals the relative contributions of electrical injection, internal quantum efficiency, and light extraction efficiency to the overall DUV LED performance. Our calculations show that the reduction of the dislocation density at least below value of 2×10 8 1/cm 3 is necessary for reaching high DUV LED efficiency. Better light extraction has been achieved using an innovative p-type transparent sub-contact layer and reflecting ohmic p-type contact resulting in nearly tripling DUV LED power. At high power dissipation, temperature rise might be significant, and we present data showing the power degradation with temperature increase and the results of the detailed 1D and 3D analysis of thermal impedance of DUV LEDs. As an example of DUV LED application, we report on microbial disinfection using 19 watt 275 nanometer DUV LED.