The hole injection efficiency is one of the bottlenecks that restricts the external quantum efficiency (EQE) and optical power of AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (DUV LEDs). The polarization-induced positive sheet charges at the last quantum barrier (LQB)/electron blocking layer (EBL) interface reflect the holes back to the p-type layer and weaken the hole injection capability into the active region. In this work, we designed and incorporated a polarization-engineered AlxGa1-xN/AlyGa1-yN superlattice layer at the LQB/EBL interface. The positive sheet charges at the LQB/EBL interface can be inverted into negative charges with optimal Al compositions in the AlxGa1-xN/AlyGa1-yN superlattice layer. The electron confinement and hole injection efficiency can also be improved through increasing the effective barrier height for electrons and decreasing the effective barrier height for holes, resulting in an enhanced optical power by 29.4% and alleviated efficiency droop by 78.4% for the proposed device with an Al0.67Ga0.33N/Al0.7Ga0.3N superlattice insertion layer. The sheet charge engineering method by polarization provides an alternative approach to boost the hole injection efficiency towards an enhanced device performance for DUV LEDs.
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The strong polarization-induced electric field in the multi-quantum well region reduces the radiative recombination rates by separating the electron and hole wave functions, which is one of the most detrimental factors that is to blame for the low luminous efficiency of AlGaN deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (DUV LEDs). In this work, we redesigned the active region by incorporating Si and Mg doping at the vicinity of the quantum wells, forming a series of embedded
p
−
i
−
n
junctions in the multi-quantum well region. The additional electric field induced by the fixed charges from the embedded doping-induced junctions can effectively compensate for the intrinsic polarization-induced electric fields in the quantum well region and give rise to the improved overlap of hole and electron wave function, hence enhancing the radiative recombination rates and the external quantum efficiency and optical power of DUV LEDs. The mechanism behind the alleviated polarization electric field is comprehensively discussed and analyzed. The embedded
p
−
i
−
n
junctions can also alter the band diagram structure of the active region, decrease the effective barrier heights for holes, and diminish the electron leakage into the
p
-type region. In addition, different thicknesses and doping concentrations of the embedded
p
- and
n
- layers were designed, and their influence on the performance of DUV LEDs was numerically analyzed. The proposed structure with embedded
p
−
i
−
n
junctions provides an alternative way to achieve efficient DUV LEDs.
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