Improvement in output power of a 460 nm InGaN light-emitting diode using staggered quantum well

Staggered quantum well structures are studied to eliminate the influence of polarization-induced electrostatic field upon the optical performance of blue InGaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Blue InGaN LEDs with various staggered quantum wells which vary in their indium compositions and quantum well width are theoretically studied and compared by using the APSYS simulation program. According to the simulation results, the best optical characteristic is obtained when the staggered quantum well is designed as In(0.20)Ga(0.80)N (1.4 nm)-In(0.26)Ga(0.74)N (1.6 nm) for blue LEDs. Superiority of this novelty design is on the strength of its enhanced overlap of electron and hole wave functions, uniform distribution of holes, and suppressed electron leakage in the LED device. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3471804]