On the origin of the enhanced light extraction efficiency of DUV LED by using inclined sidewalls

It is known that light extraction efficiency (LEE) for AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet (DUV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can be enhanced by using an inclined sidewall of mesa. However, the reported optimal inclined angles are different. In this work, to explore the origin for enhancing the LEE of DUV LED by using inclined sidewalls, we investigate the effect of an inclined sidewall angle on the LEE for AlGaN-based DUV LEDs with different mesa diameters by using ray tracing. It is found that when compared to large-size DUV LEDs with inclined sidewall, the LEE of small-size DUV LEDs with inclined sidewall is enhanced from both the bottom and side surfaces due to the reduced scattering length and material absorption. Additionally, the optimal inclined sidewall angle is recommended within the range of 25°–65°, and the optimal angle for DUV LEDs decreases as the chip size increases. It can be attributed to the fact that there are two scattering mechanisms for the inclined sidewall. For smaller chip sizes, most of the light is directly scattered into escape cones by the inclined sidewall, resulting in a larger optimal angle. For larger chip sizes, the light firstly experiences total internal reflections by the out-light plane and then is scattered into escape cones by the inclined sidewalls, leading to a smaller optimal angle.