SMALL-AREA HIGH-CURRENT-DENSITY GaAs ELECTROLUMINESCENT DIODES AND A METHOD OF OPERATION FOR IMPROVED DEGRADATION CHARACTERISTICS

Diffused-junction GaAs electroluminescent diodes of small area and high radiance have been fabricated. It has been observed (1) that the degradation of these high-current-density cw diodes can be reduced greatly by superimposing a periodic reverse-bias pulse on the normal dc forward bias, and (2) that a previously degraded diode is restored to its initial light output by the influence of the built-in junction fields, or an applied dc reverse bias, at an elevated temperature.