Degradation in AlGaN-based UV-C LEDs under constant current stress: A study on defect behaviors

Defect behaviors in the degradation of AlGaN-based UV-C light emitting diodes (LEDs) under constant current stress have been intensively investigated in this work. It is found that both the reduction of the optical power and the increase in the leakage current are derived from the newly generated Ga vacancy (VGa) along dislocation, based on the evidence of a strong “yellow” emission peak at 515 nm in the photoluminescence spectra and an energy level of 0.25–0.38 eV. More importantly, the defect evolution behind it was determined through the deep level transient spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements, and density functional theory. VGa is found to be generated by the departure of the unintentionally doped Mg from MgGa along dislocation in the Si-doped region. The high activity of the unintentionally doped Mg under electrical stress can be an essential factor in the degradation of UV-C LEDs. This study not only provides an in-depth insight into the electrical stress-induced degradation in UV-C LEDs but also sheds light on the way for fabricating AlGaN-based devices with high reliability.