Using SiO₂-based distributed Bragg reflector to improve the performance of AlGaInP-based red micro-light emitting diode

We have investigated how different types of the reflectors affected the optical and electrical performance of AlGaInP-based micro-LEDs. Simulations showed that the AlGaAs-based epitaxial distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) had a stopband at the 610–624 nm region with reflectivity of 90%, the SiO₂/TiO₂ dielectric DBR gave a stopband at the 580–770 nm range with a maximum reflectivity of 99%, and the ITO/Ag metal reflector exhibited reflectivity of 90% across the 400–800 nm region. All micro-LEDs gave forward voltages of 1.895–1.960 V at 20 μA. The micro-LEDs with the dielectric DBR and metal reflector yielded 31% and 13% higher light output at 20 μA than that with the epitaxial DBR, respectively. All of the micro-LEDs contained a shoulder peak at approximately 615 nm in their electroluminescence spectra. Ray-tracing simulations exhibited that the micro-LEDs with the dielectric DBR and metal reflector produced 26% and 22% higher total light output power than the one with the epitaxial DBR, respectively. It was also shown that for the micro-LEDs with the metal reflector, some of the micro-LEDs were detached from the metal reflectors due to the interfacial voids induced as a result of agglomeration of Ag layer during fabrication process.