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Efficient silicon light-emitting diodes

Nature volume 412, pages 805–808 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

Considerable effort is being expended on the development of efficient silicon light-emitting devices compatible with silicon-based integrated circuit technology1. Although several approaches are being explored1,2,3,4,5,6, all presently suffer from low emission efficiencies, with values in the 0.01–0.1% range regarded as high2. Here we report a large increase in silicon light-emitting diode power conversion efficiency to values above 1% near room temperature—close to the values of representative direct bandgap emitters of a little more than a decade ago7,8. Our devices are based on normally weak one- and two-phonon assisted sub-bandgap light-emission processes. Their design takes advantage of the reciprocity between light absorption and emission by maximizing absorption at relevant sub-bandgap wavelengths while reducing the scope for parasitic non-radiative recombination within the diode. Each feature individually is shown to improve the emission efficiency by a factor of ten, which accounts for the improvement by a factor of one hundred on the efficiency of baseline devices.

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Figure 1
Figure 2: Electroluminescence spectra for various silicon diodes and temperatures.
Figure 3: External quantum efficiency and power conversion efficiency.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Third Generation Photovoltaics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, New South Wales, Australia

    Martin A. Green

  2. Photovoltaics Special Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, New South Wales, Australia

    Jianhua Zhao & Aihua Wang

  3. School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, New South Wales, Australia

    Peter J. Reece & Michael Gal

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  1. Martin A. Green
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  2. Jianhua Zhao
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  3. Aihua Wang
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  5. Michael Gal
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Correspondence to Martin A. Green.

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Green, M., Zhao, J., Wang, A. et al. Efficient silicon light-emitting diodes. Nature 412, 805–808 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35090539

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