Ultrahigh Degree of Optical Polarization above 80% in AlGaN-Based Deep-Ultraviolet LED with Moth-Eye Microstructure

Abstract

For the first time, an ultrahigh degree of optical polarization (DOP) of 81.8% in AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet LED (DUV-LED) operated at 286 nm has been experimentally demonstrated. The very high DOP was obtained by introducing the novel moth-eye microstructure fabricated on the backside of a sapphire substrate. Compared with conventional DUV-LED with a DOP of 64.7%, a significant 1.26-fold enhancement was obtained. It was worth mentioning that the DOP was accurately measured via self-built full spatial transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) mode light intensity test system, which was mainly composed of angle resolution bracket, Glan-Taylor prism, and spectrometer. For both TE and TM mode light, the extraction angle inside the semiconductor was extended from conventional (-26 degrees, 26 degrees), (-52 degrees, -41 degrees), (41 degrees, 52 degrees) to (-52 degrees, 52 degrees). Combined with finite difference time domain simulation, it was further confirmed that the novel moth-eye microstructure could notably weaken the total internal reflection at the sapphire/air interface and enlarge the light extraction angle. As a result, compared with the conventional one, DUV-LED with a moth-eye microstructure approximately doubled the light extraction efficiency.