Observation of enhanced visible and infrared emissions in photonic crystal thin-film light-emitting diodes

Photonic crystals, in the form of closed-packed nano-pillar arrays patterned by nanosphere lithography, have been formed on the n-faces of InGaN thin-film vertical light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Through laser lift-off of the sapphire substrate, the thin-film LEDs conduct vertically with reduced dynamic resistances, as well as reduced thermal resistances. The photonic crystal plays a role in enhancing light extraction, not only at visible wavelengths but also at infrared wavelengths boosting heat radiation at high currents, so that heat-induced effects on internal quantum efficiencies are minimized. The observations are consistent with predictions from finite-difference time-domain simulations.