A. L. Zakhgeim, G. L. Kuryshev, M. N. Mizerov, V. G. Polovinkin, I. V. Rozhansky, A. E. Chernyakov, “A study of thermal processes in high-power InGaN/GaN flip-chip LEDs by IR thermal imaging microscopy”, Fizika i Tekhnika Poluprovodnikov, 2010, Volume 44, Issue 3,Pages <nobr>390

This article is cited in 21 papers

Semiconductor physics

A study of thermal processes in high-power InGaN/GaN flip-chip LEDs by IR thermal imaging microscopy

A. L. Zakhgeim^a, G. L. Kuryshev^b, M. N. Mizerov^a, V. G. Polovinkin^b, I. V. Rozhansky^c, A. E. Chernyakov^a

^a Submicron Heterostructures for Microelectronics Research and Engineering Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg
^b Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk
^c Ioffe Institute, St. Petersburg

Abstract: Results of an experimental study of temperature fields generated in high-power AlGaInN heterostructure flip-chip light-emitting diodes (LEDs) via their self-heating at high working currents are presented. The method of IR thermal imaging microscopy employed in the study enables a direct measurement of the temperature distribution over the $p$–$n$ junction area with a high resolution of $\sim$3 $\mu$m at an absolute measurement error of $\sim$2 K. It is shown that large temperature gradients may arise in high-power LEDs at high excitation levels as a result of current crowding. This effect should be taken into account when designing lightemitting chips and estimating the admissible operation modes. The method of IR thermal imaging microscopy can also reveal microscopic defects giving rise to current leakage channels and impairing device reliability.

Received: 30.07.2009
Accepted: 20.08.2009