Enabling high-injection current light-emitting diodes prepared on 10-μm-thick GaN films grown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy

In this paper, we successfully introduced the sputtered AlN/patterned sapphire substrate template into hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) using a two-step growth method. This method simplified the procedure, realized uninterrupted growth, and improved the crystal quality of GaN films. The effects of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) grown on a 10-μ -thick GaN film through HVPE were also compared with those of the LEDs grown on a 2.4-μm-thick GaN film through metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Compared with the LEDs grown on the 2.4-μm-thick GaN film through MOCVD, the LEDs grown on the 10-μm-thick GaN film through HVPE had significantly enhanced light output power (3.24-4.79 mW) and extended saturation current (300-355 mA). These improvements of the LEDs were attributed to the better thermal conductivities and better crystal quality of the 10-μm-thick GaN film through HVPE than those of the 2.4-μm-thick GaN film through MOCVD.