Thermography of semiconductor lasers

Halbleiterlaser stellen mit über 70% Wirkungsgrad einzigartig effiziente Lichtquellen dar. Dennoch ist ihre zuverlässige Nutzung, insbesondere im Bereich hoher Leistungsdichten, von thermischen Limitierungen geprägt. Einen grundlegenden Beitrag zu deren physikalischen Verständnis leistet die Analyse der thermischen Eigenschaften und Degradationsprozesse solcher Bauelemente. In dieser Arbeit wird hierzu die Thermographie als innovative Analysemethode untersucht. Das Plancksche Strahlungsgesetz erlaubt die radiometrische Ermittlung der Temperatur. Die wichtige physikalische Kenngröße Emissivität wird in dieser Arbeit für Halbleiter und Halbleiterlaserstrukturen spektral gemessen und auf fundamentale physikalische Eigenschaften zurückgeführt. Auf dieser Grundlage werden methodische Aspekte der Thermographie diskutiert, welche durch den thermischen Hintergrund und die teilweise Transparenz der Halbleitermaterialien geprägt sind. Die daraus folgenden analytischen Fähigkeiten erlauben unter anderem die orts- und zeitaufgelöste Bestimmung der thermischen Eigenschaften von komplexen Hochleistungslasern unterschiedlichster Bauart. Darüber hinaus ermöglicht die Kenntnis der beteiligten thermischen Zeitkonstanten die Extraktion von lokalen Überhöhungen in der Infrarotemission, deren Zusammenhang zur Degradation der Bauelemente untersucht wird. Eine grundsätzliche Begrenzung der Ausgangsleistung ist durch einen abrupten Degradationsprozess gegeben, welcher maßgeblich durch eine Reabsorption der Laserstrahlung an der Frontfacette verursacht wird. Mithilfe einer kombinierten Thermographie-Nahfeld-Messung wird dieser Prozess orts- und zeitaufgelöst analysiert. Die Erweiterung des Messfensters zu kürzeren Wellenlängen hin erlaubt die Detektion strahlender Übergänge unter Einbeziehung von Defektzentren welche als strahlende Signaturen von graduellen Degradationsprozessen aufzufassen sind.Semiconductor lasers are unequaled efficient light sources, reaching efficiencies of more than 70%. Nevertheless, thermal limits govern their reliable application, in particular in the field of high power densities. The analysis of thermal properties and degradation processes in such devices contributes essentially to the understanding of these limits. This work exploits thermography as an innovative analytical technique for such purpose. Planck''s law allows for a radiometric detection of temperatures. In this work, the important physical parameter emissivity is measured spectrally resolved for both semiconductors and semiconductor laser structures and is related to fundamental physical properties. Based on that, methodological aspects are discussed, which are affected on the one hand by the omnipresent thermal radiation and on the other hand by the partial transparency of the semiconductor materials. The resulting analytical capacities allow, for instance, for the determination of the thermal properties of complex high-power lasers of a wide range of different designs in a spatio-temporally resolved fashion. Furthermore, does the knowledge of the involved thermal time constants allow for an extraction of localized peaks of the infrared emission that is analyzed for its relationship with device degradation. The output power of high-power devices is fundamentally limited by the catastrophic optical damage, an abrupt degradation process that is induced significantly by reabsorption of laser radiation at the front facet. This process is analyzed spatio-temporally resolved with help of a combined thermography and optical near-field technique. Extending the detection range down to shorter wavelengths allows for imaging of radiative transitions that are related to defect centers, which are interpreted as radiative signatures of gradual device degradation processes

RELIABILITY TESTING & BAYESIAN MODELING OF HIGH POWER LEDS FOR USE IN A MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC APPLICATION

While use of LEDs in fiber optics and lighting applications is common, their use in medical diagnostic applications is rare. Since the precise value of light intensity is used to interpret patient results, understanding failure modes is very important. The contributions of this thesis is that it represents the first measurements of reliability of AlGaInP LEDs for the medical environment of short pulse bursts and hence the uncovering of unique failure mechanisms. Through accelerated life tests (ALT), the reliability degradation model has been developed and other LED failure modes have been compared through a failure modes and effects criticality analysis (FMECA). Appropriate ALTs and accelerated degradation tests (ADT) were designed and carried out for commercially available AlGaInP LEDs. The bias conditions were current pulse magnitude and duration, current density and temperature. The data was fitted to both an Inverse Power Law model with current density J as the accelerating agent and also to an Arrhenius model with T as the accelerating agent. The optical degradation during ALT/ADT was found to be logarithmic with time at each test temperature. Further, the LED bandgap temporarily shifts towards the longer wavelength at high current and high junction temperature. Empirical coefficients for Varshini's equation were determined, and are now available for future reliability tests of LEDs for medical applications. In order to incorporate prior knowledge, the Bayesian analysis was carried out for LEDs. This consisted of identifying pertinent prior data and combining the experimental ALT results into a Weibull probability model for time to failure determination. The Weibull based Bayesian likelihood function was derived. For the 1st Bayesian updating, a uniform distribution function was used as the Prior for Weibull á-â parameters. Prior published data was used as evidence to get the 1st posterior joint á-â distribution. For the 2nd Bayesian updating, ALT data was used as evidence to obtain the 2nd posterior joint á-â distribution. The predictive posterior failure distribution was estimated by averaging over the range of á-â values. This research provides a unique contribution in reliability degradation model development based on physics of failure by modeling the LED output characterization (logarithmic degradation, TTF â<1), temperature dependence and a degree of Relevance parameter `R' in the Bayesian analysis

Design, fabrication, and performance of infrared and visible vertical cavity surface emitting lasers”,

Abstract-This paper discusses the issues involving the design and fabrication of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL&apos;s). A review of the basic experimental structures is given, with emphasis on recent developments in distributed Bragg reflectors, gain media, as well as current and optical confinement techniques. The paper describes present VCSEL performance, in particular, those involving selective oxidation and visible wavelength operation

The micro-LED roadmap: status quo and prospects

Micro light-emitting diode (micro-LED) will play an important role in the future generation of smart displays. They are found very attractive in many applications, such as maskless lithography, biosensor, augmented reality (AR)/mixed reality etc, at the same time. A monitor that can fulfill saturated color rendering, high display resolution, and fast response time is highly desirable, and the micro-LED-based technology could be our best chance to meet these requirements. At present, semiconductor-based red, green and blue micro-LED chips and color-conversion enhanced micro-LEDs are the major contenders for full-color high-resolution displays. Both technologies need revolutionary ways to perfect the material qualities, fabricate the device, and assemble the individual parts into a system. In this roadmap, we will highlight the current status and challenges of micro-LED-related issues and discuss the possible advances in science and technology that can stand up to the challenges. The innovation in epitaxy, such as the tunnel junction, the direct epitaxy and nitride-based quantum wells for red and ultraviolet, can provide critical solutions to the micro-LED performance in various aspects. The quantum scale structure, like nanowires or nanorods, can be crucial for the scaling of the devices. Meanwhile, the color conversion method, which uses colloidal quantum dot as the active material, can provide a hassle-free way to assemble a large micro-LED array and emphasis the full-color demonstration via colloidal quantum dot. These quantum dots can be patterned by porous structure, inkjet, or photo-sensitive resin. In addition to the micro-LED devices, the peripheral components or technologies are equally important. Microchip transfer and repair, heterogeneous integration with the electronics, and the novel 2D material cannot be ignored, or the overall display module will be very power-consuming. The AR is one of the potential customers for micro-LED displays, and the user experience so far is limited due to the lack of a truly qualified display. Our analysis showed the micro-LED is on the way to addressing and solving the current problems, such as high loss optical coupling and narrow field of view. All these efforts are channeled to achieve an efficient display with all ideal qualities that meet our most stringent viewing requirements, and we expect it to become an indispensable part of our daily life

Catastrophic Optical Damage in High-Power AlGaInP Diode Lasers

High-power red-emitting lasers with high reliability are strongly desired by applications like photodynamic therapy. Semiconductor lasers based on AlGaInP have emerged as the best candidates in this spectral range. However, compared to infrared emitters, high-power performance is still limited by major degradation effects, especially by catastrophic optical damage (COD). An innovative combination of concepts, namely microphotoluminescence (µPL) mapping, focused ion beam (FIB) microscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and high-speed thermal imaging has been employed to reveal the physics behind COD, its related temperature dynamics, as well as associated defect and near-field patterns. µPL showed that COD-related defects are composed of highly nonradiative complex dislocations, which start from the output facet and propagate deep inside the cavity. Moreover, FIB analysis confirmed that those dark line defects are confined to the active region, including the quantum wells and partially the waveguide. In addition, the COD dependence on temperature and power was analyzed in detail by micro-Raman spectroscopy and thermal imaging. For AlGaInP lasers in the whole spectral range of 635 to 650 nm, it was revealed that absorption of stimulated photons at the laser output facet is the major source of facet heating, and that a critical facet temperature must be reached in order for COD to occur. A linear relationship between facet temperature and near-field intensity has also been established. This understanding of the semiconductor physics behind COD is a key element for further improvement in output power of AlGaInP diode lasers

Three-dimensional self-assembled columnar arrays of AlInP quantum wires for polarized micron-sized amber light emitting diodes

A three-dimensional ordered and self-organized semiconductor system emitting highly-polarized light in the yellow-orange visible range (580-650 nm) is presented, comprising self-assembled in-plane AlInP wires vertically stacked in regularly-spaced columns. More than 200 wires per column without detectable defect formation could be stacked. Theoretical simulations and temperature-dependent photoluminescence provided a benchmark to engineer multilayered structures showing internal quantum efficiency at room temperature larger than comparable quantum wells emitting at similar wavelengths. Finally, proof-of-concept light emitting diodes (LED) showed a high degree of light polarization and lower surface parasitic currents than comparable quantum well LEDs, providing an interesting perspective for high-efficiency polarized yellow-orange light emitting devices

High Performance Micro-scale Light Emitting Diode Display

Micro-scale light emitting diode (micro-LED) is a potentially disruptive display technology because of its outstanding features such as high dynamic range, good sunlight readability, long lifetime, low power consumption, and wide color gamut. To achieve full-color displays, three approaches are commonly used: 1) to assemble individual RGB micro-LED pixels from semiconductor wafers to the same driving backplane through pick-and-place approach, which is referred to as mass transfer process; 2) to utilize monochromatic blue micro-LED with a color conversion film to obtain a white source first, and then employ color filters to form RGB pixels, and 3) to use blue or ultraviolet (UV) micro-LEDs to pump pixelated quantum dots (QDs). This dissertation is devoted to investigating and improving optical performance of these three types of micro-LED displays from device design viewpoints. For RGB micro-LED display, angular color shift may become visually noticeable due to mismatched angular distributions between AlGaInP-based red micro-LED and InGaN-based blue/green counterparts. Based on our simulations and experiments, we find that the mismatched angular distributions are caused by sidewall emission from RGB micro-LEDs. To address this issue, we propose a device structure with top black matrix and taper angle in micro-LEDs, which greatly suppresses the color shift while keeping a reasonably high light extraction efficiency. These findings will shed new light to guide future micro-LED display designs. For white micro-LEDs, the color filters would absorb 2/3 of the outgoing light, which increases power consumption. In addition, color crosstalk would occur due to scattering of the color conversion layer. With funnel-tube array and reflective coating on its inner surface, the crosstalk is eliminated and the optical efficiency is enhanced by ~3X. For quantum dot-converted micro-LED display, its ambient contrast ratio degrades because the top QD converter can be excited by the ambient light. To solve this issue, we build a verified simulation model to quantitatively analyze the ambient reflection of quantum dot-converted micro-LED system and improve its ambient contrast ratio with a top color filter layer

Thermomechanical issues of high power laser diode catastrophic optical damage

Catastrophic optical damage (COD) of high power laser diodes is a crucial factor limiting ultra high power lasers. The understanding of the COD process is essential to improve the endurance of the high power laser diodes. COD is observed as a process in which the active part of the laser diode is destroyed, forming characteristic defects, the so called dark line defects (DLDs). The DLDs are formed by arrays of dislocations generated during the laser operation. Local heating associated with non-radiative recombination is assumed to be at the origin of the COD process. A summary of the methods used to assess the COD, both in real time and post-mortem is presented. The main approaches developed in recent years to model the heat transport in the laser structures under non homogeneous temperature distribution are overviewed. Special emphasis is paid to the impact of the low dimensionality of QWs in two physical properties playing a major role in the COD process, namely, thermal conductivity and mechanical strength. A discussion about the impact of the nanoscale in both physical properties is presented. Finally, we summarize the main issues of the thermomechanical modelling of COD. Within this model the COD is launched when the local thermal stresses generated around the heat source overcome the yield stress of the active zone of the laser. The thermal runaway is related to the sharp decrease of the thermal conductivity once the onset of plasticity has been reached in the active zone of the laser.Junta de Castilla y León (Projects VA081U16 and VA283P18)Spanish Government (ENE 2014-56069-C4-4-R, ENE 2017-89561-C4-3-R, FPU programme 14/00916)

Light Management in III-V Thin-Film Photovoltaics and Micro-LEDs

Light management is essential to improve the performance of optoelectronic devices as they depend on the interaction between photons and device design. This research demonstrates novel approaches to enhance the light absorption in thin-film III-V photovoltaics (PV) and light emission from micrometer-scale light-emitting diodes (μLED). The high power conversion efficiency (PCE) realized in III-V PV makes them attractive power generation sources, especially for off-the-grid space-related missions. Thin-film PV (\u3c 1 μm) offer great tolerance towards the inevitable radiation damage in the space environment as carrier collection is maintained compared to their optically thick counterparts (3-5 μm). To combat transmission loss of photons traveling through the thinned device, this work develops textured back surface reflectors (BSR) to increase the optical path length (OPL) of unabsorbed photons to generate electron-hole pairs. The textures are created via etching techniques and epitaxial regrowth and are characterized by surface imaging and reflectance (R) measurements. The textured BSR with high diffuse R increase the OPL, and the best-known design demonstrates over a four-fold increase in the OPL, which is two times greater than the planar BSR. This research delivers new analyses useful to the PV community, including the lifetime enhancement factor and free-carrier absorption modeling, which aim to improve the PCE in thin-film PV. Modern display technology is constantly integrated into daily use to convey information and connect people worldwide. The next generation of wearable devices requires small-featured displays to achieve high resolution. The μLED delivers value to near-eye displays through low power consumption, long lifetime, high contrast, and increased resolution. As these devices reduce in size, surface states limit the light output power (LOP) at the roughened sidewalls, and the perimeter-to-area ratio must be considered. This research focuses on developing a fabrication process that improves LOP through sidewall treatments. The dry etch process is optimized to reduce surface roughness, and sidewall treatments via wet-chemical etching, in situ etching, and regrowth aim to improve the sidewall quality. Scanning electron microscopy on the LED sidewalls supports the optimized fabrication process. Luminescence characterization reveals that combinations of etching and regrowth suppress non-radiative recombination events. These techniques render pathways to enhance LOP in LEDs smaller than 25 μm x 25 μm