Performance of GaN-on-Si-based vertical light-emitting diodes using silicon nitride electrodes with conducting filaments: correlation between filament density and device reliability.

Transparent conductive electrodes with good conductivity and optical transmittance are an essential element for highly efficient light-emitting diodes. However, conventional indium tin oxide and its alternative transparent conductive electrodes have some trouble with a trade-off between electrical conductivity and optical transmittance, thus limiting their practical applications. Here, we present silicon nitride transparent conductive electrodes with conducting filaments embedded using the electrical breakdown process and investigate the dependence of the conducting filament density formed in the transparent conductive electrode on the device performance of gallium nitride-based vertical light-emitting diodes. Three gallium nitride-on-silicon-based vertical light-emitting diodes using silicon nitride transparent conductive electrodes with high, medium, and low conducting filament densities were prepared with a reference vertical light-emitting diode using metal electrodes. This was carried to determine the optimal density of the conducting filaments in the proposed silicon nitride transparent conductive electrodes. In comparison, the vertical light-emitting diodes with a medium conducting filament density exhibited the lowest optical loss, direct ohmic behavior, and the best current injection and distribution over the entire n-type gallium nitride surface, leading to highly reliable light-emitting diode performance.