New research: Semiconductor isomorphism could improve LED design

Introduction: According to foreign media reports, researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) have discovered that super injection (an effect previously thought to be possible only in semiconductor heterostructures) can also occur in homogeneous structures (structures composed of a single semiconductor material).

According to foreign media reports, researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) have discovered that super injection (an effect previously thought to be possible only in semiconductor heterostructures) can also occur in homogeneous structures (structures composed of a single semiconductor material). They point out that most known semiconductors can be used to build homogeneous structures capable of superinjection, a finding that could provide new methods for light source development and production.

Diamond and many emerging wide-bandgap semiconductor materials have excellent optical and magnetic properties, researchers say. However, these materials cannot be doped as efficiently as silicon or gallium arsenide, limiting their practical applications.

The MIPT team predicted the super-injection effect in diamond p-i-n diodes. Their finding that this method allows orders of magnitude more electrons to be injected into the i-region of the diode compared to doping of the n-type injection layer. The team believes that superinjection produces electron concentrations in diamond diodes that may be 10,000 times higher than previously thought. As a result, the researchers say, diamond could serve as the basis for UV LEDs that are thousands of times brighter than current theoretical calculations predict. "Surprisingly, the superinjection effect in diamond is 50 to 100 times stronger than in most mass-market semiconductor LEDs and heterostructure-based lasers," said researcher Igor Khramtsov.

Researcher Dmitry Fedyanin pointed out: "Super-injection for silicon and germanium requires low temperature, which may have an impact on its effectiveness. But in diamond or gallium nitride, strong super-injection can be performed even at room temperature." They pointed out that super-injection can be performed in various semiconductor materials, including traditional wide-bandgap semiconductors and new 2D materials. This could open up new avenues for the design of high-efficiency blue, violet, ultraviolet and white LEDs, as well as light sources for optical wireless communications (Li-Fi), new lasers, quantum internet transmitters and optical devices for early disease diagnosis.

Their research results were published in the semiconductor science journal "Semiconductor Science and Technology".