Highly Efficient AlGaInP-Based Micro-LEDs Achieved by Plasma Sidewall Treatment

The advancement of high-performance AlGaInP-based red micro-light-emitting diodes (micro-LEDs) has been significantly impeded by nonradiative recombination occurring at the sidewall surface, attributed to their extended carrier diffusion length. To address this issue, argon plasma treatment has been employed after dry etching of mesa to suppress the nonradiative recombination at sidewall, demonstrating that the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of micro-LEDs has been improved. The effectiveness of the argon plasma sidewall treatment was assessed through spatially resolved temperature-dependent carrier recombination dynamics.