Transfer of GaN LEDs From Sapphire to Flexible Substrates by Laser Lift-Off and Contact Printing

We fabricate flexible GaN-based light-emitting diode (LED) systems by laser lift-off (LLO) and transfer printing methods. LLO enables transferring a whole GaN LED layer from sapphire onto a silicon handling wafer to provide a stable platform for any shape of LED. Polymer pedestal structures underneath the LEDs support efficient transfer printing of the patterned LED array from the silicon handling wafer to a flexible substrate. We demonstrate the efficacy of the technique by presenting 9 × 9 LED arrays on polyethylene terephthalate and heart-shaped LED pixels on a piece of paper with transfer yields of 92% and 79%, as well as their successful illumination.