Based on time-resolved electroluminescence (TREL) measurement, more efficient carrier injection, transport, relaxation, and recombination associated with a stronger carrier localization and a low polarization effect in a nonpolar m-plane InGaN/GaN light emitting diode (m-LED), compared with those in a polar c-LED, are reported. With a higher applied voltage in the c-LED, decreasing response time and rising time improve device performance, but a longer recombination time degrades luminescence efficiency. By using an m-LED with a stronger carrier localization and a low polarization effect, shorter response, rising, and recombination times provide more efficient carrier injection, transport, relaxation, and recombination. These advantages can be realized for high-power and high-speed flash LEDs. In addition, with a weaker carrier localization and a polarization effect in the c-LED, the slower radiative and faster nonradiative decay rates at a larger applied voltage result in the slower total decay rate and the lower luminescence efficiency. For the m-LED at a higher applied voltage, a slow decreasing nonradiative decay rate is beneficial to device performance, while the more slowly decreasing and overall faster radiative decay rate of the m-LED than that of the c-LED demonstrates that a stronger carrier localization and a reduced polarization effect are efficient for carrier recombination. The resulting recombination dynamics are correlated with the device characteristics and performance of the c- and m-LEDs.
Keywords: Carrier transport; Nonpolar m-plane InGaN/GaN LED; Polarization effect; Time-resolved electroluminescence (TREL).