Highly efficient blue InGaN nanoscale light-emitting diodes

Indium gallium nitride (InGaN)-based micro-LEDs (μLEDs) are suitable for meeting ever-increasing demands for high-performance displays owing to their high efficiency, brightness and stability1–5. However, μLEDs have a large problem in that the external quantum efficiency (EQE) decreases with the size reduction6–9. Here we demonstrate a blue InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well (MQW) nanorod-LED (nLED) with high EQE. To overcome the size-dependent EQE reduction problem8,9, we studied the interaction between the GaN surface and the sidewall passivation layer through various analyses. Minimizing the point defects created during the passivation process is crucial to manufacturing high-performance nLEDs. Notably, the sol–gel method is advantageous for the passivation because SiO2 nanoparticles are adsorbed on the GaN surface, thereby minimizing its atomic interactions. The fabricated nLEDs showed an EQE of 20.2 ± 0.6%, the highest EQE value ever reported for the LED in the nanoscale. This work opens the way for manufacturing self-emissive nLED displays that can become an enabling technology for next-generation displays.