SBIR Phase II: High Power, Vertically Conducting UV LEDs

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目将实现高功率、大面积、深紫外led的商业化，该led基于一种新颖的垂直传导几何结构，可任意扩展。基于AlInGaN的深UV-B led （ë = 300 - 340 nm）最近已经开发和商业化，但尚未达到较短波长的UV-C led或较长波长的可见led的性能指标。这些设备已经能够渗透到一些利基市场，但由于输出功率远远低于渗透到最大的UV-B细分市场（例如生物医学仪器和工业固化）所需的功率，因此它们的覆盖范围受到限制。5-10年前，可见led面临着类似的挑战，人们认识到，为了与现有技术竞争，需要高功率大面积led。这种方法在深紫外led中受到限制，因为当几何尺寸放大时，绝缘紫外透明衬底与相对大的电阻AlGaN材料相结合会导致电流拥挤和不均匀的器件偏置。为了应对这一挑战，该公司正在开发垂直传导的大面积led，预计每1mm x 1mm器件的最小输出功率为10mw。深紫外发光二极管为元件和系统使用的半导体产品的商业化提供了新的机会。美国制造商在全球可见LED市场的竞争中取得了成功，五大LED制造商中有两家位于美国，两家位于日本，一家位于德国。这个光电领域每年都在持续增长，如果这项努力的结果是成功的，它的结果将有助于一种新型光源的进步。这家公司的成立将利用南卡罗来纳大学正在进行的高科技研究，提供一个环境，将这些知识转化为商业环境，作为将当地经济从传统行业（如纺织制造业）转型的努力的一部分。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will result in the commercialization of high power, large area, deep UV LEDs based on a novel vertically conducting geometry that is arbitrarily scalable. AlInGaN based deep UV-B LEDs (ë = 300 - 340 nm) have recently been developed and commercialized but have not reached the performance metrics of shorter wavelength UV-C LEDs, or longer wavelength visible LEDs. These devices have been able to penetrate some niche markets but because the output power is far below that which is required for penetration of the largest UV-B market segments (e.g. biomedical instrumentation and industrial curing) they have been limited in their reach. Visible LEDs faced a similar challenge 5-10 years ago and it was recognized that to compete with existing technology, high power large area LEDs were required. This approach has been limited for deep UV LEDs because the insulating UV transparent substrates combined with relatively large resistance AlGaN materials result in current crowding and non-uniform device bias when geometry is scaled up. To address this challenge, the company is developing vertically conducting large area LEDs with expected minimum output powers of 10 mW per 1 mm x 1 mm device. Deep UV light emitting diodes represent a new opportunity for commercialization of semiconductor products for component and systems use. U.S. based manufacturers have succeeded in competing globally in the visible LED market with two of the five largest LED manufacturers being based in the U.S. with two in Japan and one in Germany. This optoelectronic field continues to grow each year and if the outcome of this effort is successful its outcome will contribute to the advancement of a novel light source. The creation of this company will capitalize on the high-tech research that is being performed at the University Of South Carolina by providing an environment in which to transition this knowledge into a commercial setting as part of efforts to transition the local economy from traditional industries such as textile manufacturing.