Delayed <1 1 1> texture for improving the thermal stability of Ag reflectors for high-performance GaN-based light-emitting diodes

The thermal stability of Ag-based reflectors for GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) was significantly improved by inserting an Mg layer. LEDs fabricated with the Mg-inserted reflector exhibited 22% higher output power (at 20 mA) than LEDs with the Ag-only reflector. The Mg-inserted Ag sample was less <1 1 1> textured than the Ag-only sample. Based on scanning electron microscopy and X-ray results, the improved stability is attributed to the delay in the <1 1 1> texturing and the modification of the surface energy of Ag films.