Light emitting diode based on n-Zn0.94M0.06O nanorods/p-GaN (M= Cd and Ni) heterojunction under forward and reverse bias

In this study, we report on the improvement in the optoelectronic properties of n-ZnO nanorods/p-GaN heterojunction. This was achieved by doping the ZnO with cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni). The ZnO and Zn0.94M0.06O nanorods grown hydrothermally on the p-GaN substrate were used to fabricate the light emitting diodes (LEDs). Structural measurement revealed that nanorods with wurtzite structure having a preferential orientation along the (002) c-axis. The UV-vis spectra show that the optical band gap of Zn0.94M0.06O nanorods is decreased in comparison to ZnO nanorods. Electrical measurements of the fabricated LEDs show an obvious rectifying behaviour with low threshold voltage. Electroluminescence (EL) characteristics of LEDs operated at forward and reverse bias were investigated. The EL spectra under forward bias show that doping ZnO nanorods with Cd and Ni led to an intensity enhancement of the broad peak in the visible region while the blue peak originating from the p-GaN substrate remains almost unaffected. The effect of doping was to reduce the valence band offsets and consequently more hole injection has occurred leading to the observed enhancement of the broad band in the visible region. Under reverse bias all heterojunction LEDs show the blue light emission peak originating from the p-GaN substrate.