Structural defects are detrimental to the efficiency and quality of optoelectronic semiconductor devices. In this work, we study InGaN platelets with a quantum well structure intended for nano-LEDs emitting red light and how their optical properties, measured with cathodoluminescence, relate to the corresponding atomic structure. Through a method of spectroscopy-thinning-imaging, we demonstrate in plan-view how stacking mismatch boundaries intersect the quantum well in a pattern correlated with the observed diminished cathodoluminescence intensity. The results highlight the importance of avoiding stacking mismatch in small LED structures due to the relatively large region of non-radiative recombination caused by the mismatch boundaries.
Funding Agencies|Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA): Competence Center Program [2016-05190]; Swedish Government Strategic Research Area in Materials Science on Functional Materials at Linkoeping University, Faculty [2009-00971]; Swedish Research Council [EM16-0024]; Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research; Swedish National Infrastructure in Advanced Electron Microscopy [2022-02832, 2021-00171]; Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research [RIF21-0026]; Crafoord Foundation; NanoLund