Enhanced horizontal alignment of InGaN/GaN nanorod LEDs via insulator-based dielectrophoresis

Abstract

GaN-based nanorod light emitting diodes (LEDs) are key to the development of high brightness, small pixel size, and long lifetime for high-resolution display applications. To manufacture individual nanorod LEDs as compact light sources, it is necessary to separate the nanorod LEDs from the substrate and transfer them to the electrode. Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is a highly suitable technique for transferring the individual nanorod LEDs. However, there are still challenges in achieving a high alignment yield. In this work, nanorod LEDs are successfully fabricated and separated to enhance the horizontal alignment in interdigitated electrodes via insulator-based DEP (iDEP). In iDEP, a structure is formed by inserting an insulating layer between the electrodes. This structure manipulates the electric field generated around the electrodes due to polarization by the insulating layer. This results in a relatively uniform electric field distribution on the surface of the insulating layer, thereby enhancing the horizontal alignment of the nanorod LEDs. Herein, the iDEP structure achieves significant nanorod LED alignment yield of up to 91.9 %, compared to 45.5 % for the electrode-based DEP (eDEP) technique. Furthermore, the use of a patterned insulator makes it possible to restrict 1 or 2 aligned nanorod LEDs within a specific pixel region, which is suitable for high-resolution display technologies based on nanorod LEDs.