Photonics design theory enhancing light extraction efficiency in quantum dot light emitting diodes

The external quantum efficiency (EQE) of quantum dot light emitting diodes (QLEDs) needs improvement for more power-efficient devices. One of the main limitations is the low light extraction efficiency (LEE). Generally, only 20% of the light that is generated inside the emissive layer makes its way out of the device into air, with the rest being lost to waveguide and substrate modes and surface plasmon polaritons. Different photonics structures have been previously tested to help extract the light that is trapped inside the device. Here we report a photonics design which is a combination of nanopillars and grating structures for improving the LEE of QLEDs. The effect of changing the nanopillar height, radius and material has been studied. It was found that ZnO nanopillars of 500 nm pitch, 200 nm height and 400 nm width alongside 150 nm width and pitch grating structure can increase the LEE at 460 nm by 50% and at 640 nm by 20%. It was also found that different materials can help extract light at different wavelengths. TiO2 nanopillars increased the extraction efficiency at ∼590 nm region which was not observed by the other materials. As around 19% of the world’s electricity consumption is due to lighting applications, increasing the LEE can significantly reduce the power consumption.