The rapid development of display technologies has raised interest in arrays of self-emitting, individually controlled light sources atthe microscale. Gallium nitride (GaN) micro-light-emitting diode (LED) technology meets this demand. However, the current technology is not suitable for the fabrication of arrays of submicron light sources that can be controlled individually. Our approach is based on nanoLED arrays that can directly address each array element and a self-pitch with dimensions below the wavelength of light. The design and fabrication processes are explained in detail and possess two geometries: a 6 × 6 array with 400 nm LEDs and a 2 × 32 line array with 200 nm LEDs. These nanoLEDs are developed as core elements of a novel on-chip super-resolution microscope. GaN technology, based on its physical properties, is an ideal platform for such nanoLEDs.

For various lighting and monolithic sensor systems application, vertically aligned three-dimensional (3D) gallium nitride (GaN)-and indium gallium nitride (InGaN)/ GaN-based LED nanowire arrays with sub-200 nm feature sizes (down to 35 nm) were fabricated using a nanosphere liftoff lithography (NSLL) technique combined with hybrid topdown etching (i.e., inductively coupled plasma dry reactive ion etching (ICP-DRIE) and wet chemical etching). Owing to the lithographic opening and well-controlled surface functionalization prior to the polystyrene nanosphere (PN) deposition, vertical GaN nanowire arrays with an area density of 9.74 × 10 8 cm −2 and an aspect ratio of >10 could be realized in a specified large area of 1.5 × 1.5 mm 2 . Optoelectrical characteristics of the nanoLEDs were further investigated in cathodoluminescence (CL) measurements, in which multiquantum well (MQW) shows a clear CL-emission at a wavelength of 465 nm. Thus, using NSLL to manufacture low-cost but highly ordered 3D GaN-based nanowires and nanoLEDs is a feasible alternative to other sophisticated but more expensive nanolithography methods.

Laser lift‐off (LLO) is commonly applied to separate functional thin films from the underlying substrate, in particular light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) on a gallium nitride (GaN) basis from sapphire. By transferring the LED layer stack to foreign carriers with tailored characteristics, for example, highly reflective surfaces, the performance of optoelectronic devices can be drastically improved. Conventionally, LLO is conducted with UV laser pulses in the nanosecond regime. When directed to the sapphire side of the wafer, absorption of the pulses in the first GaN layers at the sapphire/GaN interface leads to detachment. In this work, a novel approach towards LLO based on femtosecond pulses at 520 nm wavelength is demonstrated for the first time. Despite relying on two‐photon absorption with sub‐bandgap excitation, the ultrashort pulse widths may reduce structural damage in comparison to conventional LLO. Based on a detailed study of the laser impact as a function of process parameters, a two‐step process scheme is developed to create freestanding InGaN/GaN LED chips with up to 1.2 mm edge length and ≈5 μm thickness. The detached chips are assessed by scanning electron microscopy and cathodoluminescence, revealing similar emission properties before and after LLO.

The combination of inorganic semiconductors with organic thin films promises new strategies for the realization of complex hybrid optoelectronic devices. Oxidative chemical vapor deposition (oCVD) of conductive polymers offers a flexible and scalable path towards high-quality three-dimensional inorganic/organic optoelectronic structures. Here, hole-conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) grown by oxidative chemical vapor deposition is used to fabricate transparent and conformal wrap-around p-type contacts on three-dimensional microLEDs with large aspect ratios, a yet unsolved challenge in three-dimensional gallium nitride technology. The electrical characteristics of two-dimensional reference structures confirm the quasi-metallic state of the polymer, show high rectification ratios, and exhibit excellent thermal and temporal stability. We analyze the electroluminescence from a three-dimensional hybrid microrod/polymer LED array and demonstrate its improved optical properties compared with a purely inorganic microrod LED. The findings highlight a way towards the fabrication of hybrid three-dimensional optoelectronics on the sub-micron scale.

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