Besides existing UV lamps, UV LEDs emitting in the UV-C region (around 265 nm) are considered as the next solutions for cost efficient water sterilization systems. But existing UV-C LEDs based on AlGaN wide band gap materials and related quantum well heterostructures still have low efficiencies which precludes their widespread use in industrial systems.
Analysing the reasons of the low efficiencies of present UV-C LEDs led us to propose a solution based on the use of a Tunnel Junction (TJ) inserted within the AlGaN heterostructure diode. p+/ n+ tunnel junctions are smart solutions to cope with doping related problems in the wide band gap AlGaN materials but give rise to extra tunneling resistances that need to be coped with. The post-doctoral work is dedicated to understanding the physics of tunneling processes in the TJ itself for a better control of the tunneling current.
The post-doctoral work will be carried out at the “Plate-Forme de Nanocaractérization” in CEA/ Grenoble, using different optical, structural and electrical measurements on stand-alone TJs or on TJs inserted within LEDs. The candidate will have to interact strongly with the team in CNRS/CRHEA in Sophia Antipolis where epitaxial growth of the diodes will be undertaken. The work is part of a collaborative project named "DUVET" financed by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR).