Measurement and analysis of thermal parameters and efficiency of laser heterostructures and light-emitting diodes

Abstract

A thermal resistance characterization of semiconductor quantum-well heterolasers in the AlGaInAs–AlGaAs system (λst ≈ 0.8 µm), GaSb-based laser diodes (λst≈2µm), and power GaN light-emitting diodes (visible spectral region) was performed. The characterization consists in investigations of transient electrical processes in the diode sources under heating by direct current. The time dependence of the heating temperature of the active region of a source ∆T(t), calculated from direct bias change, is analyzed using a thermal RTCT equivalent circuit (the Foster and Cauer models), where RT is the thermal resistance and CT is the heat capacity of the source elements and external heat sink. By the developed method, thermal resistances of internal elements of the heterolasers and light-emitting diodes are determined. The dominant contribution of a die attach layer to the internal thermal resistance of both heterolaser sources and light-emitting diodes is observed. Based on the performed thermal characterization, the dependence of the optical power efficiency on current for the laser diodes is determined. Keywords: heterostructure, light-emitting diode, thermal resistance, efficiency.