Improved near-UV electroluminescence of ZnO nanorod array LEDs by coupling with a graphene plasmon layer

Abstract

AbstractThe development of short-wavelength light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with high emission efficiency, a fascinating research area, is still necessary because of great scientific interest and practical significance. Here, a graphene plasmon layer treated by oxygen plasma was employed into ZnO nanorod/p-GaN LEDs for a surface plasmon effect. The graphene-decorated heterojunction exhibited an approximately 4-fold improvement of ZnO ultraviolet (UV) electroluminescence (EL) intensity relative to a primitive p-n junction device. Time-resolved spectroscopy and temperature-dependent luminescence measurement indicated that the EL enhancement resulted from the coupling of ZnO excitons with graphene surface plasmons. The current research not only provides an opportunity to construct three-dimensional architecture from a vertical array of one-dimensional nanorods and a two-dimensional graphene layer, but also proposes an effective strategy to improve near-UV emission efficiency in various devices.