Optimising LED technology

In partnership with Kubos Semiconductors, The University of Manchester has developed a characterisation toolkit for a new material used in LED and micro-LED devices.

The current generation of LED and micro-LED devices are known to have limitations, including reduced efficiency at longer wavelengths and at high drive currents (commonly referred to in the industry as droop). To aid the measurement of performance and enable optimisation of the devices, Dr Patrick Parkinson, Dr Stephen Church and their Manchester team worked with LED specialists Kubos Semiconductors to develop a toolkit capable of characterising large numbers of micro-LEDs. 

Enhancing performance of new LED device

This new toolkit can perform independent and correlative measurements of the electrical and optical performance of LEDs at both micron and full device scales. The Manchester team used Kubos’ emerging cubic-Gallium Nitride-based LEDs to demonstrate the toolkit’s capabilities. 

With access to the University’s world-leading facilities and expertise in opto-electronic characterisation, Kubos has been able to use the toolkit’s findings to implement improvements and to accelerate their route to market. This work has proved to be an important step towards Kubos’ ambition to replace traditional hexagonal-nitride LEDs with novel, cubic-nitride devices, which promise higher efficiencies and superior performance for applications in AR/VR Displays and optical communications. 

Creating impact across the industry

This project has made a significant impact across the semiconductor industry within the UK and across Europe. It has highlighted the potential for emergent materials and provided essential optimisation strategies to accelerate product development and shorten the route to market.

The success of this project showcases the opportunities that can be unlocked through partnering with university experts and underlines the value of such collaborations and their potential to deliver significant benefits to SMEs across the sector.