Indium gallium nitride (InGaN)-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are considered a promising candidate for red-green-blue (RGB) micro displays. Currently, the blue and green LEDs are efficient, while the red ones are inefficient for such applications. This paper reports our work of creating efficient InGaN-based orange and red LEDs on silicon(111) substrates at low current density. Based on the structure of InGaN yellow LEDs, by simply reducing the growth temperature of all the yellow quantum wells (QWs), we obtained 599 nm orange LEDs with peak wall-plug efficiency (WPE) of 18.1% at 2A/cm2. An optimized QW structure was proposed that changed two of the nine yellow QWs to orange ones. Compared with the sample containing nine orange QWs, the sample with two orange QWs and seven yellow QWs showed similar emission spectra but a much higher peak WPE up to 24.0% at 0.8A/cm2 with a wavelength of 608 nm. The improvement of peak WPE can be attributed to the improved QW quality and the reduced active recombination volume. Subsequently, a series of efficient InGaN-based orange and red LEDs was demonstrated. With further development, the InGaN-based red LEDs are believed to be attainable and can be used in micro LED displays.

The impact of the V-pits covering layer (VCL) position on the optoelectronic performance of InGaN-based green light-emitting diodes (LEDs) was investigated. It is found that earlier covering of V-pits will hinder the hole injection via the sidewall of V-pits, and then result in less quantum wells (QWs) participating in radioluminescence. The current-voltage characteristics show that the LEDs with earlier covering of V-pits have higher operating voltage at room temperature, and a more dramatic voltage rise with the reduction of temperature. Meanwhile, more manifested emission peaks for sidewall QWs and deeper QWs near to n-type layer was observed in the sample with earlier coveing of V-pits at cryogenic temperatures, for the reason that the holes being injected via V-pits sidewall have higher kinetic energy and could transport to deeper QWs.

Realization of efficient yellow-light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has always been a challenge in solid-state lighting. Great effort has been made, but only slight advancements have occurred in the past few decades. After comprehensive work on InGaN-based yellow LEDs on Si substrate, we successfully made a breakthrough and pushed the wall-plug efficiency of 565-nm-yellow LEDs to 24.3% at 20 A/cm2 and 33.7% at 3 A/cm2. The success of yellow LEDs can be credited to the improved material quality and reduced compressive strain of InGaN quantum wells by a prestrained layer and substrate, as well as enhanced hole injection by a 3D pn junction with V-pits.