Embedded electrode micro-LEDs with high modulation bandwidth for visible light communication

GaN-based light emitting diodes (LEDs) are the ideal light sources for visible light communication (VLC). However, both the low modulation bandwidth (MB) and unstable lighting output power (LOP) of LEDs at high current density that restrict the further development of VLC. In this work, micro-LEDs (μLEDs) with embedded N electrodes have been proposed, possessing high MB and remarkable stability. The as-prepared μLEDs show a high MB of 240 MHz @ 8.5 kA/cm2 and a small LOP aging rate of 6% under high temperature and humidity conditions thanks to the embedded electrode structure, which can effectively improve the uniformity of current spreading and increase the injection saturation current density, thereby effectively broadening the -3 dB MB and improving the LOP stability of μLEDs in harsh environments with high temperature and high humidity. Such high MB and reliable μLEDs shed light on a promising solution for industrial fabrication and chip arrays in underwater VLC system.