US develops gallium nitride LED technology that doubles light output

　　According to a report by Phys.org on March 20, scientists at North Carolina State University in the United States have recently developed a new technology that can significantly increase the brightness of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) without increasing power consumption. At the same time, with the help of a special coating material, this new type of LED is more stable and adaptable than ordinary LED products. The related paper was published online in the internationally renowned chemistry journal "Langmuir."

　　Stuart Wilkins, the first author of the paper and a PhD student at North Carolina State University, said they achieved this by applying a self-assembled phosphate-based coating on polar gallium nitride semiconductors.

　　The researchers first produced gallium nitride using nitrogen and gallium through a multi-layer self-assembly technique. Then they added a phosphate group containing organic phosphorus molecules and applied it to the surface of the gallium nitride material. The use of gallium nitride semiconductors improved the luminous efficiency of LEDs, while the phosphate-based material ensured the stability of gallium nitride, preventing it from chemically reacting with substances in the environment and reducing the possibility of being dissolved in solution.

　　"Improving the stability of gallium nitride is very important," Wilkins said. "Because this can create conditions for new technologies in the biomedical field in the future. For example, implantable sensors."

　　It is understood that, compared with the common silicon semiconductor LEDs on the market, gallium nitride semiconductors can increase light output. If, with the same power consumption, a silicon semiconductor LED can achieve a luminous flux of 1,000 lumens, a gallium nitride semiconductor LED can achieve a luminous flux of more than 2,000 lumens. Therefore, LEDs based on gallium nitride semiconductors have higher luminous efficiency and are more energy-saving. In addition, compared with silicon semiconductor LEDs, gallium nitride semiconductor LEDs are smaller and lighter, making them easier to integrate.