Blue and Green 10-µm pixel pitch GaN LED Arrays

with very high brightness

François Templier, Jean-Marc Bethoux, Bernard Aventurier, François Marion,
Sauveur Tirano, Marion Lacroix, Marjorie Marra, Valentin Verney, Ludovic Dupré,
François Olivier, Frédéric Berger, Walim Ben Naceur, Audrey Sanchot, Ivan-
Christophe Robin, Marie-Antoinette di Forte-Poisson*, Piero Gamarra*, Cédric
Lacam*, Maurice Tordjman*

Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA-LETI, Minatec Campus, Grenoble, France and III-V Lab, Grenoble, France
*III-V Lab, Palaiseau, France
Keywords: Microdisplay, LED, GaN, high-brightness, hybridization

ABSTRACT reduced down to 10 µm or less.

High-brightness GaN arrays hybridized on silicon circuit
with a 10-µm pixel pitch were developed and exhibit more
than 4 x 106 and 2.2 x 107 cd/m² for the blue and green
arrays, respectively. This technology is very promising for
fabricating very high brightness microdisplays, which are
necessary for many new applications.
Last year, our team showed first results of GaN-
arrays hybridized on a silicon circuit at a pixel pitch
as small as 10 µm, with very high-brightness in the
blue [4]. In this paper, we present new results such
as improved 10-µm pitch blue emitting arrays, and
also high brightness green-emitting arrays.

1. INTRODUCTION 2. EXPERIMENTAL AND PROCESS

The growing interest for wearable devices has
highlighted the need for high performance
microdisplays. Such displays are currently based on
technologies such as liquid-crystal displays
(reflective or transmissive), organic LEDs (OLEDs),
or MEMS-based devices like micro-mirror arrays
(digital light processing) and laser-beam steering
(LBS). Emissive microdisplays such as OLEDs are
particularly attractive for these applications: the fact
that each pixel is self-emitting provides low
consumption and high compactness, together with
excellent image quality [1]. However, for some
applications such as see-through glasses, a
brightness of 5000 cd/m² or more is needed, which
exceeds the possibilities of current OLED
microdisplays. In the mean-time, there is also a need
for high-brightness emissive microdisplays for
applications like compact hand-held projectors and
small-size head-up displays (HUD). Group-III
nitrides composed of GaN and its alloys with InN and
AlN have put a breakthrough in the lighting market
due to their outstanding performance and ability to
emit a wide range of wavelengths in the near UV and
visible spectrum. Later, it has been proposed to use
such materials for making high-brightness
microdisplays [2], and in 2011 a full-resolution
active-matrix III-N display could be demonstrated [3].
This display was fabricated by hybridizing an InGaN
array on CMOS driving circuit using the conventional
flip-chip technology with In bumps. The pixel pitch
was 15 µm. To be used in see-through systems or
other compact HMDs, the pixel pitch has to be
DEVELOPMENT
2.1 Approaches and challenges for fabricating LED
displays
Considering the high-temperature constraints of
GaN material deposition, it is not possible to
fabricate monolithic LED microdisplay by direct
GaN deposition on the CMOS active-matrix.
Therefore, to fabricate such displays, three
approaches can be considered (Figure 1): (i)
hybridization of GaN LED array and CMOS circuit,
(ii) direct deposition of Thin-film transistors on GaN
microled arrays, (iii) GaN-layer transfer on CMOS
circuit followed by diode post-processing.
The most straightforward approach is hybridization.
It consists of fabricating GaN array on sapphire,
fabricating silicon active-matrix, and hybridize them.
To achieve very small pixel pitch using this
approach, at least two conditions are required:
fabricate LED array on sapphire with the desired
small pitch, and develop hybridization technology
compatible with this pitch. Particular constraints of
such hybridization will be discussed further.
2.2 GaN LED array
GaN LED array are made on sapphire substrates.
Base wafers consist of 2-in. or 4-in. diameter
sapphire with 440 nm or 525 nm LED Multi
Quantum Well (MQW) InGaN/GaN epitaxial
structure grown by metal-organic chemical vapor
deposition (MOCVD) for blue or green emission,
respectively. GaN array process consists of (as
shown on Figure 2): (i) patterning the pixels by
etching GaN stack using plasma process, (ii)
depositing and patterning the P-contact metal pads

1
and (iii) depositing and patterning the N-type contact.
Also insulators are deposited to ensure electrical
isolation (not shown on figure).
Finished GaN wafers have a series of LED-arrays
having each 300 x 252 pixels at 10-µm pitch (Figure
3). Prior to hybridization, singulation of LED-arrays
is made by wafer dicing.
2.3 Hybridization
2.3.1 Microtube technology
A particular difficulty for hybridizing GaN LED
array and CMOS active-matrix is that it should be
performed at low temperature, due to the mismatch
of substrate coefficient of thermal expansion
(Sapphire vs. Silicon). In the meantime, a small
pixel-pitch is desired for microdisplay application,
namely 10 µm and less. Classical hybridization
technique such as bump flip-chip technology is not
compatible with pixel-pitch of 10 µm or less. In the
recent years, LETI has developed the so-called
microtube technology which combines low-
temperature operation ( compatible with
heterogeneous substrates) [5] and pixel-pitch of 10
µm and less. It has been already demonstrated that
it is possible to hybridize heterogeneous devices at
a pixel pitch of 10 µm using microtube technology [6].
Therefore this technique appears to be very suitable
for LED microdisplay application. The principle of
this technique (Figure 4) is to grow microtubes on
the pads of the silicon circuit, and align/couple the
circuit with the GaN array, the microtubes being then
inserted in the GaN arrays pads.
2.3.2 Hybridization of display device
GaN arrays are then hybridized onto the silicon
interconnect as shown on Figure 5 which shows
photograph of a series of 4 LED-arrays hybridized on
silicon circuit, having each 300 x 252 pixels at 10-µm
pitch. Blue and Green emitting GaN arrays have
been fabricated.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1 Array addressing
Blue and Green devices have been tested
electrically and optically. The pixels share a common
anode (n-type contact) with independently
addressed cathodes (p-type contact).
Figure 6 shows the green device powered-up on the
electronic card. The inset shows group of activated
pixels. Each pixel consist of one 6.5 x 6.5 µm
microled, with a pitch of 10 µm.
Figure 7 shows another group of pixels on a blue
emitting device.
3.2 Electro-optical performances
Electro-optical characterization has been carried out
on single pixels of the above-mentioned 10µm-pitch
hybridized arrays.
Blue arrays:
Optical power of one blue-emitting pixel is shown
on Figure 8. The inset is a photograph of the
emitting pixel. The optical power is measured by a
calibrated optical power meter placed on the
sapphire side of the microLED array. Power per
pixel reaches 100 µW for a driving current of 1 mA.
Figure 8 also shows brightness as a function of
driving current. It is evidenced that a brightness of
4 x 106 cd/m² is obtained from the hybridized LED
array at 1 mA. We note that such brightness levels
are obtained with rather high driving current,
allowed by a direct driving of the pixel. However,
one can emphasize that for a more reasonable
current of 10 µA, brightness of such pixel reaches
100 000 cd/m². This level of luminance is several
orders of magnitude higher than those of OLED or
other types of microdisplays.
One could calculate efficiency of blue devices. The
maximum EQE is 9.5 %, obtained at a current
density of 60 A/cm² (i = 25 µA), while it is still
around 6.2 % at a current density of 240 A/cm²,
which is a good improvement compared to our
previous results [4].
Green arrays:
Optical power of one green-emitting pixel is shown
on Figure 9. Power per pixel reaches 21 µW for a
driving current of 1 mA. This is lower than blue-
emitting device, and a well-known result of higher
Indium content leading to higher defect density.
Figure 9 also shows brightness as a function of
driving current. It is evidenced that a brightness of
2.2 x 107 cd/m² is obtained from the LED array at 1
mA. This is much higher than blue device despite
lower optical power, thanks to better eye sensitivity
in the green. For a current of 10 µA, brightness
reaches 1 x 106 cd/m², which is an outstanding
result. The maximum EQE is 3.8 %, obtained at a
current density of 12 A/cm², and around % at 2.4
A/cm² (I =1 µA) of driving current.
Table 1 summaries the results of blue and green
10 µm pitch GaN arrays. In summary, we have
developed blue and green 10-µm pitch arrays with
very high brightness.
4. CONCLUSION
Blue and green 300 x 252 pixels arrays at a pitch
of 10 µm have been fabricated and characterized.
We have used microtube hybridization technology.
Electro-optical characterization has evidenced
very high brightness on both devices. Even at
reduced driving current, the obtained values are
much higher than those obtained on existing
emissive microdisplays. Also, interesting EQE are
obtained, considering the very small size of the
devices.
2
 These results show that the developed technology
is very promising for the fabrication of high resolution,
small pixel-pitch, high-brightness GaN-based
emissive microdisplays. One of the most challenging
issue for such displays is color. We are now
investigating both approaches: color-conversion
using Quantum Dots and direct color emission.

AKNOWLEDGEMENT
This work was supported by the French National
Research Agency (ANR) through Carnot funding.

REFERENCES
[1] G. Haas, E. Marcellin-Dibon, “High Resolution OLED
Microdisplays for Electronic Vision Systems”, Proc. of
IDW/AD’12, Japan (2012)
[2] S. X. Jin, J. Li, J. Z. Li, J. Y. Lin, and H. X. Jiang, Appl.
Phys. Lett. 76, 631 (2000)
[3] J. Day, J. Li, D. Y. C. Lie, C. Bradford, J. Y. Lin and H.
X. Jiang, Appl. Phys. Lett., 99, p031116 (2011)
Fig. 1 Different approaches for fabricating
[4] F. Templier et al. “« High-Brightness GaN LED Arrays
GaN-based LED microdisplays.
Hybridized on Silicon Interconnect at a Pixel Pitch of
10 µm”, The 21st International Display Workshops in
conjunction with Asia Display 2014 (IDW/AD’14),
December 3-5 2014, Niigata, Japan (2014)
[5] F. Marion et al., “Aluminum to Aluminum Bonding at
Room Temperature“, Proceedings of the 63th
Electronic Components and Technology Conference,
Las Vegas 2013, pp146-153 (2013)
[6] B. Goubault de Brugière et al., “A 10µm Pitch
Interconnection Technology using Micro Tube Fig. 2 Fabrication of the 10µm-pitch LED-Array
Insertion into Al-Cu for 3D Applications”, Electronic on sapphire.
Components and Technology Conference, IEEE
(2011)

Fig. 3 LED-arrays on 4-inch sapphire

substrate, having each 300 x 252 pixels
at 10-µm pitch. Bottom: expanded view
of an array.

3
Fig. 4 (top) Microtube grown on silicon circuit
[6], (bottom) schematic of hybridized
LED-array on Silicon circuit with
microtube technology.

Fig. 8 Optical power (top) and brightness

(bottom) of a Blue-emitting pixel.

Fig. 5 Photograph of 4 LED-arrays hybridized

on Silicon at a pixel pitch of 10 µm.

Fig. 6 Green device powered-up on the

electronic card. The inset shows group
of activated pixels. Fig. 9 Optical power (top) and brightness
(bottom) of a Green-emitting pixel.

Fig. 7 Photograph of blue emitting pattern with

a pixel pitch of 10 µm. Table 1: Summary of electro-optical results
for Blue and Green 10µm-pitch arrays