. 24/7 Space News .
CHIP TECH
World's first hBN-based deep ultraviolet LED
by Staff Writers
Pohang, South Korea (SPX) Jan 20, 2022

An image of hBN-based deep-ultraviolet LED. This is a schematic diagram showing that a strong deep ultraviolet light can be emitted using the van der Waals heterostructure with graphene/hBN/graphene layer.

A Korean research team has developed a deep-ultraviolet (DUV) LED with an entirely new material. The DUV LED refers to a semiconductor light source designed to emit ultraviolet (UV) light with a short wavelength of 200 to 280 nanometers. Irradiating this LED on viruses or bacteria destroys harmful pathogens while minimizing harm to the human body.

A POSTECH research team led by Professor Jonghwan Kim and Ph.D. candidates Su-Beom Song and Sangho Yoon (Department of Materials Science and Engineering) has produced DUV LED for the first time using hexagonal boron nitride (hBN).

Unlike visible light, UV light can destroy or alter the form of a material. Among UV lights, the near-UV light has high penetration depth and can cause diseases when the skin is exposed to it. However, DUV light has extremely low skin penetrability and is anticipated to be safely used.

For this reason, research to develop DUV LEDs has been active, mainly using aluminum gallium nitride (AlxGa1-xN). However, this material has a fundamental limitation in that its electroluminescence rapidly deteriorates as the wavelength becomes shorter and fabricating LEDs that can be used in the DUV frequencies remains a challenge.

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) used by Professor Jonghwan Kim's research team is a van der Waals (vdW) layered material like graphite. It is often called the 'white graphene' because its monolayer structure is similar to graphene and is transparent. Unlike AlxGa1-xN, it emits luminescence at DUV frequencies and therefore considered an effective new material for developing DUV LEDs. However, it has been difficult to inject electrons and holes due to its large bandgap, rendering it difficult to make into an LED.

To this, the researchers focused on injecting electrons and holes to the hBN band edges by applying a strong voltage to the hBN nanofilm inducing the tunneling mechanism. With this, the researchers successfully fabricated an LED device based on a van der Waals heterostructure stacked with graphene, hBN, and graphene. Subsequent DUV micro-spectroscopy confirmed that the newly fabricated device emits strong UV light.

"The development of a new high-efficiency LED material in a new frequency can be the starting point for pioneering groundbreaking optical device applications that have never been seen before," remarked Professor Jonghwan Kim who led the study. "It is significant that this study presented the first demonstration of a deep-ultraviolet LED based on hBN."

He added, "Compared to the conventional AlxGa1-xN material, the new material has significantly higher efficiency of luminescence and enables miniaturization. It is anticipated to be highly applicable in viral and bacterial sterilization systems, semiconductor device manufacturing processes, and short-range wireless communication in the future."

Recently published in the world-renown journal Nature Communications, this research was conducted with the support from the Senior Researcher Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea and the Institute for Basic Science.

Research Report: "Deep-ultraviolet electroluminescence and photocurrent generation in graphene/hBN/graphene heterostructures"


Related Links
Pohang University of Science and Technology
Computer Chip Architecture, Technology and Manufacture
Nano Technology News From SpaceMart.com


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


CHIP TECH
Organic light emitting diodes operated by 1.5 V battery
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jan 07, 2022
Various properties of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have been optimized, including current to photon conversion efficiency. An external quantum efficiency exceeding 20%, with internal quantum efficiency of 100%, has been achieved owing to the development of thermally activated delayed fluorescent and phosphorescent materials that manage the spin of excited states. However, the operating voltage of common types of OLEDs is very high; that of an OLED emitting approximately 600-nm light at a ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

CHIP TECH
Crash test dummy

Cosmonauts complete first spacewalk of 2022 to prepare Russian ISS segment

Data-relay system connects astronauts direct to Europe

NASA's newest astronaut class begins training in Houston

CHIP TECH
Gilmour Space fires up for 2022 with Australia's largest rocket engine test

Iran tests solid-fuel satellite carrier rocket

Virgin Orbit mission success brings UK satellite launch one step closer

Virgin Orbit air drops rocket carrying 7 satellites

CHIP TECH
Grounded: First Flight Delay Due to Inclement Weather on Another World

Sols 3357-3360: Edging Closer and Closer to Panari

Curiosity measures intriguing carbon signature on Mars

Steady driving towards ExoMars launch

CHIP TECH
China conducts its first rocket launch of 2022

Shouzhou XIII crew finishes cargo spacecraft, space station docking test

China to complete building of space station in 2022

CASC plans more than 40 space launches for China in 2022

CHIP TECH
Palomar survey instrument analyzes impact of Starlink satellites

Update on Africa's 1st Satellite constellation built by CPUT

Loft Orbital signs with Airbus to procure 15 Arrow satellite platforms

Kleos' Patrol Mission satellites to launch in April

CHIP TECH
Rusting iron can be its own worst enemy

Using ice to boil water

A method to create upward water fountain in 'deep water'

Controlling how "odd couple" surfaces and liquids interact

CHIP TECH
Ironing out the interiors of exoplanets

Evidence for a second supermoon beyond our solar system

Unusual team finds gigantic planet hidden in plain sight

Pandora mission to study stars and exoplanets continues toward flight

CHIP TECH
Oxygen ions in Jupiter's innermost radiation belts

Ocean Physics Explain Cyclones on Jupiter

Looking Back, Looking Forward To New Horizons

Testing radar to peer into Jupiter's moons









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.