Scientists have discovered that semiconductors could be used to build super-injectable leds, providing a whole new way to develop and produce them

Researchers from the Moscow institute of physics and technology (MIPT) have found that superinjections, previously thought to have effects only in heterogeneous semiconductor structures, can also occur in homogeneous structures made up of a single semiconductor material.They point out that most of the known semiconductors could be used to build homogeneous structures capable of super-injection, a discovery that could lead to entirely new ways of developing and producing light sources.

Diamond and many emerging wideband gap semiconductor materials have excellent optical and magnetic properties, the researchers said.However, these materials cannot be doped as efficiently as silicon or gallium arsenide, which limits their practical applications.

The MIPT team predicted the super-injection effect in the diamond p-i-n diode, and found that this method allows for an order of magnitude more electrons to be injected into the I region of the diode than doping in the n-type injection layer.The team believes that the electron concentration produced by superinjection in diamond diodes may be 10,000 times higher than previously thought.As a result, the researchers say, diamonds may be the basis for ultraviolet leds, which are thousands of times brighter than current theoretical calculations predict.

Researcher Igor Khramtsov said: "surprisingly, the super-injection effect of diamond is 50 to 100 times better than most mass-market semiconductor leds and lasers based on heterogeneous structures."

"Ultra-injections of silicon and germanium require low temperatures and may have an effect on their effectiveness," said researcher Dmitry Fedyanin.But in diamond or gallium nitride, even at room temperature, strong ultra-injections can be made.

They point out that superinjection can be performed in a variety of semiconductor materials, including conventional wideband gap semiconductors and new 2D materials.This opens up new avenues for the design of high-efficiency blue, violet, ultraviolet and white leds, as well as li-fi light sources, new lasers, quantum Internet transmitters and optical devices for early disease diagnosis.

Their work is in the journal Semiconductor Science and Technology.