InGaN nanowire LEDs stand free on flexible substrates

Researchers from the University of Waterloo, Canada, have integrated closely arranged GaN-based nanowire light-emitting diodes (NW LEDs) free standing vertically onto a flexible sheet of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Because the active light-emitting region is situated at the upper tip of the nanowires (a so-called dot-in-wire design), bending or flexing the substrate does not creates stress in this active region, preventing performance degradation in the LEDs. The researchers published their results under the title “Optically invariant InGaN nanowire light-emitting diodes on flexible substrates under mechanical manipulation“ in Nature‘s Flexible Electronics journal.