InGaN amber nano-LED with 10% external quantum efficiency - Semiconductor Today Magazine

Amber (~590nm) has been the spectral dead zone in full-color nano-LED. Red relies on AlInGaP, green on InGaN, and the middle band has been patched with quantum-dot conversion—sacrificing efficiency for coverage. InGaN's bandgap tunability bridges this gap natively. Ten percent EQE is a fraction of conventional LED performance, yet it confirms carrier confinement and radiative recombination work at the nanoscale: the shift from "can we" to "how fast." Upstream, MOCVD epitaxy demands sub-nanometer In-fraction control; nanoimprint or e-beam lithography yield remains the true production bottleneck. Downstream, AR/VR micro-displays gain most—RGB subpixels can now be covered by a single InGaN system, eliminating the AlInGaP red switch and slashing fab complexity. Risk: indium, a critical minor metal with geographically concentrated reserves, will see price volatility at scale. Nano-lithography export controls add fragility to photoresist and mask supply from Japan and Taiwan, China. Competitively, Samsung and Sony, whose Micro-LED lines treat red as the hardest node, will likely fast-track internal InGaN nano-structure programs. BOE and AUO may hedge by doubling down on quantum-dot conversion to sidestep material competition. Over 18 months, the 10%-to-25% EQE jump is the critical milestone. Cross 20% and the AR-glasses power wall breaks, compressing OLED's cost-advantage window in micro-display to roughly 2027.