Candidate: Pranav Gavirneni
Date: June 24, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM
Location: Online
Supervisor: William S. Wong
All are welcome!
Abstract:
Micro-scale light-emitting diodes (µLEDs) based on the InGaN/GaN material system are a promising platform for next-generation displays, optical interconnects, and biophotonic applications, yet lateral scaling introduces compounding challenges in surface recombination and light extraction that severely limit device efficiency. This talk presents a systematic strategy to overcome these limitations by decoupling device fabrication from mechanical integration, where high-efficiency µLEDs are first optimized on rigid substrates through ohmic contact engineering, polymeric sidewall encapsulation, and perforated device architectures. Mechanical flexibility is then introduced via a photonic-assisted transfer printing process onto PEN substrates, which preserves intrinsic device performance while enabling additional backside optical engineering. This approach yields 5 µm µLEDs on flexible substrates with a peak wall-plug efficiency of 31%, a notably high value for devices at this scale on flex, and provides a scalable pathway for mechanically compliant light sources in wearable displays and conformable photonic systems.