Colour optimization of phosphor-converted flexible nitride nanowire white light emitting diodes

We demonstrate flexible nanowire white light-emitting-diodes (LEDs) with an optimized colour quality. The devices consist of flexible InGaN/GaN nanowire LEDs acting as pumps, capped with removable phosphor-doped polydimethylsiloxane membranes. Five different phosphors with tens of microns in grain size emitting from green to orange are investigated using both violet-blue and a blue-green nanowire-based LED pumps. In addition, a flexible nanowire white LED with a warm white emission is demonstrated using two layers of different phosphors. Compared to the previous realizations of flexible nanowire white LEDs, these novel LEDs improve the colour rendering index from 54 to 86 and show a colour tuneable from a bluish cool white colour to natural white and finally to warm white. The flexibility tests show that the LEDs can be bent down to 1.5 cm curvature radius without significant degradation. Therefore, the replacement of the nano-phosphors used in the previous realization by relatively inexpensive micro-phosphors does not degrade the good mechanical flexibility of the white nanowire LEDs.