Application of porous materials and structures for improving optical and thermal performance of inorganic and organic light-emitting diodes: A review

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are considered the most promising technology for future display and lighting applications due to their high efficiency, durability, long lifespan, and eco-friendliness. Inorganic and organic LEDs (LEDs and OLEDs) are the key components in current display and lighting applications. Porous materials are a fast-developing field of study that has unraveled and expanded an extensive array of novel properties and applications. The structural and morphological parameters of the hosted semiconductor can be controlled by modifying the pore size distribution, thickness, composition of the pore walls, geometry of the pore system, and its topology. Porous hosts provide the guest semiconductor with enhanced stability and versatility in terms of processing, which favors its integration in devices. This article reviews the current progress in the applications of porous materials and structures to improve the performance of LEDs and OLEDs. The use of the porous materials to enhance the optical performance of GaN-/InGaN-/ and AlGaN-based LEDs, porous silicon LEDs, OLEDs are presented. Furthermore, the applications of porous materials for the thermal management of LEDs are discussed.