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Photoluminescence from GaN implanted with Cd or Hg ions was studied and compared with first-principles calculations. In Cd-implanted GaN, the blue band (BLCd) with a maximum at 2.7 eV is attributed to the CdGa acceptor with an ionization energy of 0.55 eV. In Hg-implanted GaN, the green band (GLHg) with a maximum at 2.44 eV is attributed to the HgGa acceptor with an ionization energy of 0.77 eV. The shapes of the BLCd and GLHg bands are asymmetric, with a similar Franck–Condon shift of about 0.28 eV. The electron- and hole-capture coefficients for the CdGa and HgGa acceptors are found. The experimentally found parameters agree reasonably well with first-principles calculations using HSE hybrid functional satisfying the generalized Koopmans' theorem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diffusion behavior of Mg in Mg/N co-implanted GaN is investigated in response to a set of annealing conditions and methodologies, namely, 1000 °C/30 min thermal anneal, by high-temperature pulsed gyrotron microwave annealing at 1420 or 1500 °C, or by thermal and microwave annealing, sequentially. After 1000 °C annealing, the diffusion of Mg in GaN is found to be negligible, as measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry. Annealing by gyrotron microwave annealing alone induces the diffusion of Mg at a rate on the order of 10−12 cm2/s. However, the use of a thermal anneal before microwave gyrotron annealing reduces this rate by an order of magnitude to 10−13 cm2/s. We find that a model that considers Mg diffusion from an inhomogeneous medium that contains a defect-rich implanted region near-surface to a relatively pristine region below the implant range better explains the observed diffusion behavior than a conventional model that assumes a homogeneous medium. By analyzing the diffusion behavior using the Boltzmann–Matano method, we present a discussion of reduction in [VGa] by thermal annealing at 1000 °C, leading to a suppressed diffusion coefficient during subsequent high-temperature annealing relative to diffusion after 1420/1500 °C annealing alone. This effect holds potential for improvement in the precision of selectively doped regions for future applications based on the (Al)GaN material system. An improved field profile control in real devices can increase the breakdown and current-handling capabilities in power electronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GaN samples were implanted with Be and annealed in different conditions in order to activate the shallow BeGa acceptor. Low-temperature photoluminescence spectra were studied to find BeGa-related defects in the implanted samples. A yellow band with a maximum at about 2.2 eV (the YLBe band) was observed in nearly all samples protected with an AlN cap during the annealing and in samples annealed under ultrahigh N2 pressure. A green band with a maximum at 2.35 eV (the GL2 band), attributed to the nitrogen vacancy, was the dominant defect-related luminescence band in GaN samples annealed without a protective AlN layer. The ultraviolet luminescence (UVLBe) band with a maximum at 3.38 eV attributed to the shallow BeGa acceptor with the ionization energy of 0.113 eV appeared in implanted samples only after annealing at high temperatures and ultrahigh N2 pressure. This is the first observation of the UVLBe band in Be-implanted GaN, indicating successful activation of the BeGa acceptor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonothermal GaN samples with the concentration of free electrons of 1018 and 1019 cm−3 were annealed in a wide range of temperatures (Tann = 300–1400 °C) under atmospheric N2 pressure and under ultra-high N2 pressure conditions to avoid the GaN decomposition. Photoluminescence (PL) studies reveal the YL2 band with a maximum at 2.3 eV before annealing and two new PL bands after annealing at Tann > 600 °C: the OL3 band with a maximum at 2.1 eV and the RL4 band with a maximum at 1.6–1.7 eV. The ammonothermal GaN samples have high concentrations of complexes containing gallium vacancy (VGa), hydrogen, and oxygen. The first-principles calculations suggest that the VGa-3Hi complex is the origin of the YL2 band, while the VGa-3ON complex is responsible for the RL4 band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-implantation of Mg with N has been shown to improve p-type conductivity in Mg-implanted GaN. Achievement of p-type material still requires temperatures beyond the thermodynamic stability of GaN, however. In this study, we present results of implantation and anneal activation of GaN, co-implanted with Mg and N or Mg only by repeated, short thermal cycles of 1350 °C using a high-power gyrotron microwave source with a quasi-gaussian intensity profile. Spatial variations in optical and electrical properties of the resulting films are characterized by photoluminescence and diode I–V and C–V measurements. Resistive Mg/N co-implanted and annealed material shows dominant luminescence of the VN-related green luminescence (GL2) band at 2.37 eV and relatively lower intensity acceptor-related ultraviolet luminescence (UVL) at 3.27 eV. However, a material showing p–n diode behavior shows higher-intensity UVL luminescence and suppression of the GL2 band, permitting observation of the yellow luminescence (YL) present in the as-grown GaN. The YL is attributed to unintentionally introduced CN–ON complexes and is commonly observed in GaN grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition but is typically absent in implanted/annealed GaN. Co-implanted material is compared to material implanted only with Mg and annealed under the same conditions, which shows p-type activation, but contains persistent GL2 luminescence post-anneal and lowers maximum hole concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate p-type activation of GaN doped by Mg ion implantation, and in situ during metalorganic chemical vapor deposition through sequential short-duration gyrotron microwave heating cycles at temperatures of 1200–1350 °C. GaN is implanted with 1019 cm−3 Mg ions, capped with AlN, and annealed under 3 MPa N2 overpressure in 5 s heating cycles for less than 60 s total using a high-power gyrotron microwave heating source. Through I–V characterization, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, we study the evolution of electrical properties, optically active point defects, and material strain in response to implantation and annealing. For Mg-implanted samples, increasing annealing temperature is characterized by an increase in the PL substitutional Mg-related peak (UVL) relative to the shallow-donor vacancy-related peak (GL2). Through comparison of implanted and in situ doped samples, it is demonstrated that the origin of compensating VN lies primarily in implantation rather than degradation from the annealing process. Transmission line measurements and diode I–V measurements show a sheet resistance of 1083 kΩ/□ and a hole concentration of 1.23 × 1015 cm−3, respectively, in the Mg-implanted material annealed at 1350 °C. We conclude that temperature-cycled gyrotron annealing at 1350 °C decreases implant-induced compensating point defects and activates Mg to obtain selective p-type conduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]