Luminescence dynamics for the near-band-edge (NBE) emission peak at around 250 nm of c-plane Si-doped Al0.6Ga0.4N films grown on AlN templates by low-pressure metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy were studied using deep ultraviolet time-resolved photoluminescence and time-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopies. For the films with the Si-doping concentration, [Si], lower than 1.9 × 1017 cm–3, the doping lessened the concentration of cation vacancies, [VIII], through the surfactant effect or the aid of the reactant doping in a form of H3SiNH2. However, the room-temperature nonradiative lifetime, and, consequently, the equivalent value of internal quantum efficiency in the weak excitation regime steeply decreased when [Si] exceeded 1018 cm−3. Simultaneously, the intensity ratio of the deep-state emission band to the NBE emission abruptly increased. Because the increase in [Si] essentially gives rise to the increase in [VIII] (for [Si]>1.9×1017 cm−3) and the overcompensation of Si is eventually observed for the film with [Si] = 4.0 × 1018 cm−3, the formation of acceptor-type native-defect complexes containing Si such as VIII-SiIII is suggested.

Time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) and positron annihilation measurements, as well as Al0.23Ga0.77N/GaN heterostructure growth by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy were carried out on very low defect density, polar c-plane and nonpolar m-plane freestanding GaN (FS-GaN) substrates grown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy. Room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) lifetime for the near-band-edge (NBE) excitonic emission of the FS-GaN substrates increases with increasing positron diffusion length (L+); i.e., decreasing gross concentration of charged and neutral point defects and complexes. The best undoped c-plane FS-GaN exhibits record-long L+ being 116 nm. The fast component of the PL lifetime for its NBE emission increases with temperature rise up to 100 K and levels off at approximately 1.1 ns. The result implies a saturation in thermal activation of nonradiative recombination centers. The surface and interface roughnesses for a Si-doped Al0.23Ga0.77N/GaN/Al0.18Ga0.82N/GaN heterostructure are improved by the use of FS-GaN substrates, in comparison with the structure fabricated on a standard GaN template. The emission signals related to the recombination of a two-dimensional electron gas and excited holes are recognized for an Al0.23Ga0.77N/GaN single heterostructure grown on the c-plane FS-GaN substrate.

We demonstrated the separation of the component spatial patterns of chemical samples in transillumination terahertz (THz) images using known spectral curves. The images and spectral data were measured between 1.3 and 1.8 THz, using a widely tunable coherent THz-wave parametric oscillator source. This method could be effective for analyzing spatial patterns and the concentrations of components with various chemical compositions.

The distribution of neural elements in the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) of the human wrists was studied via immunohistochemical staining of protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Articular branches projecting to the TFCC arose from the dorsal branch of the ulnar nerve in all wrists examined. The TFCC is subdivided into the following six regions: the articular disc proper (ADP), meniscus homolog (MH), radio-ulnar ligament (RUL), loose part of ulnar collateral ligament (lUCL), dense part of ulnar collateral ligament (dUCL), and internal portion (IP). The IP consists of a mixture of dense and loose connective tissues enclosed by the ADP, MH, RUL, and UCL, and resides deep in the prestyloid recess, which is a pit in the MH. The densities of PGP 9.5-positive neural elements, including free nerve endings, single nerve fibers, nerve fascicles, and perivascular neural nets, were significantly higher in the IP than in other regions. Some of the neural elements except for the perivascular neural nets were positive for CGRP. The high density of neural elements in the IP suggests that sensory nerves projecting to the TFCC enter into the IP and from there distribute to adjacent regions such as the MH and RUL. Free nerve endings are responsible for pain transmission. The high density of free nerve endings in the IP suggests that the IP is a source of ulnar side wrist pain.

The radiative performance of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) was assessed by the spatio-time-resolved luminescence measurements on its microcrystals (MCs) annealed in an O2 gas ambient. The MCs exhibited distinct deep ultraviolet luminescence peaks higher than 5.7 eV, although h-BN is an indirect bandgap semiconductor. The result indicates a strong interaction between the indirect excitons (iXs) and LO/TO (and LA/TA) phonons at T points of the Brillouin zone. Such phonon replicas of free iXs and a luminescence band at 4.0 eV showed negligible thermal quenching, most probably assisted by the strong excitonic effect, enhanced phonon scattering, and formation of a surface BxOy layer that prevents excitons from surface recombination by the thermal excitation. Conversely, the luminescence band between 5.1 and 5.7 eV, which seems to consist of LO/TO phonon replicas of iXs localized at a certain structural singularity that are further scattered by multiple TO phonons at K points and another two emission peaks that originate from the singularity, showed the thermal quenching. In analogy with GaN and AlGaN, cation vacancy complexes most likely act as native nonradiative recombination centers (NRCs). In the present case, vacancy complexes that contain a boron vacancy (VB), such as divacancies with a nitrogen vacancy (VN), VBVN, are certain to act as NRCs. In this instance, iXs delocalized from the singularity are likely either captured by NRCs or the origin of the 4.0 eV-band; the latter is assigned to originate from a carbon on the N site or a complex between VB and an oxygen on the N site.

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Excitonic emission dynamics in homoepitaxial AlN films grown on a freestanding substrate prepared by the physical-vapor-transport method were examined. Reflecting the low threading dislocation density (<104 cm−2), room-temperature cathodoluminescence intensity images mapped at the free A-exciton energy exhibited homogeneous contrasts. Low-temperature cathodoluminescence peaks at 6.0415 and 6.0287 eV, which were polarized parallel and perpendicular, respectively, to the c-axis, exhibited identical risetimes and short lifetimes; the latter coincided with the temporal delay of neutral donor-bound exciton emissions. These results support the assumption that the two peaks originate from the recombination of free A-excitons of irreducible representations Γ1 and Γ5, respectively.

Appropriate-amount Si-doping in the well layers significantly improved the luminescence efficiency of Al0.68Ga0.32N/Al0.77Ga0.23N multiple quantum wells. To understand the mechanisms, spatio-time-resolved cathodoluminescence measurements and self-consistent Schrödinger-Poisson calculations were carried out. The increase in the luminescence lifetime at room temperature, which reflects the decrease in the concentration of nonradiative recombination centers (NRCs), was correlated with increased terrace width of Si-doped wells. The results suggest the importance of H3SiNH2 doping-reactant formation that gives rise to enhanced decomposition of NH3 and provides wetting conditions by surface Si-N bonds, which reduce the total energy and concentration of NRCs composed of cation vacancies.