Effects of hydrogenation on non-radiative defects in GaNP and GaNAs alloys: An optically detected magnetic resonance study

Abstract

Photoluminescence and optically detected magnetic resonance techniques are utilized to study defect properties of GaNP and GaNAs alloys subjected to post-growth hydrogenation by low-energy sub-threshold ion beam irradiation. It is found that in GaNP H incorporation leads to activation of new defects, which has a Ga interstitial (Ga-i) atom at its core and may also involve a H atom as a partner. The observed activation critically depends on the presence of N in the alloy, as it does not occur in GaP with a low level of N doping. In sharp contrast, in GaNAs hydrogen is found to efficiently passivate Ga-i-related defects present in the as-grown material. A possible mechanism responsible for the observed difference in the H behavior in GaNP and GaNAs is discussed.funding agencies|Swedish Research Council| 621-2010-3815 |Swedish Institute|

A brief review of co-doping

“…For Si, new defect configurations of H/Si complexes [182] and H/N/O defect [183] complexes in Si have been theoretically discovered, yielding new insights into H-related dopant effects in Si. For compound semiconductors, the N-H and other H-induced defect complexes, interacting with intrinsic defects, were reported for GaNP, GaNAs, GaSb, and InN [184][185][186][187][188][189]. This indicates that H activates new defects [187] and tunes band-gaps [188] in such materials.…”

“…For compound semiconductors, the N-H and other H-induced defect complexes, interacting with intrinsic defects, were reported for GaNP, GaNAs, GaSb, and InN [184][185][186][187][188][189]. This indicates that H activates new defects [187] and tunes band-gaps [188] in such materials. Also in oxides, H-related defects were revealed to passivate C or N contamination by forming C-H or N-H complexes in Al 2 O 3 [190].…”

Dual-wavelength excited photoluminescence spectroscopy of deep-level hole traps in Ga(In)NP

“…Details of the hydrogenation can be found elsewhere. 26 For the third and fourth pairs, the focus was on alloying with In and doping by shallow donors and acceptors, respectively. The fifth pair of samples consists of a GaNP epilayer grown on a (001) Si substrate and GaNP/ GaP shell/core NWs grown on a (111) Si substrate in order to study trap formation in the GaNP alloys grown on Si.…”

“…Previous studies using the optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) technique have identified Ga interstitials commonly found in Ga(In,Al)NP 9,17-22 and related GaNAsP (Ref. 23) and Ga(In,Al)NAs alloys, 10,[24][25][26] as well as P-related interfacial/ surface defects in GaNP/GaP heterostructures 27 and core/shell nanowires (NWs), 28 as important defects in carrier recombination that can severely limit efficiencies of optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices. As to carrier traps that are also important in device applications of Ga(In)NP, very little is known so far.…”

Optically detected magnetic resonance studies of point defects in quaternary GaNAsP epilayers grown by vapor phase epitaxy

“…In both alloys, concentrations of H and C can easily surpass 10 19 cm À3 and are usually at least one order of magnitude higher than that typical for materials grown by solid source MBE. 19,20 The fact that only one Ga i configuration is found in the MOVPEgrown dilute nitrides can be interpreted as an indication that this specific Ga i configuration has the lowest formation energy in dilute nitrides grown by chemical reactions.…”