SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS

Persistent photoconductivity in neutron irradiated GaN

Minglan Zhang1, 2, , Ruixia Yang1, Naixin Liu3 and Xiaoliang Wang2

+ Author Affiliations

 Corresponding author: Zhang Minglan, Email:zhml@hebut.edu.cn

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Abstract: Unintentionally doped GaN films grown by MOCVD were irradiated with neutrons at room temperature. In order to investigate the influence of neutron irradiation on the optical properties of GaN films, persistent photoconductivity (PPC) and low temperature photoluminescence (PL) measurements were carried out. Pronounced PPC was observed in the samples before and after neutron irradiation without the appearance of a yellow luminescence (YL) band in the PL spectrum, suggesting that the origin of PPC and YL are not related. Moreover, PPC phenomenon was enhanced by neutron irradiation and quenched by the followed annealing process at 900℃. The possible origin of PPC is discussed.

Key words: GaNirradiationneutronpersistent photoconductivity



[1]
Look D C, Reynolds D C, Hemsky J W, et al. Defect donor and acceptor in GaN. Phys Rev Lett, 1997, 79:2273 doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.79.2273
[2]
Fang Z Q, Hemsky J W, Look D C, et al. Electron-irradiation-induced deep level in n-type GaN. Appl Phys Lett, 1998, 72:448 doi: 10.1063/1.120783
[3]
Auret F D, Goodmann S A, Koschnick F K, et al. Effect of heating rate on positive-temperature-coefficient-of-resistivity behavior of conductive composite thin films. Appl Phys Lett, 1998, 73:3742 doi: 10.1063/1.122880
[4]
Auret F D, Goodmann S A, Koschnick F K, et al. Proton bombardment-induced electron traps in epitaxially grown n-GaN. Appl Phys Lett, 1999, 74:407 doi: 10.1063/1.123043
[5]
Li J Z, Lin J Y, Jiang H X, et al. Nature of Mg impurities in GaN. Appl Phys Lett, 1996, 69:1474 doi: 10.1063/1.116912
[6]
Li B K, Ge W K, Wang J N, et al. Persistent photoconductivity and carrier transport in AlGaN/GaN heterostructures treated by fluorine plasma. Appl Phys Lett, 2008, 92:082105 doi: 10.1063/1.2888743
[7]
Lin T Y, Chen H M, Tsai M S, et al. Two-dimensional electron gas and persistent photoconductivity in AlxGa1-xN/GaN heterostructures. Phys Rev B, 1998, 58(20):13793 doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.58.13793
[8]
Qiu K, Li X H, Yin Z J, et al. Threading dislocations related persistent photoconductivity effect in hydride vapor phase epitaxy grown GaN epilayers. Europhys Lett, 2008, 82:18002 doi: 10.1209/0295-5075/82/18002
[9]
Gaubasa E, Kazlauskas K, Vaitkus J, et al. Role of radiation defects in photoconductivity transients and photoluminescence spectra of epitaxial GaN layers. Phys Status Solidi C, 2005, 2(7):2429 doi: 10.1002/(ISSN)1610-1642
[10]
Polyakov A Y, Smirnov N B, Govorkov A V, et al. Fast neutron irradiation effects in n-GaN. J Vac Sci Technol B, 2007, 25(2):436 doi: 10.1116/1.2713406
[11]
Lee I H, Polyakov A Y, Smirnov N B, et al. Carrier removal rates and deep traps in neutron irradiated n-GaN films. J Electrochem Soc, 2011, 158(9):H866 doi: 10.1149/1.3607986
[12]
Qiua C H, Pankove J I. Deep levels and persistent photoconductivity in GaN thin films. Appl Phys Lett, 1997, 70(15):1983 doi: 10.1063/1.118799
[13]
Li S, Zhang J D, Beling C D, et al. Large lattice relaxation deep levels in neutron-irradiated GaN. J Appl Phys, 2005, 98:093517 doi: 10.1063/1.2126123
[14]
Reddy C V, Balakrishnan K, Okumura H, et al. The origin of persistent photoconductivity and its relationship with yellow luminescence in molecular beam epitaxy grown undoped GaN. Appl Phys Lett, 1998, 73(2):244 doi: 10.1063/1.121769
[15]
Castaldini A, Cavallini A, Polenta L. Radiation-induced effects in GaN by photoconductivity analysis. Phys Status Solidi A, 2005, 202(15):2912 doi: 10.1002/pssa.v202:15
[16]
Gaubasa E, Pobedinskasa P, Vaitkusa J, et al. Defect attributed variations of the photoconductivity and photoluminescence in the HVPE and MOCVD as-grown and irradiated GaN structures. Nucl Instrum Meth A, 2005, 552:82 doi: 10.1016/j.nima.2005.06.011
Fig. 1.  PPC kinetic of GaN film at 77 K.

Fig. 2.  PPC decay kinetics in GaN at 77 K.

Fig. 3.  PL spectra of GaN samples at 5 K.

Fig. 4.  PPC decay kinetics of annealed GaN film at different temperatures.

Table 1.   Fitting results of $\tau$ and $\beta$.

[1]
Look D C, Reynolds D C, Hemsky J W, et al. Defect donor and acceptor in GaN. Phys Rev Lett, 1997, 79:2273 doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.79.2273
[2]
Fang Z Q, Hemsky J W, Look D C, et al. Electron-irradiation-induced deep level in n-type GaN. Appl Phys Lett, 1998, 72:448 doi: 10.1063/1.120783
[3]
Auret F D, Goodmann S A, Koschnick F K, et al. Effect of heating rate on positive-temperature-coefficient-of-resistivity behavior of conductive composite thin films. Appl Phys Lett, 1998, 73:3742 doi: 10.1063/1.122880
[4]
Auret F D, Goodmann S A, Koschnick F K, et al. Proton bombardment-induced electron traps in epitaxially grown n-GaN. Appl Phys Lett, 1999, 74:407 doi: 10.1063/1.123043
[5]
Li J Z, Lin J Y, Jiang H X, et al. Nature of Mg impurities in GaN. Appl Phys Lett, 1996, 69:1474 doi: 10.1063/1.116912
[6]
Li B K, Ge W K, Wang J N, et al. Persistent photoconductivity and carrier transport in AlGaN/GaN heterostructures treated by fluorine plasma. Appl Phys Lett, 2008, 92:082105 doi: 10.1063/1.2888743
[7]
Lin T Y, Chen H M, Tsai M S, et al. Two-dimensional electron gas and persistent photoconductivity in AlxGa1-xN/GaN heterostructures. Phys Rev B, 1998, 58(20):13793 doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.58.13793
[8]
Qiu K, Li X H, Yin Z J, et al. Threading dislocations related persistent photoconductivity effect in hydride vapor phase epitaxy grown GaN epilayers. Europhys Lett, 2008, 82:18002 doi: 10.1209/0295-5075/82/18002
[9]
Gaubasa E, Kazlauskas K, Vaitkus J, et al. Role of radiation defects in photoconductivity transients and photoluminescence spectra of epitaxial GaN layers. Phys Status Solidi C, 2005, 2(7):2429 doi: 10.1002/(ISSN)1610-1642
[10]
Polyakov A Y, Smirnov N B, Govorkov A V, et al. Fast neutron irradiation effects in n-GaN. J Vac Sci Technol B, 2007, 25(2):436 doi: 10.1116/1.2713406
[11]
Lee I H, Polyakov A Y, Smirnov N B, et al. Carrier removal rates and deep traps in neutron irradiated n-GaN films. J Electrochem Soc, 2011, 158(9):H866 doi: 10.1149/1.3607986
[12]
Qiua C H, Pankove J I. Deep levels and persistent photoconductivity in GaN thin films. Appl Phys Lett, 1997, 70(15):1983 doi: 10.1063/1.118799
[13]
Li S, Zhang J D, Beling C D, et al. Large lattice relaxation deep levels in neutron-irradiated GaN. J Appl Phys, 2005, 98:093517 doi: 10.1063/1.2126123
[14]
Reddy C V, Balakrishnan K, Okumura H, et al. The origin of persistent photoconductivity and its relationship with yellow luminescence in molecular beam epitaxy grown undoped GaN. Appl Phys Lett, 1998, 73(2):244 doi: 10.1063/1.121769
[15]
Castaldini A, Cavallini A, Polenta L. Radiation-induced effects in GaN by photoconductivity analysis. Phys Status Solidi A, 2005, 202(15):2912 doi: 10.1002/pssa.v202:15
[16]
Gaubasa E, Pobedinskasa P, Vaitkusa J, et al. Defect attributed variations of the photoconductivity and photoluminescence in the HVPE and MOCVD as-grown and irradiated GaN structures. Nucl Instrum Meth A, 2005, 552:82 doi: 10.1016/j.nima.2005.06.011
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    Received: 04 November 2012 Revised: 17 April 2013 Online: Published: 01 September 2013

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      Minglan Zhang, Ruixia Yang, Naixin Liu, Xiaoliang Wang. Persistent photoconductivity in neutron irradiated GaN[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2013, 34(9): 093005. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/9/093005 M L Zhang, R X Yang, N X Liu, X L Wang. Persistent photoconductivity in neutron irradiated GaN[J]. J. Semicond., 2013, 34(9): 093005. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/9/093005.Export: BibTex EndNote
      Citation:
      Minglan Zhang, Ruixia Yang, Naixin Liu, Xiaoliang Wang. Persistent photoconductivity in neutron irradiated GaN[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2013, 34(9): 093005. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/9/093005

      M L Zhang, R X Yang, N X Liu, X L Wang. Persistent photoconductivity in neutron irradiated GaN[J]. J. Semicond., 2013, 34(9): 093005. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/9/093005.
      Export: BibTex EndNote

      Persistent photoconductivity in neutron irradiated GaN

      doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/9/093005
      Funds:

      the National Natural Science Foundation of China 61076004

      Project supported by the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (No. 20111317120005), the Key Program for Science and Technology Research of Higher Education Institution of Hebei Province, China (No. ZD2010124), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61076004)

      the Key Program for Science and Technology Research of Higher Education Institution of Hebei Province, China ZD2010124

      the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China 20111317120005

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      • Corresponding author: Zhang Minglan, Email:zhml@hebut.edu.cn
      • Received Date: 2012-11-04
      • Revised Date: 2013-04-17
      • Published Date: 2013-09-01

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