Increase in luminescence efficiency of GaPN layers by thermal annealing

Abstract

The effect of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) on the luminescence properties of GaPN layers was investigated. GaPN layers were grown on GaP and Si substrates. The luminescence properties were evaluated by cathodeluminescence and low-temperature photoluminescence. It was found that the luminescence intensity was increased and the peak photon energy was shifted to the high-energy side in all samples after RTA. The luminescence intensity of the GaPN layers was increased with increasing the annealing temperature. It was also found that high-temperature RTA can be applied to the GaPN layer grown on the Si substrate with a thin Si cap layer rather than the GaPN layer on the GaP substrate. It was estimated that high-temperature RTA reduces the spatial fluctuation of nitrogen compositions and the density of defects attributed to nitrogen atoms. (© 2003 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)