An optical method for evaluation of the net acceptor concentration in <i>p</i>-type ZnSe

Abstract

We report photoluminescence (PL) results obtained on p-type ZnSe epilayers grown by molecular beam epitaxy. As an acceptor dopant, we used an active nitrogen beam produced by a free radical nitrogen source. On the basis of a detailed analysis of PL data we propose a simple semiquantitative method for a quick and contactless evaluation of the net acceptor concentration in p-type ZnSe. In particular, we show that the intensity ratio of the donor–acceptor pair (DAP) emission to the acceptor-bound exciton (I1) emission strongly depends on both the excitation power and the quality of the sample, and because of that it cannot by itself be regarded as a good measure of the net acceptor concentration. On the other hand, the intensity of the DAP emission under saturation excitation shows a simple direct proportionality to the net acceptor concentration, thus providing a reliable tool for determining the relative doping level in p-type ZnSe films.