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Effect of the growth temperature on the formation of deep-level defects and optical properties of epitaxial BGaN

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Abstract

The electrical, optical, and high-resolution photoinduced transient spectroscopy (HRPITS) measurements are used for the characterization of boron gallium nitride (BGaN) epitaxial layers (containing about 1% of B) grown by MOCVD in the temperature range of 840–1090 °C. It is argued that the main influence on the changes in the electrical properties of BGaN layers is caused by the generation of interstitial boron (Bi) that accumulates at the grain boundaries regions as well as out diffuses toward the layers surface. The HRPITS measurements show that the growth temperature also has a significant influence on the concentrations of deep-level defects formed within the BGaN grains. The photoluminescence measurements revealed a band at 2 eV. The determined by HRPITS trap energies give a base for the explanation of characteristics for the BGaN broad luminescence band around 2 eV. It is highlighted that such defects as interstitial Bi+ and gallium vacancies (VGa) are mobile and can be essential for understanding the electrical and optical properties of BGaN epitaxial layers.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported from the Grant No. 4/Ł-IMIF/CŁ/2021 funded by The Łukasiewicz Centre. Authors would like to thanks Jacek Nizel for performing the epitaxial growth processes.

Funding

This study was funded by The Łukasiewicz Centre (Grant Number 4/Ł-IMIF/CŁ/2021).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Łukasiewicz Research Network-Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics, Al. Lotników 32/46, 02-668, Warsaw, Poland

    Ewelina B. Możdżyńska, Paweł Kamiński, Roman Kozłowski & Jacek M. Baranowski

  2. Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Wołoska 141, 02-507, Warsaw, Poland

    Ewelina B. Możdżyńska & Elżbieta Jezierska

  3. Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 5, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland

    Krzysztof P. Korona

  4. Institute of Applied Physics, Military University of Technology, Kaliskiego 2, 00-908, Warsaw, Poland

    Sebastian Złotnik

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  1. Ewelina B. Możdżyńska
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Correspondence to Ewelina B. Możdżyńska.

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Możdżyńska, E.B., Kamiński, P., Kozłowski, R. et al. Effect of the growth temperature on the formation of deep-level defects and optical properties of epitaxial BGaN. J Mater Sci 57, 17347–17362 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-022-07725-4

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