Abstract
Site-selective photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectroscopies carried out at 6K on the ∼1540 nm 4I13/2→4I15/2 emissions of Er3+ in Er-implanted GaN have revealed the existence of four different Er3+ sites and associated PL spectra in this semiconductor. Three of these four sites are excited by below-gap, impurity- or defect-related absorption bands, with subsequent nonradiative energy transfer to the Er3+ 4f electrons; a fourth site is excited by direct Er3+ 4f shell absorption. PLE spectra obtained by selectively detecting Er3+ PL from each of the three sites pumped by broad below-gap absorption bands are compared with the PLE spectra of broad PL bands attributed to implantation damage-induced defects in the Er-implanted GaN. This comparison enables us to distinguish broad-band, below-gap optical excitation processes for Er3+ emission that are attributable to (1) absorption due to implantation damage-induced defects; (2) absorption due to defects or impurities characteristic of the as-grown GaN film; and (3) an Er-specific absorption band just below the band gap which may involve the formation of an Er-related isoelectronic trap. The two sites excited by impurity-or defect-related absorption bands are also strongly pumped by above-gap excitation, while the sites pumped by the Er-related trap and direct 4f shell absorption are not. This observation indicates that excitation of Er3+ luminescence in crystalline semiconductor hosts by either optical or electrical injection of electron-hole pairs is dominated by trap-mediated carrier capture and energy transfer processes. These trap-mediated processes may also control the thermal quenching of Er3+ emission in semiconductors.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
P.N. Favennec, H. L’Haridon, M. Salvi, D. Moutonnet and Y. Le Guillou, Electron. Lett. 25, 718 (1989); A.J. Neuhalfen and B.W. Wessels, Appl. Phys. Lett. 60, 2657 (1992); J.M. Zavada and D. Zhang, Solid-State Electron. 38, 1285 (1995).
J.T. Torvik, R.J. Feuerstein, J.I. Pankove, C.H. Qiu and F. Namavar, Appl. Phys. Lett. 69, 2098 (1996).
R.A. Hogg, K. Takahei and A. Taguchi, J. Appl. Phys. 79, 8682 (1996); J.H. Shin, G.N. van den Hoven and A. Polman, Appl. Phys. Lett. 67, 377 (1995).
S. Kim, S.J. Rhee, D.A. Turnbull, E.E. Reuter, X. Li, J.J. Coleman and S.G. Bishop, Appl. Phys. Lett. 71, 231 (1997).
S. Kim, S.J. Rhee, D.A. Turnbull, X. Li, J.J. Coleman and S.G. Bishop, Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 468, (Pittsburgh, PA: Mater. Res. Soc., 1997), p. 131.
E. Silkowski, Y.K. Yeo, R.L. Hengehold, B. Goldenberg and G.S. Pomrenke, Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc., 422, (Pittsburgh, PA: Mater. Res. Soc., 1996), p. 69.
X. Li, D.V. Forbes, S.Q. Gu, D.A. Turnbull, S.G. Bishop and J.J. Coleman, J. Electron. Mater. 24, 1711 (1995).
D.A. Turnbull, X. Li, S.Q. Gu, E.E. Reuter, X. Li, J.J. Coleman and S.G. Bishop, J. Appl. Phys. 80, 4609 (1996); S. Kim, I.P. Herman, J.A. Tuchman, K. Doverspike, L.B. Rowland and D.K. Gaskill, Appl. Phys. Lett. 67, 380 (1995).
R.G. Wilson, R.N. Schwartz, C.R. Abernathy, S.J. Pearton, N. Newman, M. Rubin, T. Fu and J.M. Zavada, Appl. Phys. Lett. 65, 992 (1994).
J. Nukeaw, J. Yanagisawa, N. Matsubara, Y. Fujiwara and Y. Takeda, Appl. Phys. Lett. 70, 84 (1997).
A. Taguchi and K. Takahei, Mater. Sci. Forum 196–201, 633 (1995).
X.Z. Wang and B.W. Wessels, Mater. Sci. Forum 196–201, 663 (1995).
C. Ronning, M. Dalmer, M. Deicher, M. Restle, M.D. Bremser, R.F. Davis and H. Hofsäss, Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 468, (Pittsburgh, PA: Mater. Res. Soc., 1997), p. 407.
D.L. Dexter, J. Chem. Phys. 21, 836 (1953).
C.H. Qiu, M.W. Leksono, J.I. Pankove, J.T. Torvik, R.J. Feuerstein and F. Namavar, Appl. Phys. Lett. 66, 562 (1995).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kim, S., Rhee, S.J., Li, X. et al. Excitation mechanisms of multiple Er3+ sites in Er-implanted GaN. J. Electron. Mater. 27, 246–254 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-998-0395-6
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-998-0395-6