Low temperature photoluminescence properties of p- and n-type Al _x Ga_1−x As withx>0.42

Abstract

The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of n- and p-type Al _x Ga_1−x As (x>0.42) grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) and liquid phase epitaxy show typically a broad PL band (BB) centered about 300meV below the near band-gap PL lines. In the MOVPE grown samples the BB is composed out of four lines. The BB intensity increases with the doping level and dominates the spectrum at concentrations > 10¹⁷ cm⁻³. The temperature dependence of the BB intensity shows two distinct maxima at ≈ 19K and ≈ 80K. Hydrogenation of MOVPE grown samples at 170°C reveal an effective passivation of the shallow acceptors and the centers associated with the BB line. On the contrary hydrogenation at temperatures >250°C leads to an increase in the BB intensity which is related with the evaporation of As from the surface and the generation of V_As in the layers at these temperatures. Our results suggest that the BB is related with isoelectronic centers formed when V_As and C_As or Si_As associate to form next nearest neighbor ion pairs. The PL is then due to a recombination of excitons in analogy to the case of (Zn, O) isoelectronic complexes in GaP.