Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 March 2011
The electrical and optical properties of Si-implanted GaN have been investigated as a function of ion dose, anneal temperature, and implantation temperature using Hall-effect measurements and photoluminescence. Implantation of 200 keV Si ions was made at room temperature and 800°C into MBE-grown GaN capped with 500 Å AlN at six different doses ranging from 1x1013 to 5x1015 cm-2. The samples were proximity cap annealed from 1050 to 1350°C for 5 min to 20 s using either a conventional furnace or rapid thermal annealing. For a given dose, electrical activation efficiencies and mobilities increase as the anneal temperature increases from 1050 to 1350°C. Generally, the higher the dose, the greater the activation efficiency for any given anneal temperature. For a sample implanted with a dose of 1x1015 cm-2 and annealed at 1350°C for 20 s, an electrical activation efficiency of 100% was obtained. Exceptional carrier concentrations and mobilities were obtained on all Si-implanted samples, and a comparison of the results was made between room temperature and 800°C implantation. Photoluminescence measurements were also performed in an effort to better understand the electrical activation behavior of the Si implants in GaN.