Deep level investigation of p-type GaN using a simple photocurrent technique

Abstract

The deep level spectrum of p-type GaN was investigated using time-resolved photocurrent spectroscopy. The spectral dependence of the optical cross section for hole photoemission from a deep level was determined from the initial value of the photocurrent transient. Unlike other implementations of photocurrent, the present method does not require multiple excitation sources or determination of the optical emission rate. A deep level was observed at Ev+1.84 eV, where Ev is the valence band maximum, with a Franck-Condon shift of 0.25 eV. A bias-dependent component of the photocurrent, possibly due to metal-semiconductor interface states, complicated the steady-state response but did not affect the measured spectrum for the Ev+1.84 eV deep level. This photocurrent method is expected to be readily extended to materials with very deep dopants, such as p-type AlGaN, for which many other deep level spectroscopy techniques are unsuited.