Impurity centers of rare-earth ions (Eu, Sm, Er) in GaN wurtzite crystals

Abstract

Gallium nitride (GaN) was doped with Eu, Sm, and Er impurities using the diffusion method. The behavior of rare-earth impurities (the formation of donor or acceptor levels in the GaN band gap) correlates with the total concentration of defects, which is determined from optical measurements, and with the position of the Fermi level in starting and doped crystals. The intensity of emission lines, which are characteristic of the intracenter f-f transition of rare-earth ions, is controlled by the total defect concentration in the starting semiconductor matrix.