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Carrier capture and emission by substitutional carbon impurities in GaN vertical diodes

Journal Article · · Journal of Applied Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0106905· OSTI ID:1887395

A model was developed for the operation of a GaN pn junction vertical diode which includes rate equations for carrier capture and thermally activated emission by substitutional carbon impurities and carrier generation by ionizing radiation. The model was used to simulate the effect of ionizing radiation on the charge state of carbon. These simulations predict that with no applied bias, carbon is negatively charged in the n-doped layer, thereby compensating n-doping as experimentally observed in diodes grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. With reverse bias, carbon remains negative in the depletion region, i.e., compensation persists in the absence of ionization but is neutralized by exposure to ionizing radiation. This increases charge density in the depletion region, decreases the depletion width, and increases the capacitance. The predicted increase in capacitance was experimentally observed using a pulsed 70 keV electron beam as the source of ionization. In additional confirming experiments, the carbon charge-state conversion was accomplished by photoionization using sub-bandgap light or by the capture of holes under forward bias.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Security
Grant/Contract Number:
NA0003525
OSTI ID:
1887395
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1885054
Report Number(s):
SAND2022-11403J; 709263
Journal Information:
Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 132; ISSN 0021-8979
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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