Spectroscopic analysis of the NIR emission in Tm implanted Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}N layers

• Published in: Journal of applied physics 2016-08, Vol.120 (8)
• Main Authors: Rodrigues, J., Esteves, T. C., Santos, N. F., Ben Sedrine, N., Rino, L., Neves, A. J., Monteiro, T., Fialho, M., Lorenz, K., Alves, E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ALUMINIUM NITRIDES; ANNEALING; CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; EXCITATION; GALLIUM NITRIDES; HALIDES; ION IMPLANTATION; LAYERS; PHOTOLUMINESCENCE; STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS; TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE; TEMPERATURE RANGE 0065-0273 K; TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K; THULIUM; THULIUM IONS; TIME RESOLUTION; VAPOR PHASE EPITAXY
• ISSN: 0021-8979; 1089-7550
• DOI: 10.1063/1.4961931

Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}N samples, with different AlN molar fractions, x = 0, 0.15, 0.77, and 1, grown by halide vapor phase epitaxy were implanted with Tm ions. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements revealed that after thermal annealing all the samples exhibit intraionic Tm{sup 3+} luminescence. In samples with x > 0, the low temperature emission is dominated by the lines that appear in the near infrared (NIR) spectral region, corresponding to the overlapped {sup 1}G{sub 4} → {sup 3}H{sub 5} and {sup 3}H{sub 4} → {sup 3}H{sub 6} multiplet transitions. A detailed spectroscopic analysis of NIR emission of the thulium implanted and annealed Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}N layers is presented by using temperature dependent steady-state PL, room temperature PL excitation, and time resolved PL. The results indicate that the excitonic features sensitive to the alloy disorder are involved in the excitation population processes of the Tm{sup 3+} luminescence and the highest thermal stability for the NIR emission occurs for the AlN:Tm sample.