Space charge control of point defect spin states in AlN

One barrier to developing quantum information systems based on impurity point defects is that the desirable spin states of the defects are often unstable for Fermi levels obtained at increased impurity concentrations. The space charge induced band bending near the interface of Si/Mg aluminum nitride (AlN) homojunction is investigated computationally as a method to control the concentration, spin state, and position of such point defects. This is done by solving Poisson's equation with the charge density described by a grand canonical defect chemistry model informed by hybrid-functional density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Previous experimental works have found unintentional carbon and oxygen impurities pervade AlN homojunctions. First principles calculations have predicted the neutral complex between an aluminum vacancy and oxygen impurity on a neighboring nitrogen site (v_Al-1O_N)⁰ has a spin triplet configuration, which is stable in a region when the Fermi level is below midgap. From defect equilibrium simulations considering 602 possible defects, v_Al-1O_N was found to be unstable on the Mg-doped side of the homojunction and isolated oxygen impurities are preferred. On the Si-doped side, v_Al-1O_N forms but as (v_Al-1O_N)^–2, not (v_Al-1O_N)⁰. This makes v_Al-1O_N a prototypical test case for the proposed strategy. Simulations of the Si/Mg:AlN homojunction showed (v_Al-1O_N)⁰ is stabilized within 6 nm of the interface in the Si-doped portion. This result indicates space charge induced band bending enables control over the concentration, spin state, and position of point defects, which is critical to realizing point defect based quantum information systems.