Contrary to the arsenides where donors undergo stable DX transition, we find that Ge in AlGaN does not suffer from the DX transition; instead, it undergoes a shallow donor (30 meV) to deep donor (150 meV) transition at ∼50% Al content in the alloy. This finding is of profound technological importance as it removes fundamental doping limitations in AlGaN and AlN imposed by the presumed DX−1 acceptor state. The charge state of Ge below and above the transition was determined by co-doping with Si, which remains a shallow donor in AlGaN for up to 80% Al. It was found that Ge occupied a donor state with a (0/+) thermodynamic transition for AlGaN alloys below and above the transition. Ge as a shallow donor was completely ionized at room temperature; however, the ionization of the deep donor required elevated temperatures, commensurate with its higher ionization energy. This behavior is not unique to Ge; preliminary findings show that Si and O in AlGaN may behave similarly.
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7 August 2021
Research Article|
August 03 2021
On the Ge shallow-to-deep level transition in Al-rich AlGaN
Pegah Bagheri
;
Pegah Bagheri
a)
1
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University
, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA
a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]
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Pramod Reddy
;
Pramod Reddy
2
Adroit Materials
, Cary, North Carolina 27518, USA
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Seiji Mita;
Seiji Mita
2
Adroit Materials
, Cary, North Carolina 27518, USA
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Dennis Szymanski
;
Dennis Szymanski
1
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University
, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA
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Ji Hyun Kim
;
Ji Hyun Kim
1
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University
, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA
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Yan Guan;
Yan Guan
1
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University
, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA
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Dolar Khachariya
;
Dolar Khachariya
3
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University
, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7911, USA
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Andrew Klump
;
Andrew Klump
1
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University
, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA
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Spyridon Pavlidis
;
Spyridon Pavlidis
3
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University
, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7911, USA
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Ronny Kirste;
Ronny Kirste
2
Adroit Materials
, Cary, North Carolina 27518, USA
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Ramón Collazo;
Ramón Collazo
1
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University
, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA
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Zlatko Sitar
Zlatko Sitar
1
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University
, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA
2
Adroit Materials
, Cary, North Carolina 27518, USA
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a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]
J. Appl. Phys. 130, 055702 (2021)
Article history
Received:
June 04 2021
Accepted:
July 16 2021
Citation
Pegah Bagheri, Pramod Reddy, Seiji Mita, Dennis Szymanski, Ji Hyun Kim, Yan Guan, Dolar Khachariya, Andrew Klump, Spyridon Pavlidis, Ronny Kirste, Ramón Collazo, Zlatko Sitar; On the Ge shallow-to-deep level transition in Al-rich AlGaN. J. Appl. Phys. 7 August 2021; 130 (5): 055702. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0059037
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