Structure and electrical activity of rare-earth dopants in semiconductors

✍ Scribed by R. Jones

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 148 KB
• Volume: 28
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0925-3467
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optmat.2005.09.005

✦ Synopsis

We review theoretical investigations into the structure and electrical activity of rare-earth dopants in group IV and III-V semiconductors. We find that in Si, rare-earth dopants are electrically active and have a high affinity for complexing with oxygen. In contrast, rare-earth dopants in GaAs and GaN are electrically inactive and require another defect to enable them to act as exciton traps. In further contrast AlN, is distinctive as it possess a deep donor level. The result of complexes of the RE with other defects is discussed along with implications for efficient room temperature luminescence.