Blue cathodoluminescence from thulium implanted AlxGa1−xN and InxAl1−xN

Room temperature cathodoluminescence (RTCL) was obtained from Tm implanted AlxGa1−xN with different AlN contents (in the range 0≤x≤0.20≤x≤0.2) and from implanted InxAl1−xN with different InN contents (x=0.13x=0.13 and 0.19) close to the lattice match with GaN. The Tm3+ emission spectrum depends critically on the host material. The blue emission from AlxGa1−xN:Tm peaks in intensity for an AlN content of x∼0.11x∼0.11. The emission is enhanced by up to a factor of 50 times with an increase of annealing temperature from 1000 to 1300 ∘C. The blue emission from In0.13Al0.87N:Tm, annealed at 1200 ∘C, is more than ten times stronger than that from AlxGa1−xN:Tm, x≤0.2x≤0.2. However, the intensity decreases significantly as the InN fraction increases from 0.13 to 0.19.