PL and XPS study of radiation damage created by various slow highly charged heavy ions on GaN epitaxial layers

Photoluminescence (PL) spectrum, in conjunction with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is used to evaluate the surface damage of GaN layer by highly-charged Xeq+ (18 ⩽ q ⩽ 30), Arq+ (6 ⩽ q ⩽ 16) and Pbq+ (q = 25,35) ions. The intensity of PL emission of GaN layer, including near band-edge peak and yellow luminescence, decreases with increasing fluence and charge state of the incident ions. Finally the PL emission is completely quenched after irradiation to high fluences at high charge state. A new peak at 450 nm appeared in PL spectra of the specimens irradiated with Xe18+, Ar6+ and Ar11+, indicating that radioactive recombination within donor–acceptor pairs (DAPs) during irradiation. After irradiation, XPS spectra show N deficient or Ga rich on GaN surface and XPS spectra of Ga3d core levels indicate spectral peak evidently shifts from a Ga–N to Ga–Ga and Ga–O bond. The relative content of Ga–N bond decreases and the content of Ga–Ga bond increases with the increase of ion fluence and ion charge state. The binding energy of Ga3d5/2 electron corresponding to Ga–Ga bond of the irradiated GaN film is found to be smaller than that of metallic Gallium (Ga0), which can be attributed to irradiation damage.