Luminescent properties of GaN films grown on porous silicon substrate

GaN films have been grown on porous silicon at high temperatures (800-1050 °C) by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy. The optical properties of GaN layers were investigated by photoluminescence (PL) and cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy. PL spectra recorded at 5 K exhibit excitonic emissions around 3.36-3.501 eV and a broad yellow luminescence at 2.2 eV. CL analysis at different electron excitation conditions shows spatial non-uniformity in-depth of the yellow and the band-edge emissions. These bands of luminescence are broadened and red- or blue-shifted as the electron beam penetrates in the sample. These behaviors are explained by a change of the fundamental band gap due to residual strain and the local thermal effect. It was found that the use of AlN buffer layer improves the crystalline quality and the luminescence property of GaN.