Thermal conductivity of bulk GaN—Effects of oxygen, magnesium doping, and strain field compensation

The effect of oxygen doping (n-type) and oxygen (O)-magnesium (Mg) co-doping (semi-insulating) on the thermal conductivity of ammonothermal bulk GaN was studied via 3-omega measurements and a modified Callaway model. Oxygen doping was shown to significantly reduce thermal conductivity, whereas O-Mg co-doped GaN exhibited a thermal conductivity close to that of undoped GaN. The latter was attributed to a decreased phonon scattering rate due the compensation of impurity-generated strain fields as a result of dopant-complex formation. The results have great implications for GaN electronic and optoelectronic device applications on bulk GaN substrates.