Time-resolved photoluminescence study of isoelectronic In-doped GaN films grown by metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy

Time-resolved photoluminescence spectra were used to characterize isoelectronically doped GaN:In films. Our results indicate that the recombination lifetime of the donor-bound-exciton transition of undoped GaN exhibits a strong dependence on temperature. When In is doped into the film, the recombination lifetime decreases sharply from 68 to 30 ps, regardless of the measured temperature and In source flow rate. These observations might be related to the isoelectronic In impurity itself in GaN, which creates shallow energy levels that predominate the recombination process.