Mg acceptor level in AlN probed by deep ultraviolet photoluminescence

Mg-doped AlN epilayers were grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on sapphire substrates. Deep UV picosecond time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy has been employed to study the optical transitions in Mg-doped AlN epilayers. From PL emission spectra and the temperature dependence of the PL emission intensity, a binding energy of 0.51 eV for Mg acceptor in AlN was determined. Together with previous experimental results, the Mg acceptor activation energy in AlxGa1-xN as a function of the Al content (x) was extrapolated for the entire AlN composition range. The average hole effective mass in AlN was also deduced to be about 2.7 m(0) from the experimental value of the Mg binding energy together with the use of the effective mass theory. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.