Native cation vacancies in Si-doped AlGaN studied by monoenergetic positron beams

Native defects in Si-doped AlGaN grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy were probed by monoenergetic positron beams. Doppler broadening spectra of the annihilation radiation and positron lifetimes were measured, and these were compared with results obtained using first-principles calculation. For Si-doped AlxGa1-xN (4 x 10(17) Si/cm(3)), the vacancy-type defects were introduced at above x = 0.54, and this was attributed to the transition of the growth mode to the Stranski-Krastanov mechanism from the Frank-van der Merwe mechanism. For Si-doped Al0.6Ga0.4N, the vacancy concentration increased with increasing Si concentration, and the major defect species was identified as Al vacancies. A clear correlation between the suppression of cathodoluminescence and the defect concentration was obtained, suggesting the cation vacancies act as nonradiative centers in AlGaN. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3675270]