Effect of annealing on the optical and structural properties of GaN:Er

The effect of annealing on the optical and structural properties of gallium nitride layers grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition and implanted with 0.8 to 2.0-MeV erbium ions at doses of (1-4)x10(14) cm(-2) is investigated. Additional implantation of 0.11 to 0.28-MeV oxygen ions at doses of (1-4)x10(15) cm(-2) is performed on some samples. Measurements of the Rutherford backscattering of protons show that amorphization of the gallium nitride layers does not occur at the erbium implantation doses investigated. The formation of erbium-related luminescence centers which emit at 1.54 mu m ends before the defect structure of the implanted layers is restored during a postimplantation anneal in the temperature range 700-1300 degrees C. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S1063-7826(99)01006-6].