Donor-acceptor nature of orange photoluminescence in AlN

Abstract

Abstract Recombination dynamics, photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectra have been investigated for 1.9 eV photoluminescence band in AlN in the temperature range of 5–650 K. The recombination dynamics for the 1.9 eV photoluminescence band has been described by a model of donor-acceptor recombination with taking into account a broadening due to electron coupling with local lattice vibrations of a deep level defect. The experimental results have been compared with density functional theory calculations of luminescence peak energies and line shapes of band to defect and donor-acceptor transitions, and possible origin of the orange photoluminescence band in AlN has been discussed.