Defect Characterization in ZnGeP2 by Time -Resolved Photoluminescence

Abstract

AbstractSteady state and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) investigations on ZnGeP2 crystals grown from the vapor phase by high pressure physical vapor transport (HPVT) and from the melt by gradient freezing (GF) are reported. The luminescence spectra reveal a broad infrared emission with peak position at 1.2 eV that exhibits features of classical donor-acceptor recombination. The hyperbolic decay characteristic over a wide energy range, investigated from 1.2 eV up to 1.5eV, suggest that this broad emission band is related to one energetic recombination center. Higher energetic luminescence structures at 1.6eV and 1.7eV were revealed after annealing of ZnGeP2 crystals in vacuum for a longer period of time. The emission decay behavior in this energy range is characterized by two hyperbolic time constants, viewed as the supercomposition of the decay from the broad emission center peaked at 1.2eV and additional donor-acceptor recombination emissions at 1.6eV and 1.7eV, respectively. ZnGeP2 crystals grown under Ge-deficient conditions by HPVT show an additional emission structure at 1.8 eV with sharp emission fine structures at 1.778 eV related to the presence of additional donor states.