PROPERTIES OF HIGHLY CONDUCTING NITROGEN-PLASMA-DOPED ZNSE-N THIN-FILMS

Values for the acceptor ionization energy, E(a), and compensating donor ionization energy, E(d), have been obtained from an analysis of variable-temperature photoluminescence data taken for a series of highly conducting nitrogen-plasma doped ZnSe thin films. E(a) was found to be highly temperature dependent, with values ranging from E(a) approximately 110 meV at low temperatures to approximately 60 meV at room temperature. The compensating donor ionization energy ranged from E(d) approximately 31 meV at low temperatures to approximately 24 meV at room temperature. These results provide clear evidence of the nonhydrogenic nature of the nitrogen acceptor state in heavily doped ZnSe:N thin films and suggest that interstitial bonding of N, at two or more stable sites, may play a central role in the p-type doping and compensation of this material at high doping levels.