Luminescence enhancement in AlN(Er) by hydrogenation

Room-temperature Er3+ photoluminescence increases of a factor of 5 are observed for AIN(Er) samples treated in a H-2 plasma at 200 degrees C for 30 min. The atomic deuterium passivates defects in the AIN, which normally provide alternative carrier recombination routes. Postdeuteration annealing at 300 degrees C for 20 min removes the luminescence enhancement by depassivating the nonradiative centers. The AIN(Er) provides a high degree of resistance to thermal quenching of luminescence as a function of temperature because of its wide band gap (6.2 eV), and hydrogenation is a simple method for maximizing the optical output in this materials system. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.