Optical properties of GaN epilayers grown on Si (111) and Si (001) substrates

We report the observation of bright photoluminescence (PL) emission from two types of GaN epilayers grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Wurtzite phase GaN/Si (111) epilayers are grown by gas source MBE process, whereas cubic phase GaN epilayers are grown on (001) Si covered by thin SIC film in the process of Si annealing in propane prior to the GaN growth. PL emissions are identified based on the results of detailed PL and time-resolved PL investigations. For the wurtzite phase GaN we observe an efficient up in the energy transfer from bound to free excitons. This process is explained by a large difference in the PL decay times for two types (free and bound (donor, acceptor)) of excitonic PL emissions. For cubic phase GaN we confirm recent suggestion that accepters have smaller thermal ionization energies than those in the wurtzite phase GaN. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.