Electronic and optical properties of unstrained and strained wurtzite GaN

Photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy of GaN thin layers as a function of temperature

We report on photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation experiments performed on hexagonal GaN layers grown on a Sapphire substrate. Information about extrinsic and intrinsic optical properties have been obtained. We show that, at low temperature, the fundamental A excitons are preferentially involved in the relaxation towards the neutral donor bound exciton photoluminescence line, while electron-hole pairs rather participate in the relaxation towards D0−A0 emission and the yellow band. The relaxation from the A exciton towards the yellow band and D0−A0 emission is made easier by temperature. The band structure of the GaN layers has been determined from temperature dependent photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy: A and C excitons and A continuum band gap have been identified up to 210K.