A direct correlation was established between stacking faults in a-plane GaN epilayers and luminescence peaks in the 3.29–3.41eV range. The structural features of the stacking faults were determined by diffraction-contrast transmission electron microscopy, while the optical emission characteristics were observed by highly spatially resolved monochromatic cathodoluminescence. The studies were performed in the exact same regions of thinned foils. It was found that stacking faults on the basal plane were responsible for the strong emission at ~3.14eV. Luminescence peaks at ~3.33 and ~3.29eV were associated with the presence of stacking faults on prismatic a planes and partial dislocations at the stacking fault boundaries, respectively.

Luminescence from Stacking Faults in Gallium Nitride. R.Liu, A.Bell, F.A.Ponce, C.Q.Chen, J.W.Yang, M.A.Khan: Applied Physics Letters, 2005, 86[2], 021908 (3pp)