A detailed account of the experimental results from optically detected magnetic resonance studies of grown-in defects in (Al)GaNP alloys, prepared by molecular beam epitaxy, was presented. The experimental procedure and an in-depth analysis by a spin Hamiltonian lead to the identification of two Gai defects (Gai-A and Gai-B). New information on the electronic properties of these defects and the recombination processes leading to the observation of the optically detected magnetic resonance signals will be provided. These defects were deep-level defects. In conditions when the defect was directly involved in radiative recombination of the near-infrared photoluminescence band, the energy level of the Gai-B defect was estimated to be deeper than ~1.2eV from either the conduction or valence band edge. In most cases, however, these defects act as non-radiative recombination centers, reducing the efficiency of light emission from the alloys. They could thus undermine the performance of potential photonic devices. High thermal stability was observed for the defects.

Properties of Ga-Interstitial Defects in AlxGa1–xNyP1–y. N.Q.Thinh, I.P.Vorona, I.A.Buyanova, W.M.Chen, S.Limpijumnong, S.B.Zhang, Y.G.Hong, H.P.Xin, C.W.Tu, A.Utsumi, Y.Furukawa, S.Moon, A.Wakahara, H.Yonezu: Physical Review B, 2005, 71[12], 125209 (9pp)