The relationship between the density of etch pits revealed in GaN by etching in a KOH/NaOH eutectic and the density of dislocations determined by transmission electron microscopy was studied along with the relation between the density of dislocations and the density of dark spot defects observed in GaN by microcathodoluminescence and electron-beam-induced current. It was demonstrated that selective etching was a reliable rapid method for the determination of the type and density of dislocations in GaN in the range 106 to 108/cm2, while microcathodoluminescence and electron-beam-induced current could be used for the rapid nondestructive determination of the density of dislocations in the range 106 to 108/cm2. It was also found that some deep electron and hole traps were related to dislocations.

Identification of Dislocations and their Influence on the Recombination of Charge Carriers in Gallium Nitride. A.V.Govorkov, A.Y.Polyakov, T.G.Yugova, N.B.Smirnov, E.A.Petrova, M.V.Mezhennyi, A.V.Markov, I.H.Lee, S.J.Pearton: Journal of Surface Investigation, 2007, 1[4], 380-5