Low temperature cathodoluminescence study of Fe-doped β-Ga2O3

Optical and electrical properties along the b-axis of Fe-doped β-Ga2O3 were studied using low temperature cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy, optical absorption spectroscopy and current-voltage (IV) measurements. The optical absorption spectroscopy showed an absorption edge without near edge shoulder and the corresponding optical bandgap was calculated to be 4.45 eV using direct band gap treatment. The temperature dependent CL measurements exhibited a strong blue to ultraviolet (UV) band composed of multiple low intensity peaks in the blue range, a main blue peak, a main UV peak, and a weak UV band from the as-grown Fe-doped β-Ga2O3. After a controlled annealing in air, the emissions changed to a red to near infrared (R-NIR) band with two sharp peaks and an UV band that is resolved at room temperature to three UV broad peaks. The R-NIR sharp peaks from the air-annealed sample were ascribed to incorporation of nitrogen during air annealing.