Unusual effects of hydrogen on electronic and lattice properties of GaNP alloys

Hydrogen incorporation is shown to cause passivation of various N-related localized states and partial neutralization of N-induced changes in the electronic structure of the GaN(x)P(1-x) alloys with x < 0.008. According to the performed X-ray diffraction measurements, the hydrogenation is also found to cause strong expansion of the GaNP lattice which even changes from a tensile strain in the as-grown GaNP epilayers to a compressive strain in the post-hydrogenated structures with the highest H concentration. By comparing results obtained using two types of hydrogen treatments, i.e. by implantation from a Kaufman source and by using a remote dc H plasma, the observed changes are shown to be inherent to H due to its efficient complexing with N atoms, whereas possible effects of implantation damage are only marginal. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.