Hall photovoltage deep-level spectroscopy of GaN films

Spectroscopy of photoinduced changes in semiconductor Hall voltage is proposed as a method to characterize deep levels. An analytical expression for the Hall coefficient as a function of the charge trapped at grain boundaries is derived. The experimental Hall voltage is demonstrated by measuring thin films of GaN grown on sapphire and is shown to be consistent with the model. The Hall voltage spectrum is correlated to spectra from three other deep-level spectroscopies: photoluminescence, photoconductivity, and surface photovoltage, obtained under the same conditions from the same sample. Comparing spectra from the various spectroscopies shows that the yellow-luminescence-related deep states in GaN are charged in equilibrium and discharged by the exciting photons, and suggests that the blue-luminescence-related states are deep donors positioned 2.8 eV above the valence band and neutral in equilibrium.