Relationship between Sample Morphology and Carrier Diffusion Length in GaN Thin Films

Scanning and spot-mode cathodoluminescence investigations of homo- and hetero-epitaxial GaN films indicate a surprisingly small influence of their microstructure on overall intensity of a light emission. This we explain by a correlation between structural quality of these films and diffusion length of free carriers and excitons. Diffusion length increases with improving structural quality of the samples, which, in turn, enhances the rate of nonradiative recombination on structural defects, such as dislocations.