The effect of nitridation temperature on the structural, optical and electrical properties of GaN nanoparticles

Synthesis of GaN nanoparticles (NPs) by a novel chemical co-precipitation method and the effect of nitridation temperature on the structural, optical and electrical properties have been reported. X-ray diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy show the hexagonal wurtzite structure and highly crystalline nature of the GaN NPs. A strong blue luminescence was observed for all the GaN NPs at room temperature photoluminescence studies. Nevertheless, red and yellow luminescence were absent at the nitridation temperature of 1000 degrees C. The phonon frequency mode at the k-point of the Brillouin zone symmetry was observed at 271-273 cm(-1) for GaN NPs by micro-Raman spectroscopy, which is normally absent for bulk GaN. The carrier concentration and mobility of GaN NPs synthesized at higher temperature were calculated to be 1.36 x 10(17) cm(-3) and 433 cm(2) V-1 s(-1), respectively, by the Raman line shape analysis of the longitudinal-optical-phonon-plasmon coupled mode.