Thermal activation energies of Mg in GaN:Mg measured by the Hall effect and admittance spectroscopy

A series of GaN:Mg structures were grown in molecular beam epitaxy, using either one or two rf nitrogen sources, and in metalorganic chemical vapor deposition systems with varying Mg flux. Acceptor energies were measured using the Hall effect and admittance spectroscopy techniques. The acceptor energies were found to be different for the two methods, i.e., 135-155 meV for the Hall effect measurement and 80-115 meV for the admittance spectroscopy measurement. The apparently small acceptor energies from the admittance spectroscopy measurement were explained, through a simulation process, by the combined effects of (1) high Mg acceptor concentration with no other free carrier sources, and (2) the Mg emission kinetics assisted by the Frenkel-Poole field effect in the GaN:Mg structures. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)06616-0].