Influence of deformation on the luminescence of GaN epitaxial films

The effect of indentation on the cathodoluminescence (CL) of GaN:Si epitaxial films has been investigated in the scanning electron microscope. Deformation produces changes in the defect structure which are monitored through the changes induced in the cathodoluminescent emission. Besides a general quenching of the luminescence, an increase of the relative intensity of the deep level bands is observed. The effect of different annealing treatments on the CL emission has been investigated