Hole conductivity and compensation in epitaxial GaN:Mg layers

The concentration p and the mobility mu of holes in metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) GaN:Mg layers were studied by room temperature Hall-effect measurements as a function of the Mg concentration N(A) in the range 3 x 10(exp 18) cm(exp-3) <= N(A) <= 1 x 10(exp 20) cm(exp -3). The hole density first increases with increasing N(A), reaches a maximum value p(max)~6*10(exp 17) cm(exp -3) at N(A)~2*10(exp 19) cm(exp - 3), decreases for larger N(A) values, and drops to very small values at N(A) 1 x 10(exp 20) cm(exp -3). The hole mobility decreases monotonically with increasing N(A) . The p(N(A)) data provide strong evidence for self-compensation, i.e., for a doping driven compensation of the Mg acceptor by intrinsic donor defects. This effect becomes significant when N(A) exceeds a value of 2 x 10(exp 19) cm(exp -3). A semiquantitative self-compensation model involving nitrogen vacancies is developed. It accounts satisfactorily for the measured p(N(A)) dependence and suggests that self-compensation limits the hole conductivity in bulklike MOCVD GaN:Mg layers grown near 1300 K to about 1.2 (omega cm)(exp -1)).