Efficient, mercury-free deep ultraviolet (DUV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are becoming a crucial challenge for many applications such as water purification. For decades, the poor p-type doping and difficult current injection of Al-rich AlGaN-based DUV LEDs have limited their efficiency and therefore their use. We present here the significant increase in AlN p-doping thanks to Mg/In codoping, which leads to an order of magnitude higher Mg solubility limit in AlN nanowires (NWs). Optimal electrical activation of acceptor impurities has been further achieved by electron irradiation, resulting in tunnel conduction through the AlN NW p-n junction. The proposed theoretical scenario to account for enhanced Mg incorporation involves an easy ionization of In-vacancy complex associated with a negative charging of Mg in In vicinity. This leads to favored incorporation of negatively charged Mg into the AlN matrix, opening the path to the realization of highly efficient NW-based LEDs in the DUV range.
Keywords: Aluminium nitride nanowires; Raman spectroscopy; codoping; doping; electron beam induced current; magnesium incorporation.