The effect of unintentionally doped hydrogen on the properties of Mg-doped p-GaN samples grown via metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) is investigated through room temperature photoluminescence (PL) and Hall and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) measurements. It is found that there is an interaction between the residual hydrogen and carbon impurities. An increase of the carbon doping concentration can increase resistivity of the p-GaN and weaken blue luminescence (BL) band intensity. However, when hydrogen incorporation increased with carbon doping concentration, the increase of resistivity caused by carbon impurity is weaken and the BL band intensity is enhanced. This suggests that the co-doped hydrogen not only passivate MgGa, but also can passivate carbon impurities in Mg-doped p-GaN.
Keywords: BL band; Hydrogen and carbon impurities; Mg-doped GaN.