PROPERTIES OF HIGHLY CONDUCTING NITROGEN-PLASMA-DOPED ZNSE-N THIN-FILMS

Values for the acceptor ionization energy, E(a), and compensating dono r ionization energy, E(d), have been obtained from an analysis of vari able-temperature photoluminescence data taken for a series of highly c onducting nitrogen-plasma doped ZnSe thin films. E(a) was found to be highly temperature dependent, with values ranging from E(a) approximat ely 110 meV at low temperatures to approximately 60 meV at room temper ature. The compensating donor ionization energy ranged from E(d) appro ximately 31 meV at low temperatures to approximately 24 meV at room te mperature. These results provide clear evidence of the nonhydrogenic n ature of the nitrogen acceptor state in heavily doped ZnSe:N thin film s and suggest that interstitial bonding of N, at two or more stable si tes, may play a central role in the p-type doping and compensation of this material at high doping levels.