ELECTRICAL-PROPERTIES AND OPTICAL-PROPERTIES OF LIGHT-EMITTING P-I-N-DIODES ON DIAMOND

Electrical and optical properties of light-emitting p-i-n diodes made on natural and synthetic single-crystal diamonds were studied at tempe ratures up to 500 degrees C. The diodes were fabricated by boron (p-ty pe doping) and lithium or phosphorous (n-type doping) ion implantation in the form of two adjacent p- and n-type areas separated by an undop ed i gap of a width varying from 2 to 200 mm. The current-voltage char acteristics of the diodes showed typical rectifying behavior. Onset of the forward current is accompanied by electroluminescence (EL) and oc curred at a certain voltage depending on the width of the i base and t he type of the diamond substrate. At the onset voltage a current-contr olled negative resistance regime was observed. Comparison of the elect rical characteristics of the diodes with the optical properties of the corresponding diamond substrates revealed that in diamonds with nitro gen content over 5 x 10(17) cm(-3) the nitrogen defects are the major recombination centers affecting the carrier lifetime. EL of the A band , the nickel related 484 nm center, and the nitrogen related H3 and 57 5 nm centers, were excited in the diodes. The H3 and 575 nm centers re tained considerable emitting intensity at temperatures as high as 500 degrees C. EL of the 484 nm center was possible to observe up to a tem perature of 400 degrees C. EL of the A band was quenched rapidly with temperature and it disappears at above 200 degrees C. (C) 1998 America n Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(98)02523-7].