Implementation of spatio-time-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy for studying local carrier dynamics in a low dislocation density m-plane InGaN epilayer grown on a freestanding GaN substrate

Spatio-time-resolvedcathodoluminescence (STRCL) spectroscopy isimplemented to assess the local carrier dynamics in a 70 nm-thick, very low threading dislocation (TD) density, pseudomorphic m-plane In GaN epilayer grown on a freestanding GaN substrate by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. Although TDs or stacking faults are absent, sub-micrometer-wide zonary patterns parallel to the c-axis and 2 um-long-axis figure-of-8 patterns parallel to the a-axis are clearly visualized in the monochromatic cathodoluminescence intensity images. Because the STRCL measurement reveals very little spatial variation of low-temperature radiative lifetime, the considerable peak energy variation is interpreted to originate from nonidentical In-incorporation efficiency for the growing surfaces exhibiting various miscut angles. The figure-of-8 patterns are ascribed to originate from the anisotropic,severe m-plane tilt mosaic along the a-axis of the GaNsubstrate,and the zonary patterns may originate from the m-plane tilt mosaic along the c-axis