Nonradiative quenching of EPR signals in germanium-doped AlGaN: Evidence for DX-center formation

We present photo-electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements and first-principles calculations that indicate germanium (Ge) is a DX center in AlGaN. Our photo-EPR measurements on Ge-doped AlGaN samples show no EPR spectra in the dark, while persistent EPR spectra are observed upon photoexcitation with photon energies greater than ∼1.3 eV. Thermally annealing the samples decreased the EPR signal, with the critical temperature to quench the EPR signal being larger in the lower Al-content sample. Using detailed first-principles calculations of Ge in AlGaN, we show all of these observations can be explained by accounting for the DX configuration of Ge in AlGaN.