ABSTRACT
The electronic and structural properties of dilute nitrides under
hydrogenation were deeply described in the previous chapters. To
close the loop and better fix the structural counterparts of electronic
and optical effects, in this chapter we will describe the use of
two additional experimental methodologies, high-resolution X-ray
diffraction (HRXRD) and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA). Both of
these are experimentalmethods largely used inmaterial science that
can give fundamental and specific contributions to the present topic.
By exploiting these techniques and by using deuterium instead of
its hydrogen isotope we will show that deuteration proceeds layer
by layer and the incorporation of further deuterium is possible only
after the N-D complexes have been formed. A 3D-N complex is the
final product of the deuteration in all dilute nitrides. The study of
the thermal dissolution reveals that the 3D-N complex converts into
a 2D-N complex still capable of N passivation. Further annealing
treatments induce the total loss of deuterium and the recovery of
the pristine GaAsN properties.
