X-ray absorption in GaGdN: A study of local structure

In this study, we report on the incorporation of dilute Gd amounts into GaN films grown by molecular beam epitaxy. A combination of x-ray fluorescence with x-ray absorption spectroscopic techniques enabled us to examine not only the distribution of rare earth atoms in the GaN matrix but also the short-range structural order. Our results show Gd atoms in a trivalent state with tetrahedral coordination, thus substituting Ga in the wurtzite GaN structure. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.