Hydrogen induced passivation of nitrogen in GaAs(1-y)N(y)

Nitrogen isoelectronic impurities in GaAs1-yNy are fully passivated by H irradiation from N dilute to the alloy limit. Photoluminescence measurements show that (i) for y <= 0.001, exciton recombination lines in N-related complexes are fully quenched upon hydrogenation; (ii) for y >= 0.01, the GaAs1-yNy band gap blueshifts toward that of the N-free material with increasing H dose. Thermal annealings restore the optical properties GaAs1-yNy had before hydrogenation. Finally, theoretical results on H equilibrium positions are reported and a mechanism for N passivation by H is given.