The optical properties of Mg-doped InN thin films grown on YSZ substrates have been investigated by photoluminescence (PL). A series of InN:Mg samples with various Mg cell temperatures (TMg) were produced by molecular beam epitaxy. The effect of Mg concentration on PL emission properties have been explored by various excitation power and temperature dependent measurements. The PL spectra as a function of excitation power exhibited a pronounce blueshift, indicating prominent band filling caused by the Burstein-Moss effect. Meanwhile, a typical redshift was observed as temperature increased due to bandgap shrinkage. The samples with TMg below 210 ˚C have a dominant peak at energy of 0.68 eV. In contrast, the PL peak emissions for films with a high TMg between 210~230 ˚C were centred near 0.6 eV. No PL emission was observed from the films with TMg above 230 ˚C. By fitting with an empirical Arrhenius equation, the activation energies yield approximately 20 meV and 15 meV for the lower and higher energy transitions, respectively.

The fundamental optical properties of Zn doped InN were also examined. InN:Zn films were grown under In-rich conditions. The samples showed well defined PL emission spectra implying that the quality of the film has been improved over the Mg-doped series. The PL spectra of InN:Zn exhibited prominent features containing various emission peaks. The combination of excitation power and temperature dependent measurements supports a precise determination for the origins of the observed transitions. The comparison between the optical properties of Mg and Zn doped InN provide the motivation for more precise quantitative interpretation of p-type InN.