Study on Electrical Transport Properties of BGaN Layers

Boron incorporation in gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors affects their physical properties, such as the bandgap and lattice parameters. However, the macroscopic electrical behavior of BGaN remains largely unexplored. In this study, Mg-doped p-type BGaN epitaxial layers were grown by metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and characterized using Hall effect and van der Pauw measurements over a temperature range from liquid nitrogen temperature up to 277°C. The results reveal a monotonic dependence of conductivity on temperature, consistent with nearest-neighbor hopping (NNH) conduction, quite similar to that observed in Mg-doped GaN. Unlike in BGaN, the transition between NNH and free-carrier conductivity occurs at a higher temperature, which is attributed to a higher defect concentration. These findings provide new insight into how boron incorporation influences the electronic properties of gallium nitride–based materials and offer valuable guidance for future electronic and optoelectronic applications.