The carrier localization in InN epilayers grown on Si(111) was studied using time-resolved photoluminescence (PL). The emission energy dependence and temperature dependence of the PL decay times revealed that carrier localization plays an important role in the recombination of this material system. A model based on the transition between free electrons in the conduction band and localized holes in the deeper tail states explains the carrier localization of InN epilayers. We suggest that the carrier localization in InN can be accounted for by the potential fluctuation caused by the random impurities.
