Screening of the electric field in covalent crystals containing point defects

An expression is derived within the framework of the Debye-Hückel approximation for the screening length of a field in a p-type semiconductor taking into account the energy spread of immobile acceptor levels and the density of states tail of the valence band. It is shown that the screening length depends additively on the product of the carrier density and their diffusion coefficient ratio (for free holes and holes hopping via acceptors).Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 11, pp. 41–43, November, 1984.     

Numerical simulation of the temperature dependence of the ionization energy of hydrogen-like impurities in semiconductors: Application to transmutation-doped Ge: Ga

An electrostatic model describing the dependence of the thermal ionization energy of impurities on their concentration, compensation factor, and temperature is developed. The model takes into account the screening of impurity ions by holes (electrons) hopping from impurity to impurity, the change in the impurity-band width, and its displacement with respect to the edge of the valence band for acceptors (conduction band for donors). The displacement of the impurity band is due to the functional dependence of the hole (electron) affinity of the ionized acceptor (donor) on the screening of the Coulomb field of the ions. The spatial distribution of the impurity ions over the crystal was assumed to be Poisson-like, and the energy distribution was assumed to be normal (Gaussian). For the relatively low doping levels under investigation, the behavior of the density of states at the edges of the valence and conduction bands was assumed to be the same as for the undoped crystal. The results of the numerical study are in agreement with the decrease in the ionization energy that is experimentally observed for moderately compensated Ge: Ga as the temperature and the doping level are decreased. It is predicted that the temperature dependence of the thermal ionization energy has a small anomalous maximum at small compensation factors.     

Impurity-stabilized zinc-blende phase of wurtzite compounds

We propose here a new approach to stabilizing the cubic zinc blende phase of semiconductors that are usually more stable in the hexagonal wurtzite phase. We show that this can be done by taking advantage of the valence and conduction band offsets between the cubic and the hexagonal phases. Due to this band offset, it will cost less energy to insert electrons by shallow donors, or insert holes by 3d acceptors in the zinc blende structure, thus stabilizing the cubic phase.     

Experimental studies of electrical conduction mechanism of H2-reduced BaTiO3

ESR, resistivity and Seeback coefficient measurements have been performed on both ceramics and single crystals of reduced semiconducting BaTiO₃.From the results that the observed temperature dependence of the Seeback coefficient can be explained by the temperature dependence of carrier concentration estimated from the electric resistivity making use of the data of electron mobility, it is concluded that the electric conduction in reduced BaTiO₃ is due to the band conduction rather than to the hopping process. From the measurement of the temperature dependence of the ESR intensity of the F-center, the number of electrons trapped at the F-centers decreases exponentially with temperature, while the number of conduction electrons increases. This temperature dependence can not be simply explained as that of the unionized donors in semiconductor. Therefore, the ESR signal considered as that of the F-center may not be due to simple donors, even though some of the conduction electrons may be originated in them.     

Magnetic and electrical properties of zinc selenide crystals containing disorder

The electrical and magnetic properties of ZnSe single crystals containing disorder have been studied between temperatures 290K and 900K. The study of the magnetic properties has been extended to low temperatures (100K). Paramagnetism has been found to appear at high temperatures (460–900K). From the fact that this paramagnetism is proportional to e^?δE/kT, it is suggested that localized states of single occupancy are created by thermal excitation. The study of the magnetic properties has been of help in ascertaining the nature of the transport (band conduction or hopping conduction) and in finding the hopping energy and excitation energy separately. It has also been shown from this that both band conduction and hopping conduction exist simultaneously in the sample. A study of the thermo electric power (t.e.p.) shows that below 450K current is carried by electrons in the conduction band and above by hopping of holes.     

Hopping motion of chlorine atoms on Si(1 0 0)-(2 × 1) surfaces induced by carrier injection from scanning tunneling microscope tips

Injection of tunneling electrons and holes from the probe tips of a scanning tunneling microscope was found to enhance the hopping motion of Cl atoms between neighboring dangling-bond sites of Si dimers on Si(1 0 0)-(2 × 1) surfaces, featured by the rate of hopping linearly dependent on the injection current. The hopping rate formed peaks at sample biases of V_S∼+1.25 and −0.85 V, which agree with the peaks in the local density of states spectrum measured by scanning tunneling spectroscopy. The Cl hopping was enhanced at Cl-adsorbed sites even remote from the injection point. The Cl hopping by hole injection was more efficiently enhanced by sweeping the tip along the Si dimer row than by tip-sweeping along the perpendicular direction. Such anisotropy, on the other hand, was insignificant in the electron injection case. All of these findings can be interpreted by the model that the holes injected primarily into a surface band originated from the dangling bonds of Si dimers propagate quite anisotropically along the surface, and become localized at Cl sites somehow to destabilize the Si-Cl bonds causing hopping of the Cl atoms. The electrons injected into a bulk band propagate in an isotropic manner and then get resonantly trapped at Si-Cl antibonding orbitals, resulting in bond destabilization and hopping of the Cl atoms.     

Low-temperature hopping conduction over the upper Hubbard band in p-GaAs/AlGaAs multilayered structures

The low-temperature 2D variable range hopping conduction over the states of the upper Hubbard band is investigated in detail for the first time in multilayered Be-doped p-type GaAs/AlGaAs structures with quantum wells of 15-nm width. This situation was realized by doping the layer in the well and a barrier layer close to the well for the upper Hubbard band (A ⁺ centers) in the equilibrium state filled with holes. The conduction was of the Mott hopping type in the entire temperature range (4?0.4 K). The positive and negative magnetoresistance branches as well as of non-Ohmic hopping conduction at low temperature are analyzed. The density of states and the localization radius, the scattering amplitude, and the number of scatterers in the upper Hubbard band are estimated. It is found that the interference pattern of phenomena associated with hopping conduction over the A ⁺ band is qualitatively similar to the corresponding pattern for an ordinary impurity band, but the tunnel scattering is relatively weak.     

Stationary hopping photoconduction among multiply charged impurity atoms in crystals

A derivation of the equation for the hopping current of electrons and holes (electron vacancies) among impurities of a single species in three charge states [(−1), (0), and (+1)] is given in the continuum approximation. The screening length of an electrostatic field and the diffusion length of charge carriers are calculated. The dependence of the effective lifetime of electrons hopping among impurities relative to (−1)→(+1) transitions [and of holes relative to (+1)→(−1) transitions] on the degree of compensation and the rate of interimpurity photoexcitation, which stimulates the formation of ions, is obtained. The calculations of the dependence of the hopping photoconductivity on photoexcitation rate are consistent with known experimental data, which have not previously found a theoretical explanation. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 1805–1809 (October 1998)     

Evidence of collective charge transport in the ohmic regime of o-TaS(3) in the charge-density-wave state by a photoconduction study

Using photoconduction techniques, we demonstrate that the low-temperature Ohmic conduction of o-TaS3 is not provided by band motion or hopping of single-particle excitations-electrons and holes excited over the Peierls gap. Instead, the low-temperature Ohmic conduction is mostly provided by collective excitations having an activation energy much less than the Peierls gap value and shunting the contribution of electrons and holes responsible for photoconduction.     

Influence of Se-deficiencies on the properties of In-doped CdCr2Se4 single crystals

Lattice constant, Curie temperature, and electrical conductivity of CdCr₂Se₄:In single crystals have been measured after heat treatments of the crystals in Se atmosphere and under streaming hydrogen. By these treatments, the concentration of the Se vacancies and of the charge carrier concentration is altered drastically. The lattice constant as well as the magnetic ordering temperature have been found not to be affected by these heat treatments.Since the Se vacancies act as doubly changed donors, the electrical conductivity is strongly dependent on the concentration of the Se vacancies. A resistivity anomaly and large magnetoresistance are observed only in crystals with considerable Se deficiency. From these results it is concluded that the magnetoresistance is caused by hopping conduction between donor sites partly emptied by compensating A-site vacancy acceptors. Large magnetoresistance is found in samples with considerable Se deficit because only in this case the conduction at lower temperatures is dominated by the impurity band.     

Radiation-stimulated pulse conductivity of CsBr crystals

The radiation-stimulated pulse conductivity of CsBr crystals is investigated upon picosecond excitation with electron beams (0.2 MeV, 50 ps, 0.1–10 kA/cm²). The time resolution of the measuring technique is ～150 ps. It is shown that the lifetime of conduction band electrons is limited by their bimolecular recombination with autolocalized holes (V _k centers). A delay in the conduction current pulse build-up is revealed. This effect is explained within the proposed model, according to which the Auger recombination of valence band electrons and holes of the upper core band substantially contributes to the generation of conduction band electrons.     

Impurity band conduction in CdHgTe crystals

Electrical conduction at 77 K in Cd_xHg_1−xTe, with the composition x ⩽ 0.2, is by electrons in the conduction band, by holes in the valence band and by holes in the impurity band. In samples with zero energy gap, x < 0.14, electrical conduction by holes in the valence band is comparable to electrical conduction by holes in the impurity band. In the open energy gap CdHgTe, electrical conduction by holes in the valence band is negligible in comparison to electrical conduction by holes in the impurity band. In CdHgTe samples, electrical conduction in the impurity band is described by the “Fermi Glass” model.     

Ultrafast photoconductive response of semiconducting diamond

The photoconductive response of natural p-type semiconducting diamond has been investigated using nanosecond 1.06μm laser pulses. The photocurrent indicates the presence of fast (τ ? 1 nsec) and slow (τ ～ 10 msec) mechanisms which contribute to the free hole lifetime. The fast decay component is attributed to valence band-acceptor recombination. The slow component results from bound holes optically excited from donors to acceptors being thermally promoted to the valence band. These holes return to the donors via the acceptors at a rate determined by the long acceptor-donor recombination time.     

Recombination luminescence mechanisms in Ba3(PO4)2

The effect of hole self-trapping in Ba₃(PO₄)₂ at low temperatures has been studied. The TSL peak at 135 K is due to hole delocalization and diffusion by thermally activated hopping between perfect lattice sites, resulting in a composite uv band, corresponding to the tunneling recombination of holes with localized electrons.     

Electrical properties of α-MnS

Electrical data including thermoelectric power, Hall effect and resistivity on iodine-grown crystals of p-type α-MnS are reported. A study of the temperature dependences reveals that the conductivity occurs by holes in a 3d-band (Mn³⁺) and that the mobility of the holes is not thermally activated. Photoelectron spectra confirm the 3d character of the top of the valence band. Accurate analysis of the electrical data gives a satisfactory explanation of the extrinsic and intrinsic behaviour; the simultaneous presence of donors (substitutional iodine) and acceptors (manganese vacancies) is responsible for the observed phenomena.     

Luminescence from hot electrons relaxing by LO phonon emission in p-GaAs and GaAs doping superlattices

Laser excited hot electrons in GaAs relax by LO phonon emission within a few hundred femtoseconds, leading to a series of peaks in the distribution of hot electrons in the conduction band, which we observe in luminescence. We find that the luminescence peaks shift according to the acceptor binding energy for C?, Ge?, Zn?, and Be-p-doped GaAs layers grown by MBE and LPE. Thus we prove that recombination is between hot electrons and neutral acceptors. The series of peaks due to electrons from the heavy hole band agree well with $\text{k}\text{.}\text{p}$ band structure, while peaks due to those from light holes are about 15 meV lower than expected from the band structure. We show that the discrepancy is not due to heating or surface fields. The peak separation in the luminescence ladder is about 6% larger than the LO energy suggesting emission of renormalised LO phonons. We find thermalisation by LO emission also in GaAs nipi doping superlattices. In nipi crystals the emission is shifted to higher energies (by 12 meV for light and by 6 meV for heavy holes) due to a change in band structure caused by the space charge fields.     

Mechanism of infrared stimulation and quenching in ZnS: Cu,Al Phosphors

To investigate the mechanism of the stimulation and quenching of the green luminescence in ZnS: Cu, Al phosphors by infrared (IR) light of 0.7–1.5 μm, stimulation and quenching spectra, IR effects on time-resolved emission spectra, and IR-induced photoconductivity are measured at 4.2 K, 77 K, and room temperature. Both the stimulation and quenching are caused by the IR transitions ascribed to excited copper acceptors. It is concluded that the stimulation is induced by the process in which holes produced by IR light migrate among copper acceptors, so that the statistical distribution of the intrapair separations of excited copper-aluminum pairs are changed to shorter distances. It is found that at low temperatures the holes migrate from one copper acceptor to another without being thermally released to the valence band. It is confirmed that the quenching is caused by the recombination of holes released to the valence band with electrons in the conduction band via some kind of nonradiative recombination centers.     

Magneto-photoluminescence studies of manganese acceptors in GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum wells

We have investigated the photoluminescence associated with residual manganese acceptors in n-type, modulation doped, GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum wells. In a magnetic field the luminescence breaks into discrete lines attributed to transitions between conduction band Landau levels and manganese acceptor states. The polarization of the luminescence was studied as function of magnetic field. A simple model based on the spin exchange interaction between the holes and the manganese ions successfully describes the polarization data.     

Halleffekt und Leitfähigkeitsmessungen an Zinkoxid-Einkristallen mit Sauerstofflücken als Donatoren

The electrical conductivity and Hall effect of pure zinc oxide single crystals have been measured from 5 to 300 K. The temperature dependence of the conductivity and the charge carrier concentration is similar to silicon and germanium. The low temperature conduction mechanism depending on the impurity concentration is explained by means of hopping conductivity and impurity band conduction. The impurity band is supposed to be built up of overlapping wave functions of the excited donor states. The results have been discussed supposing that the donors are oxygen vacancies occupied by one or by two electrons.     

Calculation of the Knight shift in palladium

The direct and the exchange core polarization (ECP) contributions of the conduction electrons to the Knight shift of palladium are evaluated. To obtain the wave functions for the conduction electrons and the partial densities of states at the Fermi surface a KKR energy band calculation was performed. The contributions of the core electrons to the Knight shift were determined by using the moment perturbation method (MP). Electron-electron interactions are taken into account by individual enhancement factors for thed ands electrons. The agreement between the theoretical results and the available experimental data is quite satisfactory.