The DX center and other tin-related defects in AlGaAs semiconductors

Al _x Ga_1-xAs semiconductors doped with both natural and enriched¹¹⁹Sn have been studied by Mössbauer spectroscopy (MS) to help to determine the atomic-scale nature of a deleterious, deep-level defect known as the DX center. Spectra have been acquired in the dark at 76 K and under sub-bandgap illumination at 4 or 10 K to distinguish the DX center from the substitutional shallow donor defect. Although electrical differences are clearly detected in these two states, no difference in the Mössbauer spectra are observed. Unexpected high Sn contents, determined by quantitative MS, demonstrate a large non-electrically active Sn fraction in some samples and this may be obscuring the observation of the DX center by both X-ray absorption spectroscopy and MS. Grinding the single-crystal layers into fine powders leads to an Sn defect that is attributed to a surface-oxidized site.     

Current transport in forward biased schottky barriers on low doped n-type InSb

Measurements of the forward current characteristics and the barrier heights of Schottky barriers on chemically etched low-doped n-InSb surfaces have been performed. The barrier height determined from the $\text{1}\text{C}{}^2$ versus V plot is in good agreement with the value from the thermal activation energy, while the barrier height obtained from the saturation current deviates to a great extent. The difference can be seen to correlate with the ideality factor of the forward I–V characteristics. This irregular behaviour is attributed to the presence of a thin interfacial dielectric layer and to an ideality factor due to the Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) controlled occupation of the interface states.     

AlGaAs∶Sn中DX中心电子俘获势垒的精细结构

采用定电容电压法,测量了n型Al026Ga074As∶Sn中DX中心电子热俘获瞬态,以及不同俘获时间后的电子热发射瞬态;并对瞬态数据进行数值Laplace变换,得到其Laplace缺陷谱(LDS).通过分析LDS谱,确定了电子热俘获和热发射LDS谱之间的对应关系,从而得到热俘获系数对温度依赖关系,以及与Sn相关的DX中心部分电子热俘获势垒的精细结构;通过第一原理赝势法计算表明,Sn附近的AlGa原子的不同配置是电子热俘获势垒精细结构产生的主要原因     

Electrical properties of DX centers in GaAs and AlGaAs

Abstract

The DX center, the lowest energy state of the donor in AIGaAs with x < 0.22, is responsible for the reduced conductivity as well as the persistent photoconductivity observed in this material at low temperature. Extensive studies of the properties of this deep level in Si-doped AIGaAs are reviewed here. Data are presented showing that the characteristics of the DX center remain essentially unchanged when it is resonant with the conduction band (x < 0.22) and that, independent of other compensation mechanisms, the DX center therefore limits the free carrier concentration in Si-doped GaAs to a maximum of about 2 × 10¹⁹ cm^?3. Recent measurements suggesting that the lattice relaxation involves the motion of the Si atom from the substitutional site toward an interstitial site are also presented. Evidence for the negative U model, that the DX level is the two electron state of the substitutional donor, is discussed.     

Novel excitonic transitions in n-type GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells

We report on a novel peak, the F-line, observed in photoluminescence spectra of GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells (QWs) with various donor layer positions and concentrations. The F-line is well-defined and red shifted by approximately 1.3 meV (dependent on the experimental conditions) relatively the free exciton (FE) in a 200 Å wide QW. The F-line exhibits a strong magnetic field dependence. The enhanced intensity with increasing field is due to an increasing wave function overlap caused by the enhanced localization of the involved charge carriers. In accordance, the derived thermal activation energy for the F-line is magnetic field dependent. The F-line exhibits a diamagnetic shift as expected for an excitonic transition and splits into four components with increasing magnetic field. Another associated higher energy peak, the E-line, is observed preferably in the presence of a magnetic field, between the heavy hole- and light hole-FE in PL excitation spectra. The E-line also exhibits a striking magnetic field and temperature dependence. The observed properties of the F-line with a striking dependence on the excitation intensity, magnetic field and temperature are consistent with the observation of an exciton bound at the negatively charged D^- donor state or a negatively charged X^- exciton.     

Pressure dependence of electron scattering by DX centres in GaAs and AlGaAs

Abstract

The electron mobility of heavily n-dopped GaAs and AlGaAs increases rapidly with applied hydrostatic pressure as carriers are trapped at DX centres. This has been taken as evidence against the Chadi and Chang (CC) negative charge state model of the DX centre. We argue that DX^? centres are formed close to d⁺ centres in highly doped samples, and that the mobility data is in fact fully consistent with the CC model, when such dipole-like correlations are included.     

AlGaAs:Sn中DX中心电子俘获势垒的精细结构

采用定电容电压法,测量了n型Al0.26Ga0.74As:Sn中DX中心电子热俘获瞬态,以及不同俘获时间后的电子热发射瞬态;并对瞬态数据进行数值Laplace变换,得到其Laplace缺陷谱（LDS）。通过分析LDS谱,确定了电子热俘获和热发射LDS谱之间的对应关系,从而得到热俘获系数对温度依赖关系,以及与Sn相关的DX中心部分电子热俘获势垒的精细结构;通过第一原理赝势法计算表明,Sn附近的Al/Ga原子的不同配置是电子热俘获势垒精细结构产生的主要原因。     

The screening influence of the conduction electrons on the shallow donor levels in n-type GaAs

Using the approximative formula found by the author for the eigenvalues of Schrödinger equation for an electron in the screened coulombic field and the condition of the charge neutrality in partially compensated semiconductor, the ground-state and the first excited-state energy levels of shallow donors in n-type GaAs are computed for various donor concentrations and compensation ratios. The energy levels are found to be temperature dependent, which enables to explain the discrepancy between the ionization energies experimentally determined by optical methods at 4·2 K and those found by fitting the experimental temperature variation of the carrier concentration. The different values of the energies for the transition from the ground-state to the first excited-state at 4·2 K and at 15 K experimentally determined by other authors also confirm the temperature dependence of shallow donor levels which can be explained by the screening effect of conduction electrons.     

Al_xGa_(1-x)As:Si中DX中心的双极化子机制及统计分析

基于极化子和双极化子的物理图像,采用无拟合参数的巨正则统计方法计算了Si掺杂的AlxGa1-xAs的导带载流子浓度,计算得到的理论结果从高温到低温都与实验结果定量一致.计算证实了AlxGa1-xAs:Si中的DX中心的基态DX-是电子-晶格相互作用产生的负电双极化子.处于热平衡状态时,施主Si在AlxGa1-xAs中除了电离状态,处于不同晶格构型的单、双极化子态共存,低温时双极化子态被冻结;光照下发生持续光电导时,双极化子态变成单极化子态同时向导带释放一个电子,此过程伴随着进一步的晶格弛豫.理论与实验的对照说明单电子局域的DX0态在热平衡时并不能稳定存在,这和提出的双极化子机制是完全一致的.