Hole-phonon scattering in zinc doped GaSb

The phonon thermal conductivity values in Zn-doped GaSb are explained for hole concentrations ranging from 2 × 10¹⁷ to 4 × 10¹⁹ cm^-3. The concentration dependence of thermal conductivity above 3 × 10¹⁸ cm^-3 is similar to other doped materials and is explained by considering the scattering of phonons by free electrons (holes) given by Ziman and Kosarev and applying the screening effects suggested by Crossby and Grenier. The density-of-states effective mass is kept constant and the dilatation deformation potential is found to increase with hole concentration. For impurity concentrations less than 3 × 10¹⁸ cm^-3, the thermal conductivity is found to increase with hole concentration. Since this concentration region is below the metal-insulator transition, the theory of scattering of phonons by holes bound to the impurity atoms explains the conductivity results. The values of acceptor hole radius and deformation potential constants are in agreement with the experimental values.