A search for defect configurational changes in the post‐breakdown metastability of semi‐insulating GaAs

Abstract

Recently room temperature electrically induced metastability in semi-insulating (SI)-GaAS has been reported in which the normally high resistivity state of SI-GaAs converts into a low resistivity state when breakdown electric fields are applied to the metal/SI-GaAs/metal systems. In this brief report, the methods of photo-quenching and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy have been employed to see whether the high field breakdown and subsequent metastability has its origins in some configurational change of a native defect in the sample. Our results indicate that rather than being due to an atomic configurational change the observed metastability is most likely of purely electronic origin.

Electric-Field-Enhanced Neutralization of Deep Centers in GaAs

“…The semiinsulating properties of GaAs arise from the compensation of residual shallow donors, residual or intentionally added shallow acceptors and intrinsic or intentionally introduced deep centers. Deep centers are responsible for a lot of metastable physical phenomena including persistent photoconductivity [11] and electrically induced hysteresis effect in the I-V characteristics in metal/SI-GaAs/metal structures [12]. Here we demonstrate that EF-RF-SR can produce an important information on the dynamics of deep centers in GaAs.…”

Direct observation of electroluminescence properties on magnetoresistive switch effect in Au/GaAs junctions

“…Transport and its avalanche breakdown properties of semi-insulating (SI)-GaAs have been investigated for its wide applications as substrates for electrical devices or high-power photoconductive semiconductor switches [1,2]. However, little attention has been paid to the magnetic field effects of avalanche breakdown.…”

Observation of abrupt first-order metal–insulator transition in Be-doped GaAs

“…For a representative application of the MIT, the current jump provides a nano-level heat source for melting of a material for development of the next generation non-volatile memory [4]. The jump has been actually observed in insulators, CeO 2 [4], CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 [5], yÀðBEDTÀTTFÞ 2 CsZnðSCNÞ 4 [6], GaAs [7][8][9][10][11][12]. Besides these, many materials showed the current jump.…”