The crystal quality improvement by electrical or isoelectronic doping of L.E.C. grown GaAs crystals is related to the thermoelastic modelling of stresses during growth. The dislocation structure in as-grown and annealed crystals is deduced, in particular with the help of the results of plastic deformation. The addition of various elements of the columns II-III-IV-V-VI in GaAs is considered and its influence on the establishment of the dislocation substructure is discussed