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A search for defect configurational changes in the post‐breakdown metastability of semi‐insulating GaAs
Author(s) -
Luo Y. L.,
Fung S.,
Beling C. D.,
Ling C. C.,
Li S.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
physica status solidi (b)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1521-3951
pISSN - 0370-1972
DOI - 10.1002/pssb.200301920
Subject(s) - metastability , electrical resistivity and conductivity , quenching (fluorescence) , materials science , annihilation , condensed matter physics , metal , electric field , atomic physics , chemistry , physics , metallurgy , nuclear physics , fluorescence , optics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
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. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)